<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: =
Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol=
e_document
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 11/1/04 2:00:02 PM Central Standard Time,
djpope1@juno.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><=
FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=
=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If all university based PTG members would=
encourage their piano departments to offer a simple, one credit course in
piano technology familiarization, it would make a HUGE difference in what =
the
future will look like. Of course that might mean teaching a course on top =
of
an already full schedule of piano maintenance, but if you're serious you'l=
l
need to bite the bullet.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David Pope</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bowling Green State
University</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>David</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I used the same argument you did, that pianists don't know anything abo=
ut
their instruments, to get our department to OK the course, but onl=
y as
an elective. I don't think even the piano faculty was all that much in favor=
of
it. I am offering this class next semester, but I need 10 students to make i=
t
go. So far, I've only heard of three that are taking it, and only one is a p=
iano
major. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The way I see it, and I am sure this is a problem at most schools, is t=
hat
to get a course like this established is an intrusion on other professor's
course offerings, all of whom think their particular subject matter is the m=
ost
important aspect in music, and should be taught above all else.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At UA all performance majors are required to take 7 semesters
of theory and composition. (And these are 4 hour courses.) This was sta=
rted
about 50 years ago, and it appears to be accepted by all performance faculty=
.
Ironically, the ensemble directors are complaining they don't have=
enough players for their groups. I don't know if they understand that the ex=
tra
semesters of theory is preventing the performance majors from participa=
ting
in ensembles.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As far as getting more piano tuners, a course like what we're taking ab=
out
is a step in the right direction. The course is only offered every other yea=
rs,
so if I can get one of them to look into this field as a possibility, i=
t
might help the industry as a whole.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Wim</DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"=
>Willem Blees,
RPT<BR>Piano tuner/technician<BR>School of Music<BR>University of
Alabama<BR></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>