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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good advice, David. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sometimes folks say, "Oh, I could never do that,
etc...." But, in reality, they can--it just takes some effort.
The payoff is great for the reasons you stated. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I hope that when people are thinking
about learning this trade, they're just not thinking, "I can make this
amount of money in such and such time." There is something to actually
being prepared to give good service, too.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>near Peoria, Illinois</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=djweiss@ntelos.net href="mailto:djweiss@ntelos.net">David and Jean
Weiss</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, August 04, 2007 7:29
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Re:The Potter Dilemma, Randy
not Harry</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Matthew,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are 3 ways to get trained; home study,
apprenticeship, and attending school. I did all three so please allow me
to make some suggestions. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I started with Randy Potter's course. On
the phone he was always encouraging, but I ran into the same problems as
others did, he would not return my recorded or written materials, so it was
impossible to get any feedback. Although I finished the course in
about a year, it doesn't take long to realize you can't learn this profession
through correspondence. Still, his course is a great introduction.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I then found a technician would let me work in
his shop. My "day gig" was 4 day a week position, so I had 2
days every week to spend with him. He was an excellent technician,
a great teacher, and a great guy. I spent about 3 years with him and
learned a lot. But he was running a business and in spite of his best
intentions it wasn't his primary focus to train me. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>By this time I wanted to quit my day
gig and become a full time technician, but I knew my skill level was not
good enough, and the pace of my learning was too slow. Finally I
bit the bullet and attended the program at the University of Western
Ontario. It was the best decision I could have made. I moved up to
Ontario with my wife and 2 kids. We spent a year there. The
training was absolutely great. 12 students and 4 instructors whose only
goal was to teach us. The program was intense and demanding but at the
end I felt was ready. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If it is at all possible, and even if its not, I
recommend you attend one of the schools. (I think Western Ontario is the
best, but I'm biased.) If you are really committed to becoming a highly
skilled technician, I think attending a school is the only way.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David Weiss, RPT</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=toddpianoworks@yahoo.com
href="mailto:toddpianoworks@yahoo.com">Matthew Todd</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 03, 2007 7:25
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re:The Potter Dilemma, Randy
not Harry</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Just to give you all an update, I was able to talk with Randy this
afternoon. I believe we are heading toward a resolution, so we'll see
what happens.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thank you all for your posts!</DIV>
<DIV>Matthew<BR><BR><B><I>James H Frazee <<A
href="mailto:jimfrazee@msn.com">jimfrazee@msn.com</A>></I></B>
wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV>
<DIV>Matthew,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I, like you, signed up and paid for the complete Potter course about
four years ago. It is beyond question an excellent course in
terms of information provided, tools issued, video tape/DVD's to listen to
and the thought of having your tuning exercises listened to, graded and
comments provided. The problem I faced, like you, was getting the
cassettes back in a reasonable amount of time. I finally gave up
after the last one took seven months, more than half a
year! Note that when I did get them back, the grade and comments
sent back were absolutely finest kind, spot on. And, I almost always
got my graded homework back in a fair amount of time, also with excellent
comments. But I figured I'd be well into Social Security before I
could tune.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The difference for me is that I began studying with Russell Gordon,
my mentor, who's superb. The (growing) problem for Randy is, I
think, that he's just one person. (Yes, they've hired other people I
think, but I don't know.) I for one would prefer to have him grade
my cassettes but just think of the schedule: off to this convention,
that convention, a regional meeting, then his own school, then more
conventions - not to mention trying to have a real life with real family
members! In the beginning I was frustrated, as you probably are now,
especially from a pragmatic standpoint since he already had my all my
money and I had, what, well, exactly what - I had all the course work
which I also continually use it as reference, I had all the
tools that came with the course which, at least, got me started, I had all
the videotapes and, lo and behold, I was already out tuning and learning
(and continuing to the learn) the craft, and repairs and joined the
PTG.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Now, I've met Randy at two conventions (Rochester and
Philly) and I think (somewhat cautiously in the beginning) he
knows who I am. And I think he's really a fine fellow
that cares about all the above and about the PTG. I also think, for
these very reasons, he spreads himself way, way, way too thin and, if
you ask him, he probably would even do that more. I believe you
can't learn tuning and the craft just from reading. I think having
mentor or a school or a very active PTG chapter will go along
way.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, in the end, am I frustrated or worse or not. No,
considering all I did get, I'm happy and I'm on my way.
Whether we like it or not, caviar wasn't what we expected the first
time either.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jim Frazee</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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