An Awesome Moment

[Avery Todd]

Hi Dave,

At 12:21 PM 02/25/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Carol:
>
>Fun isn't it!  I'm glad you got that opportunity.  Just don't tell
>the pianist, nor the management of the venue how much fun it is or
>they'll start making us pay them!
>
>dave
>
>PS   String tying is the most over rated skill in our job.  I really
>think broken strings are the reason God made new wire!

Amen! I still chuckle when I remember the story a top notch
rebuilder told me about when the technical test was taken by
them. "They" didn't know how to tie one of those knots and
the examiner asked what they would do if they were tuning
for a concert and a bass string broke. "Why, I'd go to my
shop and spin up a new one!!!!" :-) Love it! I can't do
that but I do have 3 other D's to rob a string from if I
ever had to!

Avery


>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
>On 2/24/2002 at 11:02 PM Carol R. Beigel wrote:
>
> >I sometimes think that if I was a piano salesperson, and someone
>came into
> >my store looking to spend a few hundred dollars on a used
>instrument, that
> >I
> >would show them the finest, most magnificent piano in the store,
>first.  I
> >would want them to hear the magnificence and beauty of this unique
> >instrument, and let them decide for themselves how much they want to
> >compromise.  How can someone be taught quality if they never see or
>hear
> >it?
> >
> >We tell people who want to join our profession to acquire an old
>upright
> >and
> >practice repair and regulation.  Then we ask them to practice tuning
>on it!
> >Perhaps if we took this aspiring piano technician to the symphony
>and had
> >them listen to a piano concerto played by someone who could really
>play the
> >piano, they would see what an awesome profession this can be.  They
>would
> >know from the beginning what the top skill level could produce.
>Maybe they
> >would not settle for less than RPT.
> >
> >For the past 24 years, I have been trying to learn to be a competent
>piano
> >technician.  The mechanical part of our profession, with the
>exception of
> >tying a knot is piano wire, has seemed to come fairly easily to me,
>but
> >learning to tune a piano has been the hardest thing I ever learned
>to do.
> >It is the only endeavor that I ever failed at - flunking the tuning
>exam at
> >least four times during my first 6 years in the business.  I have
>never
> >forgotten those failed exams, and they have always been in the back
>of my
> >mind - creating a lingering doubt that I might not be up to standard
>when
> >it
> >really counted.
> >
> >This weekend I attended the first full symphony orchestra concert in
>my
> >adult life.  I heard my first piano concerto.  I met my first
>professional
> >pianist.  I heard my tuning on a concert hall stage for the first
>time.  It
> >was an awesome moment in my life.  I guess I better learn to tie a
>knot in
> >piano wire!
> >
> >Carol Beigel, RPT
>
>
>_____________________________
>David M. Porritt
>dporritt@mail.smu.edu
>Meadows School of the Arts
>Southern Methodist University
>Dallas, TX 75275
>_____________________________
>