I hope you filled out your evaluation forms. That is how improvements to the classes are made. If people don't tell the truth, because they want to be a nice guy, then obviously changes won't be made. Did you make any suggestions for Anaheim, as there were blank forms, available? The feedback determines if a class will be repeated, and if it lived up to it's name. John Ross Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada jrpiano at win.eastlink.ca ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Spalding" <mike.spalding1 at verizon.net> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 9:56 AM Subject: Re: back from K.C., too > Tom, > > Sorry to hear your experience was not up to expectations. Yes, it can be > a crap shoot. When you find yourself in an inappropriate class, I guess > you've got to decide whether to a) get up and leave and look for something > better, or b)stay and learn how the other half lives, even if you don't > ever expect to live that way yourself. There are things you can do to > improve your odds. Ask about the instructors, find out their background > and what kind of business they have. Knowing that David Snyder is a 2nd > generation rebuilder / shop rat would tell you his veneer repair class > might not be about in-home finish touch-up. After the first day or so, > find someone who has taken the class you're considering and find out what > they thought of it. Or search out the instructor yourself and ask what > the emphasis is going to be. There are some instructors whose classes I > will always attend, regardless of topic, because they are such good > instructors. One last thought: Did you attend David Andersen's class? > If it had focused narrowly on the published topic "whole tone open string > tuning" it would have been a disappointment. Mr. Andersen is all about > gratitude for life, love of friends and family, and a quest for > excellence, and his class was truly inspiring (even for machine tuners). > Thank you David, and thank you to ALL the instructors who give so much of > themselves to this enterprise. > > just my 2c > > Mike > > Tom Sivak wrote: >> List >> Everyone seemed to have a great time at the convention but me! I know >> that choosing your classes can be a crapshoot, but it was more crap than >> shoot for me. Seems like many of the classes I attended were >> inappropriately titled or labeled in degree of difficulty. (All the >> classes are labeled either E for Everyone, B for Basic, I for >> Intermediate, A for Advanced, etc.) >> For instance, a class called "MOVE IT" detailed piano moving techniques. >> OK. I'd like to learn more about moving a piano. Course decription as >> follows: >> "Discover basic tools and skills that will allow you to move pianos >> easily in your shop or from place to place." >> Great! I'd love to be able to move a piano more easily in my shop, OR >> from place to place! And, the course is labled (B) for basic, so that's >> me! SIgn me up! >> Well, maybe the class should have been entitled, "WATCH US MOVE IT", >> because it was about this guy's moving company, his 2 and a half ton >> pickup, his trailer and equipment, and his henchmen who actually do the >> moving. I've seen professionals move pianos. I have paid them many >> times to do so. Now, I got to sit for 45 minutes and watch slides of >> them doing it. >> To be fair, there was one tip on lifting a vertical piano with a car jack >> that is evidently very hard to find, since some of my classmates had >> already tried locating one. >> Then there was tthe class entitled, "BRIDGE AND SOUNDBOARD REPAIR WITH >> EPOXY". OK. I've used epoxy to repair bridges, but not a soundboard. >> I'd like to learn about this! >> Well, after an hour of bridge repair discussion, someone asked, "Are we >> going to talk about soundboards, too?" The reply, "Well, they renamed >> the class on me. It's really about bridges." Then he spent about 90 >> seconds talking about epoxying soundboards, then back to bridges. >> Or "Veneer Repair" that was all about a vaccuum pump that the instructor >> made all by himself. He showed us where we could order the parts for the >> vaccuum pump and how we could build a vaccuum pump ourselves, and how to >> use the vaccuum pump. And for a professional cabinet refinsher, I could >> see that this vacuum pump would come in handy. We watched his process >> on restoring a century old S&S 'D' with an art case. (He used the >> vaccuum pump ALOT!) But in terms of learning anything that I personally >> could use, in a client's home, for instance, very little was offered. I >> did have some good classes, too. But, I shouldn't even say it that way. >> The above classes were undoubtedly "good classes", but just not for me. >> If I had never epoxied a bridge before, I would have learned from a >> master how he does it. And I will change the way I do it, based on his >> discussion of the topic. And I picked up a couple of real bargains at the >> exhibit hall. (A digital micrometer for $42! No more squinting!) >> >> It just seemed like the majority of the classes I took were disappointing >> to me. Again, I fully expected to sit through some classes that didn't >> give me what I wanted, but this is the first time that I wasted entire >> days sitting in classes that offered me nothing. >> Sorry for the brutal honesty, but discussion is what this list is all >> about. Without an opposing viewpoint, what is there to discuss? >> >> Tom Sivak >> Chicago >> >> */J Patrick Draine <jpdraine at gmail.com>/* wrote: >> >> Hello list, >> Saturday before last (June 16) I left home (Billerica, MA) for the >> "Piano Technicans Guild Promoting Piano Service Excellence 50th >> Anniversary 1957 - 2007" (that's what it says on my champagne flute) >> aka the 2007 Annual PTG Council and Institute, and after skipping >> today's Sunday morning classes in order to catch a 7:55 AM flight, I >> am home again. >> It was a most excellent event! >> Aside from the political activities (appropriate for that other list, >> ptg-l), there were many opportunities to learn (and relearn) myriad >> aspects of our craft(s), renew and make new friendships and industry >> contacts, tempt onself with (and succumb to a few) tool purchases, >> expensive meals and drinks (and some moderately priced, and some >> comped at manufacturers' receptions), etc. >> Thanks to one & all -- to mention a few in random order, the tuning >> examiners supertuning and administering exams just below my room, the >> PTG Home Office staff, the Institute Team (Malinda Powell, Mel >> Brooks, >> Ward Guthrie, Jeff Hickey et al.), the moving team, and the many >> excellent instructors (hats off to Roger J., Jon P., Dave A., Mike >> K., >> Debra Cyr, Wally Brooks, for starters but I got up too early, fading >> fast, so I'll leave it to others to express their own reflections!) >> And of course, great to see many of the pianotech gang (John F., John >> R., Cy S., Ron N., and the rest of ya). >> Many thanks to all, >> Patrick Draine >> >> >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC