<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR><o:SmartTagType name="PostalCode" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE>  </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; khtml-nbsp-mode: space; khtml-line-break: after-white-space" vLink=purple link=blue> <DIV>Dear Friends:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hang in there.  We get better at this as we grow older, and it all begins to fit together. We can love our customers and our work, and be paid well, too.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Generally I try to have a brief talk (2-4 minutes) with the customer about how the piano and piano study is going.  I may actively ask questions about this.  I want to use all my knowledge of pianos, music, pedagogy, psychology, etc. to make the piano work its best for that person.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At the same time I'm listening carefully as I can, and will listen if the person needs to talk of something else.  And once in a while something magic happens, such as meeting someone who's mother was a wonderful artist, and having a chance to see her personal collection.  With customers I've come to know really well, we may take a little more time, but this is certainly not everyone.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've done institutional work that was deeply rewarding, and also some that grew into a gruesome drudgery.  Fortunately, I seem finished with the drudging. The teachers I work for now really like what I do, and the conversations we have help me continue to refine my professional skills.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What is hard to explain is how, over the years, I have come to value my time, and have gotten very good at having conversations that really count, and staying away from time-wasting yackity-yack.  I've learned to recognize when the conversation is eating up lifetime, and usually just say "well, I have to work (go) now."  There are many clues we give with body language and tone of voice that re-inforce our statements, and there is just plain turning away and picking up our tools.  We need to give clear messages. (Perhaps we should talk about this.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It does not always take a lot of words to have a deeply human conversation.  Sometimes just the way we say hello can touch someone deeply.  There is a heart feeling that guides us when we learn to feel it.  It's very efficient and does not waste time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Incidentally, I do not address my customers on a first name basis.  I believe this helps me to have a relationship that is both personal and caring, and also professional.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> Bye!</DIV> <DIV>Ed Sutton</DIV></BODY></HTML>