take this job and shove it (was let's cut..)

[Otto Keyes]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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take this job and shove it (was let's cut..)My!  My!  Reality is harsh =
isn't it?!  :-)  Just when I thought we were going to all bleed to death =
as part of the ubiquitous, all-american victim class, from the searing =
heat of Arizona (do I have the proper asu.edu, Rick?), you come to =
CAUTerize the wound.  It was beginning to sound like the morning bitch =
sessions at the union hall before the guys all go file for unemployment =
and another round of coffee, smokes & griping at the local greasy spoon. =
 How quickly we leave behind (if we ever had it) the drive & creativity =
that kept us alive out in the real world, and take on the mentality of =
academia.  Bringing that sort of entrepreneurial approach to an academic =
setting is not always appreciated -- it tends to rock the boat.  Timing =
and tact will be critical as well.  I doubt that you'd have had the same =
success 5-7 years ago, Rolf.  However, you've been able to achieve a =
lot, as have many others across the country, and all are to be =
congratulated.  CAUT is the forum to share that success, as well as the =
attempts that fail, and learn together in the process.  As you said, =
Rick, the faculty (and music admin.) are the key to future & funding.  =
If we can develope a real rapport where they recognize that we help them =
succeed, they will "sing our praise in the city gates".

Otto
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Rick Florence=20
  To: College and University Technicians=20
  Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 11:50 AM
  Subject: take this job and shove it (was let's cut..)


  >From the "if your job is so bad, why don't you get a new one" =
department:

  I have to admit, I tire easily following this type of discussion.  I'm =
sick of hearing about what a lousy life we have as piano technicians.  =
It's like we are the Rodney Dangerfields of the service industry.  The =
way I see it, we have three choices:

  1.  Change nothing and keep complaining about it.

  2.  Be creative and find a way to make our individual situations work =
for us.

  3.  Take all the time wasted whining, writing about how important we =
are, and proposing new and improved guidelines, and use it to upgrade =
our education and find a new job! That way we will all be better off.  =
Some will no doubt have a better job and, according to the laws of =
economics (supply and demand), those of us who remain can expect to see =
higher wages:-)

  It seems to me that real job security (and a decent salary) in our =
profession comes from two sources: =20

  1.  Making ourselves indispensable.  Administrators (bean counters, or =
whatever else you want to call them) tend to listen to one voice - =
faculty.  Charts mean nothing - I find it rather ironic that though we =
despise the bean counter mentality, we would want to become such =
ourselves ("If I could draw your attention to chart 3b, you will see =
that an increase in funding of 25% will lead to an overall instrument =
longevity factor of 32.6% a net increase of 7.2% without taking into =
account inflation.  To do so please refer to chart 37c" - GAG!).  =
Faculty is concerned about the performance hall, the studio, and =
sometimes the practice rooms.  They don't care how long a piano will =
last, they want it performing now.  If they really cared about longevity =
we would never have to harp about limited practice time on teaching and =
performance instruments or putting covers back on pianos.  If we can =
convince faculty, by demonstration of our skills, how much better their =
teaching and performing lives are with us around, they will do most of =
our bidding. =20

  2.  Comparing our program to peer institutions.  Someone else has =
briefly mentioned this, but it needs to be included in our discussions =
with administrators.  Nothing gets faculty or administration hotter than =
showing them how much better off one of their peer institutions is.  =
Academia is kind of silly that way, but it thrives on this constant =
comparison and "keeping up with the Jones" mentality.  We need to use it =
to our advantage.

  Funds in the arts will always be scarce.  We can either whine about it =
or be creative and find new revenue streams - good ideas Rolf!


  Gotta get back to work,

  Rick


  on 6/18/03 7:50 AM, Wimblees@aol.com at Wimblees@aol.com wrote:


    In a message dated 6/17/03 9:03:23 PM Central Daylight Time, =
pianos@traverse.net writes:


      We need to think creatively not only about ways to
      spend money but ways to raise it as well.  To that end Interlochen =
Center for the
      Arts recently created what I think may be the first endowed chair =
of piano
      technology in the country. =20



    While on the one hand this is a great idea, what bothers me about =
this is that not only do we have to work for a living, if this trend =
continues, it looks like we will also have to work to find the money to =
pay us.=20

    Unfortunately, this is not just a minor problem with finding funds =
to pay the piano technician. This falls under the larger umbrella of =
funding the arts. In the United States, funding for the arts has always =
been a problem. While people will pay hundreds of dollars to attend =
athletic events, and think nothing of plunking down $20,000 to buy a =
fishing boat, which they use twice a year, asking them to give $50, much =
less $5000, to help pay for the arts, falls on deaf ears.=20

    If we are going to have to raise our own salary, it become even more =
imperative that we can show how the money is going to be used, and used =
judiciously. That is why we need to have in place charts showing how =
properly maintained instruments will not only play and sound better, but =
last longer.=20

    Wim=20





  _____________
  Rick Florence
  Piano Technician
  Arizona State University, School of Music


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