<html> <head> <style> P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body> > I have a friend with a son who wants to study piano technology. I've > recommended the Potter course. However, if he could get essentially > the same thing with other cheaper resources, they would rather do > that. I don't think they really care about the diploma as much as the > requisite knowledge for competence. > > Anyone care to comment? > > JF   I trained a number of tech in my younger days; first I taught advanced piano service and rebuilding in the piano tech program at Napa Valley College in the mid 1980's, and then later, in our shop in California.  One day Randy made a suggestion to me that made a lot of sense.  That was to work together with his program.     If you have an apprentice, then you can either assign a chapter or two from Randy's course that has to do with a job you are working on in the shop or else simply the next chapters in Randy's sequence, then go over it with the apprentice when he finishes the chapters, perhaps giving him the same thing to do on one of your pianos in the shop, and coaching him where necessary.   This would make for a much better scenerio for all concerned.  It is difficult for a working tech to find the time to make up a whole curriculum to ensure that the apprentice gets a well-rounded education.  In addition, if you are a working tech, it is difficult to also take time from your primary job to teach another--and many apprentices even want the mentor to pay them while they learn!   If an apprentice purchases the program from Randy and prepares the assignments, he will have made a committment to his own learning that demonstrates what I consider to be the primary essential characteristics of someone who will be successful as a piano technician--initiative and persistance.  Without initiative or persistance, a person cannot be a successful piano tech.   >From the point of view of the apprentice, he knows that he will not miss out on any important aspect of the field--Randy's course is simply the best correspondence course that has ever existed. And his mentor is there to help by checking the quality of his repairs and listening to the tapes--or even better, watching him and giving immediate feedback.    When the apprentice has successfully demonstrated that he knows about and can correctly do the procedures taught in the chapters, (say shaping hammers), then he can hone his skills by shaping a set for his mentor.  If the apprentice gets good, then the mentor can pay him for shaping hammers.   The way my father started to learn the business was to spend a month at Esquire Piano in Los Angeles, polishing grand damper wires fourty hours a week..........(and studying the Aubrey Willis course at night).   The way I learned was to have my father demonstrate how to shape a hammer and then leave me alone with an action in the shop while he headed out to the PTG convention in LA.  At the time there was nothing published with photos in it and I still thought that the action cradle was part of the piano!   Diane         Diane Hofstetter > Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2007 13:11:03 -0500 > From: formsma@gmail.com > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Randy Potter Course > > This is a question for those who have seen the Potter materials. (I haven't.) > > How would the actual course materials compare to things like Steve > Brady's book on repairs and PTG resources for regulation instruction? > Is there sufficient instruction in these PTG resources for the > aspiriing young tech? > > I have a friend with a son who wants to study piano technology. I've > recommended the Potter course. However, if he could get essentially > the same thing with other cheaper resources, they would rather do > that. I don't think they really care about the diploma as much as the > requisite knowledge for competence. > > Anyone care to comment? > > JF > </body> </html>