<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Mar 21, 2007, at 6:26 PM, Gould, Jeremy wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><P class="MsoNormal"><FONT size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><SPAN style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">I don’t know what the long term solution is. I just know it is a battle I don’t want to fight. I think in the end, the level of service demanded by the faculty will determine what happens. The more the faculty complains, the faster change will occur. If the faculty remains apathetic and complacent, the position and the pianos will deteriorate. I can explain the deficiencies in pay, resources, humidity control, tools, work-space, care of the instruments, etc. until the cows come home, but after the first round, it is too easy to tune me out. It is when the faculty begin to complain that things will get done. The problem is that when faculty complain, the technician often gets the blame, not the lack of resources or the fact that there is enough work for two full time technicians. I’ve made a noticeable improvement in service since I have been here (the last technician was part-time, so improvement over that was not too difficult), but I have no budget for new pianos and I have to request every new part I order. It is only a matter of time before the bubble bursts.</SPAN><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P><P class="MsoNormal"><FONT size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><SPAN style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: 13.3333px; "><O:P style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN></O:P></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>Very, very well written.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><P class="MsoNormal"><FONT size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><SPAN style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">All of that said, if you are a brave technician who would like a lot of experience quickly, and the opportunity to have a positive impact on an enthusiastic, highly skilled musical community, and don’t mind working for a year or two in a job that is under paid, this is a golden opportunity. It’s been worth it for me.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>That's the part that is such a shame. You're having to look for someone who doesn't mind working a year or two because it is underpaid. It isn't "priced" for someone who can be a part of the long term solution. Like Otto so brilliantly put it, we're merely providing "hospice care" for the pianos.<BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>