Hi Ric, You mean, when I jumped up and down and shouted "I'LL QUIT IF YOU GET 80 BOSTON *#@% 118S's!!" as part of their "All Steinway School" offer, that I shouldn't have voiced it quite that way? <G> Regards, Jim -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Richard Brekne Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 1:26 PM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway... The "Safe" Piano. If we are asked to provide a technical evaluation then thats what we should do. If the administration wants your artistic input... then thats another matter. My point is that we should take care to seperate our P's from Q's here. Administrations and faculties largely rely on us for our technical insights. For them, starting out in the process of deciding what kind of direction to go relating piano purchasing considerations is a complicated affair and deals with not a few issues that our out of our realm. Some of them are out of the faculties realm as well for that matter. Of course we should be considered as colleagues as opposed to staff.., also as regards to the artistic side of our work. But we are technicians at the same time... have hand workers, half artisan, and half administrators. In supplying information to supplement the administrations considerations it be wise to make sure they know when we are talking as a technician, when we are speaking as an artist, and when we are speaking from an administrative stance. I make no argument against being a full and active part in such important decisions. I only underline the need to keep our variant roles clear to those we supply information to.... exactly because they are <<such important decisions>> Cheers RicB I disagree with this sentiment; that we should limit ourselves purely to technical discussions. It is true our strengths are in the technical field, but that should not limit us in our ability to be involved in the "artistic" decisions of our schools. We are as involved in the musical process as most faculty. It is to our advantage to be considered colleagues as opposed to staff. We have more to offer than solely the service of pianos. If we allow ourselves to be marginalized by not participating in such important decisions, we put ourselves in the position of being thought of as nothing more than piano mechanics. For a group that constantly complains about the lack of pay and respect in our profession, we sure have a strange way of enabling such a position by assuming such a benign existence. ________________________ Rick Florence Senior Piano Technician Arizona State University School of Music
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