<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>FW: PTG 2006 Convention Update</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> Hi all, sorry for the duplicate post.  This was sent to the ptg member= s list.  Just  want to make sure I catch everyone who may not be o= n that list.  As always, suggestions are accepted. Rick _____________ Rick Florence Piano Technician Arizona State University, School of Music Dear Fellow Technicians, I am Rick Florence, Institute Director of the 2006= Annual PTG Seminar and Institute. I have recently returned from Rochester = and the Convention Planning Meeting and wanted to give you a preview of some= of the exciting things on tap for June 21-25, 2006. The following is a syn= opsis of what you will find in Rochester next year. Start planning now to a= ttend! <H2>The Rochester Institute has been designed to educate= and inspire technicians in three areas: </H2> <H2>€ Showcasing the work of the b= est technicians in the business </H2> € Teaching new s= kills through hands-on training <H2>€ Introducing ways to keep mor= e of your hard-earned money </H2> <H2>Showcasing the Best Work </H2> We have invited the best rebuilders of our trade to brin= g their works of art for all to see and appreciate. If you've observed endl= ess slide show and PowerPoint presentations only to leave class still unsure= of what constitutes a finely rebuilt piano, this event is for you. The Rebuilders Showcase</FO= NT> will begin the week with keynote lectures by An= ders Askenfelt (Five Lectures on the Acoustics of the Piano) and Del Fandric= h. These lectures will be followed by t= wo full days of rebuilding presentations. Individual classes wil= l conclude with a mini recital on the rebuilt piano, performed by students f= rom Eastman School of Music. Each showcase piano will then be placed in a g= allery for all to inspect and play. Other classes will showcase skills not previously seen i= n PTG seminars. The Renner Team will expand their All-Stars program to two = days, demonstrating a complete action rebuild.<= /FONT> Andre and Christian Bolduc will lead a class through a soundboard installation, including downbearing and br= idge notching all in two days. Other classes will be added with an emphas= is on showing complete work, as opposed to lectures only. <H2>Hands-on Skills </H2> Hands-on skills will be headlined by new, multi-day programs in both grand and upright regulatio= n. Samick and Roger Jolly have created an intensiv= e grand regulation program using 12 pianos. Each piano will have= a mentor and five students. Instruction will include complete grand regula= tion and string work. This multi-session class will consume four days, thre= e hours per day. The Yamaha Team will re-introduce the Vertical Regulation Curriculum. Running concurrently with t= he Samick program for three days, this program will be taught on 15 upright = pianos, three students per piano. These classes are not intended for the ca= sual observer, but for those who can commit to multiple sessions of intense = hands-on instruction. Bob Marinelli will offer a full= day action weigh-off and design class at Eastman School of Music= . The emphasis of this class is to allow all attendees to participate in t= he work. You will leave this class having weighed-off an action, drilled fo= r and inserted weights, and understanding more completely the issues of weig= ht and action mechanics. Another new program will be an all-day Introduction to Piano Technology= seminar. This program is designed for the new technician who ha= s recently entered the field of piano technology, or perhaps is new to a cer= tain area of concentration. This multi-session class, which can be attended= by individual subject, or as a complete program, will cover everything from= identifying beats in tuning, to tool selection, to basic understanding of t= he upright and grand actions and how to service them. We have asked a large number of our instructors to teach= classes with a particular skill in mind and be available the following clas= s period (in the same classroom) to guide interested hands-on students throu= gh the newly learned skill. Examples of a few of the classes we have schedu= led in this manner are: € Spinet and upright service= with proper and safe action removal € Damper service and regulat= ion € String repairs, including = loops and knot tying € Hammer filing € Player service and rebuild= ing € Principles of tuning Another new and exciting class for Rochester will be <FO= NT COLOR="#5A0000">Hammer Design</FON= T>, with Ray Negron from Ronsen Piano Hammers. Ray will not only discus= s hammer manufacture and design, but will have one of his presses in class a= nd will press a set of hammers as part o= f his lecture. <H2>Holding On To Your Money </H2> New to Rochester this year will be a dedicated Business Seminar on Saturday afternoon. If you h= ave struggled in any aspect of running your business, chances are we will ha= ve a class tailored to your specific needs. The money you will save by impl= ementing business strategies taught in these classes will pay for your atten= dance not only this year, but in years to come. Some of the topics covered = will include marketing, business management, apprai= sals, client and inventory control, health insurance, medical-spending accou= nts, tax planning, and retirement. Many other classes and events are planned for Rochest= er. Information will be posted on the convention web page http://www.ptg.org/conv/2006, so check it often beginning= November 1, 2005. If you have made it this far, thanks for your time. I lo= ok forward to seeing you and learning with you in Rochester, New York, June = 21-25, 2006. </BODY> </HTML>