[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

[Willem Blees]

I think that if the PTG/CAUT wants to get serious about the level of piano tuners working at universities, then lets have the requirements be something university administrators?can understand. To be a CAUT, a piano tuner should have?a college education, and be an RPT?with CAUT credentials,?which should include some sort of management training.?

Comments, thoughts??

Wim





Well, I have a degree and I don't think its necessary for what I do here. ?I'm doing my dead level best to be objective on this issue, and what I see just doesn't seem to indicate a need for a degree. ?Like Ron Nossaman explained, if having a degree really makes a difference, we should be seeing a noticeable difference in performance of our craft.? What we know just doesn't seem to bear this out. ?We have a number of highly respected CAUTs at high profile institutions who are non-degreed.? I know my share of non-degreed techs who do very respected concert work.? I am proud I have a degree and wouldn't trade my "non-classroom" college experience for anything.? But there are many people in this world who wasted thousands and thousands of dollars pursuing a degree because someone else thought they ought to.




(snip)



Even though you seem to have the impression most universities are requiring a degree, that is the rare exception. ?The majority of the few position descriptions which do mention a college degree have it in the "desired" section.? Reason for that is that the employee classification we are most often associated with requires nothing beyond a high school diploma, and I wouldn't doubt GED in some states.? So, whether or not we have a degree will most likely make no difference with your human resources department until a more accurate classification exists for our craft.? Now, when I was interviewed here, the musicians raised eyebrows at my business degree and did appreciate the fact I had some music training.? But even then I understood that that is the only world they understand. ?The longer I have worked here, reinforcement of that understanding has been driven deeper.? It goes back to what Ron and I have both called prejudice and academic pretense (his words).? There is the notion of isolation from the outside world that is very much a factor as well.




Jeff





Jeff

There are always going to be exception to the rule. There are self made millionaires with a GED, but statistically, people with a college degree make more money than those with a HS degree. 

This discussion, I thought, was about what abilities and requirements a CAUT should be. If we go with what?the?current requirements are, then there is no need to go to the trouble of coming up with recommendations, because, as you pointed out, there are many highly qualified and successful Non-RPT's?CAUT's with just a high school education who don't play the piano. But if this profession is ever going to be taken seriously by universities, then perhaps we should begin with taking ourselves seriously. 



Wim

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