Michael,
I can't thank you and the other people on this list for taking the time to post these
messages. I am greatly in your debt. This has been difficult for me. I think I may be
able to reach a wise decision now with all the cumulative information I have received.
Perhaps I'll let you all know how it turns out if anyone is interested.
Greg Newell
Michael Jorgensen wrote:
> Hi Greg,
> After sixteen years as a full time university tech with 107 pianos and having
> read the responses so far, here is what I would do if you want to be successful in
> it. Here is some of what I have learned, I'll spill guts.
>
> 1. Never get involved in politics, there is no need to. Never listen to gossip,
> gripes, or complaints about anyone, especially faculty, always politely avoid it.
> Your the lowest wolf in the pack so don't start any fights, you'll lose. But you are
> part of the pack, so enjoy it, and eat well!!
>
> 2. Tune three pianos a day, every day, with significant breaks in between. On the
> first tuning round spend two hours on each one to voice it, clean it, fix all of the
> broken stuff, and the squeaky pedal. On the second round, your tuning time will
> decline to about 1 1/2 hours per piano or less.
>
> 3. Do not waste time right away on any computer database building. They will be
> looking for a difference right away, so simply write down the tuning date, serial
> numbers, and locations for later entry into a database. You should have a computer
> for that and you can create it over time during your breaks between pianos. Tune the
> piano faculty pianos first, then do the classrooms and any other pianos where the
> faculty member is a good pianist or uses the piano alot.
>
> 4. Work 7:30am to 4:00 pm with a half hour lunch for the first six months. Don't do
> any private work for a month to allow yourself to adjust to the new routine. You
> will need to start early to get in to everyplace.
>
> 5. After six months consider changing to 6:30am to 3:00pm so you can be home at five
> after doing an outside tuning. Invest all of the money you make outside, you
> shouldn't have to work more than eight hours just to survive and live decently. I
> have invested all outside money, and now have a 30 foot sailboat, a nice ranch home
> on 10 acres with a thousand feet of river frontage, two years salary in CDs, zero
> debt, and two cars, two grand pianos, and kids in a private school. When I started
> the job, I had $600. That almost ran out because I didn't get a paycheck for a whole
> month after I started. My current goal is to never spend a cent of my paycheck
> again, and live off tunings. Didn't do it last year, but so far this year I haven't
> spent a cent of it. Forget the concept that there is "security" in the university.
> A big lie, There never is, and never was. God, your wife, your private business,
> abilities, and assets are your security.
>
> 6. NEVER tune more than six hours a day or three pianos in a day. That's all they
> pay for. There should never be any emergencies requiring more than that. With 80
> pianos, that tunes them all once every six weeks. Your inventory will always be in
> near perfect tune and your faculty will love you for it. Always wear ear plugs. If
> a faculty member mentions it, i.e. (alluding or insinuating that you might be
> providing second rate work because of ear plug use), turn their gossip into
> complaints about the loud acoustics which is destroying every ones hearing. Or tell
> 'em it's to cut out the noise of that musician next door cause there's no
> soundproofing so you CAN hear. In other words you must learn to manipulate the
> wolves to be your assets rather than enemies. Every department has them. For that
> type of person who is always policing others, or looking for some other persons
> fault, always be ready to divert them to some another area. Be ready in case
> complaints about the concert piano start. Get a sling psychrometer, test the
> humidity, keep a record of it and use it for all defense and your protection if
> needed. You can't replace soundboards with the time you have, so remember what the
> lack of humidity control has done to those pianos for all those years. New hammers
> and shanks aren't going to do it. Manipulating wolves is how you get new pianos and
> humidity control. Don't you be a "complainer", the department wolves will do it for
> you. Never mention anything that really is wrong with a piano if no one has
> complained about it. Know when to shut up and what to say when gripes arise. Be "on
> the side" of all piano faculty, know their frustrations, make them sense you are
> their advocate. Really be their advocate! Don't let things be your fault, there
> not!, but boy there are always wolves who will make it your fault if they can. Be
> ready, one step ahead of the game. Some faculty well test you. Don't hate them for
> it, for once you prove yourself, they will be your biggest supporters. Laugh it off,
> you know more than they do.
>
> 7. Newton is right, you cannot do everything that needs to be done when there is
> less than one tech for 60 pianos. BUT, IT IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT WILL MAKE
> THE DIFFERENCE. Being a CAUT is like being an army doctor. You work in the
> trenches, must be fast, efficient and do what counts, and take your rest.
>
> 8. Never get bogged down in what doesn't count much. Don't bother fixing ten swing
> hammer shanks on practice pianos or most studios, unless they clack. Forget
> perfection and concentrate on what makes the greatest improvements.
>
> 9. Always look like your working. Computers, databases, the list, the journal all
> help. Physically, eight hours of condensed piano work is too much, day after day
> after day. When bored, experiment with voicing techniques, goof around with new
> techniques or new things you haven't done before. The university loves all types of
> development and education. If not a pianist, learn on school time. If you are,
> simply play the piano for fifteen or thirty minutes after each tuning. You'll get
> good. Be careful who you play for though. If anyone asks, your testing carefully
> before choosing which advanced voicing methods to use. Then talk their ear off as
> your rest.
>
> 10. Attend all piano faculty concerts.
>
> 11. When questioned about your work or ability to tune by some overly confident
> pompous PHD wolf, dazzle them by explaining temperament, and inharmonicity. Take the
> time to explain it, consider it a break, draw a picture of a vibrating string, tell
> em the inharmonicity formula and talk about its' merits, demonstrate some different
> sizes of octaves, show them false strings, stack up three pure major thirds, talk
> their ear off for half an hour, and enjoy it---all part of school time. Soon you'll
> be lecturing for their theory class. After the first months, such persons will never
> bother you again. Never fear, have fun, you know more than they do. Chances are
> 99% they never heard of any of that stuff.
>
> 12. Don't attend many all concerts, just the solo piano ones. Let it be known to all
> that you work 6:30 to 3:00 to get in to all rooms and it simply is not physically
> possible to be at concerts until 10:00 PM.
> Say to the wolf, "They oughta quit over scheduling the place you know." The wolves
> will jump right in on your side and start complaining for you.
>
> 13. Eight hours a day is hard, tiring, and boring. Now that I have done this for
> 16 years, I'm not sorry, but MAN was it hard. I think being a good tuner in
> Cleveland might be a better deal. Of course with property values there, I couldn't
> have my home.
>
> 14. Don't waste time getting to know the custodians, students, or spend time
> listening to gripes from any workers. Mind your own business. Be friends with
> faculty and administrators.
>
> 15. Wear a tie, dress pants, and decent shoes. Do not wear jeans or overalls. Your
> one of them, the faculty, just be one.
>
> 16. Agree with the university on all social issues, or at least shut up if you
> don't.
>
> 17. Avoid tuning three of the same type of piano in one day. i.e. do some uprights
> and grands as this avoids fatigue. After the first round, you will know the hateful
> pianos, and can avoid selecting three hateful ones in the same day. Never bring your
> work home
>
> 18. They should buy all tools. If you use your own, some jerk might think you are
> stealing them when you leave to tune your private pianos. REMEMBER THAT THE
> APPEARANCE OR WRONG DOING IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS THE WRONG DOING, At least in the
> university.
>
> 19. Don't make them buy them all right away. Get them gradually, and use your own,
> but making sure that they know it.
>
> 20. You must be smart. Give them what they think they need, not what they really
> need. All the truth of the PTG and perfectionism of the list is good to know and
> understand and use, but be realistic. Your job is to please the faculty, any way
> possible. You must please the piano faculty if you are to survive, so you do what
> you have to. Not hard really.
>
> 21. Keep a record of all tunings. The concert piano is 'sposed to be tuned "before
> each concert" NONSENSE!! Yeah, go over it and check the unisons, fix a few here and
> there, and record it tuned. You do this 100 times a year. If you really tuned it
> that much, the hammers would be worn out in one year----trouble you don't need.
> Whenever it gets off pitch is when to tune it. Those tuning records prove your
> worth, in case some hatchet minded administrator starts looking around for somebody
> to cut. These always originate from higher up than in music. Chances are music
> really struggled to "get that position" and there are folks up high who wish it
> weren't.
>
> 22. Fix every request within a day. and always tune to A440.
>
> 23. Always make every faculty member feel really important.
>
> 24. You remove the mountain of stuff stored on the piano. Lay it down in perfect
> order so it all goes back in perfect order. When the faculty member apologizes,
> say, "no trouble at all, one of my goals is to make it as easy for you as
> possible" The truth is that unloading pianos of junk is easier than tuning them,
> It's all part of the job. Be a slave and accept it or don't take the job. Puff up
> the pride of faculty whenever possible, It'll do you good.
>
> You got the brains the knowledge to do great, Its' just a big question whether it's
> worth it. I'm not sure after sixteen years, but, hey I got three beautiful kid and
> still got my wife. We were just a young couple when I started. I would encourage
> your wife to also develop a career because these university jobs are dead ends and
> really not that secure. They just don't lead anywhere. As time goes on, needs
> increase, and one just wants to do better in life.
> I'll bet you have more than 80 pianos. After your there a while you'll find
> more, in closets, in pits, lost about on the rest of the campus. Likely they don't
> know how many they really have. When I took the job they said I had 84. When I told
> Van Grimley, my predecessor, he laughed, and laughed, and then said " I think you
> got more like about 135!" A good man he was, and he was right on the nose. Since
> then we got rid of some worthless ones.
>
> -Mike
> ----So that's the way it is-----, my guts spilled.
>
> Greg Newell wrote:
>
> > Ron and list,
> > All kidding aside you bring up something here that is now, whether I like it
> > or not, part of a decision I have to make in my life. I have the opportunity to
> > become the piano tuner/ technician for the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I
> > just spent the last 3 days there and part of my concern is a possible racial
> > component. I spent the last month before I went asking friends, customers, family
> > and others what they thought about Alabama or if they knew anything at all about
> > the state. I personally found the people to be friendly and the area MUCH in need
> > of an experienced technician. I just don't know if it feels like home or not. I
> > really don't have to move for any reason but the offer would add security to a
> > sometimes fragile balance of budgets.
> > Currently I'm doing my own thing in the Cleveland, Ohio area which is not at a
> > loss for piano techs form the sheer number of us. Not all are top notch but in an
> > increasingly tight economy ... well, people do stray. I haven't seen the numbers
> > yet for the salary they will be offering but I believe it's roughly national
> > average. (Can anyone confirm what that is?) I would have 80-85 pianos, 3
> > harpsichords and one fortepiano and would have my own rebuilding room/office which
> > would eventually be supplied with a full compliment of tools and supplies. I would
> > be creating a new position which was never really fully defined or fully utilized.
> > The pianos need a fair amount of work and accreditation happens early next year.
> > It is a priority to have the pianos up to snuff. The usual bennies are available
> > like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, retirement, sick days, vacation days, help for
> > the conventions may be possible, flexible schedule ..... well you know, the usual.
> >
> > I wish that the choice were obvious. Either this was just too good to pass up
> > and my own business were failing or, the opposite but that just isn't the case.
> > Wife and girls are willing if not pushing me into it. I'm just not sure. I would
> > be, according to the head of the college of music, the local hero based upon the
> > tunings he heard from me and the evaluations and quick repairs on some ongoing
> > troubles they had when I got there. I would automatically be the tuner for the
> > local Orchestra and the jazz ensemble and any artist booked there. All calls for a
> > tuner (he says daily (?) ) would come to me and there is plenty of outside work to
> > be had if I want it in my flexible schedule. Almost sounds too good to be true,
> > no? I've no doubt that I could make a good living even with the local price of a
> > tuning being only $50. The cost of living is much lower.
> > I need a sign! Send me a sign! :>) I just can't seem to make up my mind. I'm
> > not usually the type for relocating and I never really went looking for this but
> > ........ it's here now and I have to decide. Any thoughts?
> >
> > Ron Nossaman wrote:
> >
> > > >
> > > > To the PTG it is not the final
> > > > result but more or less beloning to the brotherhood.
> > >
> > > Hey, aren't you supposed to get a hat or hood or something, possibly with eye
> > > holes, when you join a Brotherhood? Nobody mentioned a hat when I joined the
> > > PTG. I think I was robbed! Bunch of cheapskates, wouldn't even spring for a
> > > cool hat. There's probably a secret handshake and password they didn't tell me
> > > about too. And the ring! What about the RING?
> > >
> > > Ron N
> >
> > --
> > Greg Newell
> > Greg's Piano Forté
> > 12970 Harlon Ave.
> > Lakewood, Ohio 44107
> > 216-226-3791
> > mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
--
Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
12970 Harlon Ave.
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-226-3791
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC