<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns0="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:ns1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <title>They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold</title> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> It was my piano in the beginning. I had an old baby grand and I was using a tuner/tech to do the inside work while I refinished it. He put on new hammers, keytops and “regulated” it. I was not real happy with the results but figured it was an old piano and this was the best it could do. Later, when I decided to go into this business I checked out all the piano technology books my local libraries had. After two weeks of self-study using only housedhold tools I re-regulated the piano and couldn’t believe the difference. I figured if he was the “expert” and I could do that much better after a little independent study and no proper tools, I should be able to fake my way into the business. Some more study, a PTG seminar in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Decatur</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Illinois</st1:State></st1:place> later and I was on my way.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Now we could call that guy who worked on my piano a tooner or some other epithet if we wanted, but why? What’s the upside? He was just a guy who was a pretty good tuner and he could change parts, and there’s lots of them out there. I was too cheap to hire the guy with the better reputation and I got what I paid for. The silver lining was that it propelled me into the business. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I in no way mean to be defending the work of the guy in Jon’s illustration. I’m just saying that there are many out there like the guy who worked on my piano who are going to continue to stay away from the guild if we maintain an image of snobbery and condescension. And calling people names only builds the walls higher. I see no upside. Shaming people will not cause them to see the light. It will only make those on the fringes (many of them reading this list) to continue staying away from full engagement, because they don’t have the confidence and they certainly don’t want to be called names. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Let’s try to build bridges, not widen chasms.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p> <u1:PERSONNAME u2:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Dean May</u1:PERSONNAME></st1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <u1:PLACE u2:st="on"><u1:CITY u2:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><u3:place u4:st="on"><u3:City u4:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City></u3:place></u1:CITY></u3:City> <u1:STATE u2:st="on"><st1:State u5:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</st1:State></u1:STATE></st1:State>  <u1:POSTALCODE u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode u6:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</st1:PostalCode></u1:POSTALCODE></st1:PostalCode></st1:place></u1:PLACE><o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:29 AM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> Subject: RE: They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Dean:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> As long as we’re talking about a customer’s piano his is just an academic discussion.  When it’s your piano it’s different.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dp<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt, RPT<o:p></o:p> <a href="dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Dean May</st1:PersonName> Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:55 AM To: '<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName>' Subject: RE: They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Like I said, we didn’t know anything about the man to judge his character, ie, call him unethical. You have definitely given us more info with this post, but I still say it is not a good thing to be calling people names- not if you want them to come into the fold. The guild is perceived as an exclusive condescending club by those on the outside. We need to bridge the gap, not widen the chasm. Perhaps this guy wouldn’t have done it all on his own for 20 years if 20 years ago he would have felt more welcome.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> Dean<o:p></o:p> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Dean May</st1:PersonName>             cell 812.239.3359 <o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <o:p></o:p> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Terre Haute</st1:City> <ns1:State w:insAuthor="Unknown" w:insDate="2008-04-01T14:21:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Unknown" w:endInsDate="2008-04-01T14:21:00Z"><st1:State w:st="on">IN</st1:State></ns1:State>  <ns1:PostalCode w:insAuthor="Unknown" w:insDate="2008-04-01T14:21:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Unknown" w:endInsDate="2008-04-01T14:21:00Z"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">47802</st1:PostalCode></ns1:PostalCode><o:p></o:p></st1:place> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jon Page Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 9:00 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: They're out there, but let's try to bring them in the fold<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> >... a self-taught beginning tech who has very limited resources.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> The guy is in his mid 50's and has been refinishing, restringing<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> and tuning pianos for over 20 years. To say that he doesn't know<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> what an industry standard is for hammer shape is a stretch.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> I was going to taper the set but now I'm going to just knock off<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> (arc) the square tail with a belt sander since they are pitched<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> 3 degrees forward - overstriking. He did deftly saw hammer<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> heads for clearance problems (jpg attached).<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> >...So go ahead and judge the work<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> Ok, so he's unobservant. Then to say he lacks comparative reasoning<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> or self evaluation probably is too unkind too, and he only has his head<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> stuck in the sand.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> Where I come from, someone like that is referred to as a hack.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> Dean, I can send you his name so you can do the hand-holding and bring<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> him into the Guild, that is, unless he thinks he knows everything already.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> I don't see his name in the PTG Directory.<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <div> If a desire for self improvement doesn't work, maybe shame will.<o:p></o:p> </div> <pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre> <div> Regards, Jon Page<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>