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<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Tom, that's wonderful. To get pointers from Borge and Shearing --
how cool is that? I need to go try that progression.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Educators talk about "syntonic" knowledge -- first-hand, personal,
applied knowledge, as opposed to "book learning". That seems to be what
you're describing in the way your previous technical training "clicked" onced
you started to play seriously.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Thanks.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=250302403-04062007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Annie Grieshop</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Tom
Servinsky<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:45 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Pianotech List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Do you play piano?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll take this being able to play issue a step
further. It wasn't until I started to develop as a working cocktail pianist
that I started to appreciate the full role of the piano
technician.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Sure, at that point I had already past
the RPT and CTE exams, attended most of the manufacture seminars and attended
most of the conventions. But it wasn't until I started to play the piano on a
much more serious level that things began to click.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I noticed myself becoming more frustrated
when the action wouldn't respond to a fast piece that I was trying to
play. I started to notice that voicing wasn't as even as I thought that it
was. I began to listen to the quality of tone on a much more
defined level. I started to be much more critical of what
tuning should be. I started to develop another perspective of tuning. And
voicing...well I could go on and on with that topic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Like many of you, I have my degree in music
performance and education. I still play professionally as a orchestral
clarinetist, playing with several orchestras and opera companies. But I
didn't study piano as a child, although my parents tried to force it on
me. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> It wasn't until I was teaching in the
schools that I started to use the piano on a daily basis. It quickly
became my tool of choice during lessons. I was always a good score reader and
had a well developed ear so I was able get by faking. Slowly but
surely I began to play the piano more and more. Then I began to become
very curious about the workings of the piano and one thing led to another, and
soon I was enrolled piano technology program.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fast forward 28 yrs , I have had the good fortune
to have worked with many of the great touring pianists. I have
had impromptu lessons with Victor Borge,George Shearing, and many
others. I worked with Victor Borge over a 15 yr period when
he was in Florida. He would force me to play some Debussy for him while
he listened to the piano in the auditorium. Instead of finding fault
in the piano, he would start criticizing my playing. When he realized
that I was more or less self-taught pianist, he started to lighten up on
me and started to give me constructive pointers..</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> George Shearing showed me the art of
"closed" voicing with a very cool II-V7-I progression in all keys. What
an eye-opener! Slowly I started to pay close attention to the technique
and approach of the touring artists. Through osmosis I started develop a
decent quality to my play. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My advise to young technicians who don't play the
piano, learn. It's never to late.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You'll discover that it's good for your
business.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It broadens your knowledge of why we do what we
do.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Most of all, it's good for the
soul. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Isn't that one of things we are to be promoting
to our clients?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=piannaman@aol.com
href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 03, 2007 5:09
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Do you play piano?</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Good post, Tom. I agree with you that we don't have to play well
to be a great tech, but playing enhances one's appreciation of the
work we do for a living. And I'll add that being a technician has
enhanced my ability to listen to others I'm playing music
with.<BR><BR>Dave Stahl</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">Not
that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of
technical ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level of
playing ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and
understanding of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and
voicing. For me, it's broadens your understanding and empathy for the role
we play for the pianists, our customers. <BR>Tom
Servinsky <BR>----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <<A
href="mailto:karlkaputt@hotmail.com"
__doClobber__="true">karlkaputt@hotmail.com</A>> <BR>To: <<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"
__doClobber__="true">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> <BR>Sent: Sunday, June
03, 2007 7:17 AM <BR>Subject: RE: Do you play
piano? <BR> <BR>> >From: "Elwood
Doss" <BR>> <BR>> Is not being able to play well a
handicap? I don't <BR>>>think it is for me. As far as I know,
I've had no
dissatisfied <BR>>>customers. <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two
> songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I
remember > situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have done
everything > correct. But playing that instrument showed me that there
is something > going wrong which I never would have noticed without
playing. <BR>> <BR>> Gregor </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>
<DIV style="CLEAR: both">Dave Stahl, RPT<BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano
Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV><BR><BR>-----Original
Message-----<BR>From: Tom Servinsky <TOMPIANO@BELLSOUTH.NET><BR>To:
Pianotech List <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 7:15
am<BR>Subject: Re: Do you play piano?<BR><BR>
<DIV id=AOLMsgPart_0_dff5d5cd-6a4e-4d6e-966e-a10b57812914
style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff">Not
that you need to be fine player in order to achieve high levels of technical
ability. But rather,developing a reasonable or advance level of playing
ability can benefit you in gaining a greater appreciation and understanding
of the finer aspects of fine tuning, regulation, and voicing. For me, it's
broadens your understanding and empathy for the role we play for the
pianists, our customers. <BR>Tom Servinsky <BR>----- Original
Message ----- From: "Gregor _" <<A
href="mailto:karlkaputt@hotmail.com">karlkaputt@hotmail.com</A>> <BR>To:
<<A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>> <BR>Sent:
Sunday, June 03, 2007 7:17 AM <BR>Subject: RE: Do you play
piano? <BR> <BR>> >From: "Elwood
Doss" <BR>> <BR>> Is not being able to play well a handicap?
I don't <BR>>>think it is for me. As far as I know, I've had no
dissatisfied <BR>>>customers. <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
You don´t have to play well. It´s enough to be able to play one or two >
songs. Perhaps it´s not a necessity but it´s a huge advantage. I remember
> situations when I regulated a piano and thought to have done everything
> correct. But playing that instrument showed me that there is something
> going wrong which I never would have noticed without
playing. <BR>> <BR>> Gregor <BR>> <BR>>
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