<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE>@font-face { font-family: Tahoma; } @font-face { font-family: Calisto MT; } @font-face { font-family: Copperplate Gothic Light; } @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in; margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } DIV.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman" } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } P { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0in; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0in; FONT-FAMILY: = "Times New Roman" } SPAN.EmailStyle18 { FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: blue; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: = "Calisto MT"; TEXT-DECORATION: none } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-US vLink=blue link=blue bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'">Whereas I have little doubt a mentor would be a great asset, one can "go it alone" = also. I did the Potter course without any input from any technician ....... and look = at me!</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto MT'">Oh, = yeah, okay, forget it. Bad idea......   ;-)</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto MT'">Terry Farrell</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto MT'"><EM>I = suggest you hire a technician for lessons.  Randy recommends this with his course.  You will need to have someone mentoring you through the = process on a regular basis.  Also, join the local chapter of PTG.  </EM></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"><EM>Good luck,</EM></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"><EM></EM></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"><EM>jeannie</EM></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"><EM></EM></SPAN></FONT> </P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Copperplate Gothic Light" = color=blue size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Copperplate Gothic = Light'"><EM>Jeannie Grassi, RPT</EM></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Copperplate Gothic Light" = color=blue size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Copperplate Gothic = Light'"><EM>Assistant Editor, Piano Technicians Journal</EM></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=blue = size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue"><A href="mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net"><FONT face="Copperplate Gothic = Light" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Copperplate Gothic = Light'"><EM>mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net</EM></SPAN></FONT></A></SPAN></= FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue"></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Calisto MT" color=blue size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto = MT'"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=Section1> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-ALIGN: = center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=3> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><B><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: = Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: = Tahoma"> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>nancy = downs<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Friday, August 05, 2005 = 5:43 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: = bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> learner with some questions</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hi,</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I'm new here and trying to = learn the art of piano tuning and some of the "fixing" that goes along with = it.  I have the Randy Potter video course and also have software for palm pilot = which I think has helped me to quicken the learning = process.</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I am wondering if you have = suggestions as to how to find someone who might want to mentor me.  I would = expect that I could be somewhat of a nuisance as I would no doubt have lots of = questions and would want to do some hands on work.  = </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">As techs, do you feel that it = would seem inappropriate to hire someone to regulate my piano and then ask to = observe the process?  It does need some work and I'm a bit hesitant to just = dive in for fear that I might do something to the piano I'd regret.  I = have certainly tuned it numerous times and fiddled here and there with it .   I did break a string which also needs to be replaced and = would like to observe that as well.  </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I'd really like to learn but = wonder if other tuners would perceive me as a pain in the rear  or = potential competition  that they'd rather do without.  </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Also, is there some kind of = consensus as to how many pianos a person has to tune before they are ready for the = real world?  How does one know when the time is right to start = charging rather than tuning for friends as practice?  Does a newbie tell the = customer that they're new and charge less than a well seasoned tech?</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Any way, just hoping someone = here might have some insight.  </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: = 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thanks,  nancy</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in; TEXT-ALIGN: = center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=1> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times = New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Yahoo! Mail<BR>Stay = connected, organized, and protected. <A = href="http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html">Take the tour</A></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>