<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Brian,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Our policy here is that the piano technicians don’t do any piano moving. Unfortunately, any moving charges must come out of our operating budget. If  say, the opera department wants a second concert grand for one of their studio productions (it is after all, “Grand Opera”…yes, they really said that) they must come up with the funds out of whatever production budget they might have. If we didn’t have this policy pianos would be flying around everywhere as you can imagine. All this being said, when we need to move a small grand to or from our shop we will often do it ourselves (very quickly so nobody will see us and get ideas). We do this because we can save budget money and also for the sake of expediency. Larger grands or difficult moves are always done by the movers because we value our health and we aren’t piano movers even though we know how to do it. If you aren’t used to the work, inexperienced or just old it is easy to “strain a gut” and then all the workman’s comp. and disability issues you have been hearing about come into play.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I think you’re right, it is inappropriate for piano technicians to be expected to double as piano movers. We could probably do a pretty good job laying carpet and save the school that money as well. We have enough hats to wear already.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Eric Wolfley, RPT Head Piano Technician Cincinnati College-Conservatory of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Music</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:place></st1:City> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Brian Yankee Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 12:15 PM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: [CAUT] Piano Techs as Piano Movers?<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div> Greetings.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I am the Director of Performance Services at New England Conservatory in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>. A member of our administration wants to have our Piano Technicians (whom I supervise) move our pianos (mostly a mix of Steinway B's, L's and M's) out of studios, into and out of the piano shop, etc. when the need arises. We have always hired an outside piano moving company to do all of our moves except for occasionally rolling an upright piano down a hallway from one room to another.  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> What prompted this is a proposal to recarpet and paint seven faculty studios this summer. The proposal included an estimate of the cost to hire our movers to remove the pianos from the rooms, bring them to our piano shop for storage on their sides and then to return them to the studios once the work is done. Needless to say, the piano moving costs are considerable. <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Personally, I think it's inappropriate for piano techs to double as piano movers, but what do I know? I need a reality check: Is this something that piano techs at other colleges and universities do? If not, can you give me some good arguments why they shouldn't? <o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Thanks.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Brian Yankee<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> Director of Performance Services<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> New England Conservatory<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> ******************************************************************* Brian S. Yankee Director of Performance Services New England Conservatory 290 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Huntington</st1:place></st1:City> Ave. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Boston</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">MA</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">02115</st1:PostalCode></st1:place> Tel: 617-585-1271 Fax: 617-585-1270 <o:p></o:p> <div>  <o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>