<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">comments interspersed, with all due respect and collegiality:<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Feb 12, 2007, at 6:06 PM, Norma Neufeld wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">David, Avery,</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">With all due respect, I think it's a little different for those of us who have been in the business only a few years. <BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>You mean you should get less respect, and do work for a client for free, just because you've been in business 5 or 6 years instead of 20 or 25? <BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">We're trying to build clientele and gain experience. I have done many pitch raises and other work for less money than I should have received, but in return I gain clients,<BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>Sorry, but when you train clients to underpay you and to expect things for free, they just don't respect you in the same way they would if you valued your time as a professional in any other field would....do you underpay or get freebies from the other service people you deal with, including lawyers, doctors, accountants, mechanics, based on how long they've been in business? <BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> knowledge and the opportunity to polish my skills.<BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV>True. But you pay a bigger price than I think you have to.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> I will </SPAN><EM style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; ">never</SPAN></EM><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> let myself be taken advantage of <BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>Good. I like the sound of that.<BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">but being demanding as a rookie, either with dealers or clients will get you no where. </SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>Depends on what you mean by demanding. Strength, clarity in communicating, and confidence in valuing yourself are pretty attractive qualities...perhaps a weasel would see that as demanding, if it meant they'd have to pay you more money, but not a good person.<BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">Doing the odd thing for free is really not so bad when you look at it in this light,<BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>I respectfully disagree.<BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> and not all dealers are pond scum.....they're just people too. <BR></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>Absolutely. I have many good friends, people that I love, respect, and trust, that are piano dealers. I'm a piano dealer.</DIV><DIV>Come on. I didn't say all dealers are scum; just some. And they are.<BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; "> "It's a give and take world"......"You reap what you sow"....Clichés perhaps, but true none the less. I just happen to be in the giving and sewing mode at the moment, the taking and reaping will come later.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE>The trick, my dear, is to do both at the same time.<BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"></FONT> </DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">Best regards,</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">Norma Neufeld</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; ">Saskatoon, SK</SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>hope this helps....DAVID ANDERSEN<BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT face="Arial" size="2"></FONT> </DIV><BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; ">----- Original Message -----</SPAN></DIV><DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><B style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; ">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN><A title="avery1@houston.rr.com" href="mailto:avery1@houston.rr.com"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Avery</SPAN></A><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "></SPAN></DIV><DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><B style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; ">To:</SPAN></B><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> </SPAN><A title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Pianotech List</SPAN></A><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "></SPAN></DIV><DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><B style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; ">Sent:</SPAN></B><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> Monday, February 12, 2007 3:06 PM</SPAN></DIV><DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "><B style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; ">Subject:</SPAN></B><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333px; "> Re: Paid for Pitch Raises?</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size="3">David,<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><BR><BR>I totally agree!<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><BR><BR>Avery Todd<BR><BR>At 12:12 PM 2/12/2007, you wrote:<BR></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE class="cite" cite="" type="cite"><FONT size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Daniel---please don't take this personally, brother, but you've triggered off a rant.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">What the HELL are you people doing----working without getting paid? That's insane.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">You really need to check your approach to life, IMO, if you submit to this kind of bullshit.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Raising the pitch on a piano takes WORK---intense work, between 20 and 40 minutes, if done right. To not get paid for that, or to work for people who don't intend to pay you for that, is dysfunctional. Period. What are you thinking about? Would you ever ask any other kind of service tech to come to your house or business and work for 20-40 minutes FOR FREE?</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Never. NEVER.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Wake up. WAKE UP. You need to start valuing your time, your life, and your skills.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Stand up for yourself, and tell that a**h**le who owns that store to sell you a piano for his cost.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">See what he says. Wake up.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">Until we demand respect and acknowledgement for our immense knowledge and skillset we'll be treated like field hands, or dismissable underlings, or naive idiots, or pathetic losers.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">There. I feel better now.</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); ">David Andersen</SPAN><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "><BR style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221); "></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>