Randy Potter's Seminar

[Rick Osborne]

Hello Terry,

I find it very interesting that you had no help from any technicians  
in your area.  I find myself in a similar position.  Now to be fare,  
I have some help from a local piano technician/rebuilder in the area  
in which I live from time to time, but his time is very limited.  My  
question to you and anyone else  who is currently or who has dealt  
with the same situation iS "HOW DO YOU DO IT!!
Randy's course is wonderful, and I have learned a great deal from it,  
but I am having a very difficult time getting any hands-on practice.   
For one thing, I don't have the room to bring in an old used piano to  
work on.  For another, the time factor is a real problem.  It isn't  
the tuning; it's learning the repair and regulation.  Trust me; I'm  
not complaining, but if anyone has any helpful suggestions, I would  
love to read them.  Thanks.

Rick Osborne
rve at bvunet.net
www.rickosborne.net


> Hi Rick & Michelle,
>
> I agree with all the comments. After completing Randy's course, I  
> went to his week-long summer session about ten years ago. I found  
> it to be very informative - perhaps especially for me as I did the  
> course completely on my own - I did not have any local techs to  
> work with.
>
> I really wanted to respond to this thread to comment on Ward  
> Guthrie & tuning. The guy is amazing. I describe him as a  
> "performance tuner" - not indicating that the fruits of his tunings  
> are worthy of a piano performance (which, of course they are), but  
> rather that just watching and listening to Ward tune a piano is  
> "performance art" in itself. I'm talking about a person whose  
> consciousness transcends to a different level when he tunes a piano  
> - much like when Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaugn  
> go (or went) to a different place while playing their guitars. Ah,  
> well, whatever - just really cool to watch a true master at his  
> craft. It's been ten years since I saw him tune a piano, but it is  
> still as vivid in my mind as the day I saw him. He sure has my  
> respect.
>
> Terry Farrell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> Hi Rick.  I attended Randy's seminar last January and plan to go  
>> back for
>> the Advanced in Jan 08.  The seminar is full of long days, tons of
>> information, helpful one-on-one with the instructors, and 3 meals  
>> a day
>> together which is a good time to visit.
>>
>> Randy asks that you be very familiar with the beginning chapters  
>> of the
>> written course before you attend but I felt like some of the  
>> students were
>> really just starting out.  I was wishing they had an Intermediate  
>> course
>> with more in depth information on repair/regulation.  Ward Guthrie  
>> did some
>> fabulous lectures on basic as well as more complex tuning principles!
>>
>> I have heard through the grapevine that they are planning to do  
>> more of a
>> beginning/intermediate/advanced format this year but I don't know  
>> that for
>> sure.
>>
>> Concerning what you can do to prepare, read, read, and read  
>> again.  Then
>> start trying out the aural tuning concepts taught in the course.   
>> Be solid
>> on setting your A, understand the contiguous 3rds concept, and start
>> memorizing Randy's tuning sequence.  I know this is a lot, but it  
>> will help
>> you maximize the time/money you are about to spend.
>>
>> By the way, I would highly recommend the pre-seminar.  It's full of
>> miscellaneous topic discussions and getting to know the people  
>> with whom you
>> will spend the next 7 days!
>>
>> You're welcome to e-mail me if you have any other questions.  Have  
>> a great
>> day!
>>
>> Michelle Smith
>> Smith Piano Service
>> Bastrop, Texas
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> In January, I plan to attend Randy Potter's seminar in Bozeman, Mt.
>> I know that some of you, in the past, have attended.  First, is it
>> all it is cracked up to be?  In other words, do you get a real hands-
>> on education? Are the days as full of information and training as his
>> brochure suggests?  Secondly, and this is important, would you go
>> back for further training?  Finally, for those of you who have
>> attended, what can I do between now and then in order to truly
>> benefit from this week long seminar?  Any info. would be greatly
>> appreciated.
>>
>> Rick Osborne
>