I'm surprised too, that more technicians don't attend the Annual convention. If you want to stay abreast of what is happening in the field, gain inspiration to do your best, gain new skills, techniques, and insights, attending the Annual is the best way to do it. I think the biggest barrier is that technicians feel that they can't afford it, especially during a recession. But I say, you can't afford NOT to. What better way to recession proof your business than by keeping your educational level as high as possible. The best way to afford the convention is to build it into your yearly budget. Even if you only tune 300 pianos a year, if you charge an extra $5 on every tuning, it will pay most of your expenses. Get a room mate and you're totally covered. ( When I when I first started attending in my 20's I remember sleeping on a floor of a friends room to save $$) Others claim they don't have the time, or it costs too much to take the time off. I say that if you are busy but can't afford to attend, you are not charging enough. Many high paid professions require continuing education credits to maintain professional standing. As a non-regulated industry, we must enforce these standards upon ourselves if we want to be prosperous. Ryan <div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 7:24 AM, Gerald Groot <<a href="mailto:tunerboy3@comcast.net">tunerboy3@comcast.net</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> <div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US"><div>Thanks Wim, I just so happen to have two friends who are RPT’s that are constantly bitching about the PTG and “what do they do for ME.” Then, after 30 + years, they threaten to drop out after first bitching about all PTG wants is more members not educating the public. I’m REALLLLLLLLY tired of hearing it. I forwarded this onto them… Maybe it’ll help… I also advised them to start attending conventions too… We’ll see…. They’re old fashioned die hard my way techs… Jer <div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of <a href="mailto:tnrwim@aol.com" target="_blank">tnrwim@aol.com</a> Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2011 1:11 AM To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech@ptg.org</a> Subject: [pianotech] Practice getting off the porch</div> <div><div></div><div class="h5"> <div>Practice getting off the porch</div><div> </div><div>On a black board in a class room I saw the following quote: “We practice over and over because repetition is the mother of learning“. While we do need to practice to learn how to sing or play and instrument, if we learn the wrong tune, however, the results are not going to be very pleasant. </div><div> </div><div>Relating this to working on pianos, just because you know how to make a repair, or regulate an action, if it isn’t done right, the results are not going to be very pleasant. That is why we go to chapter meeting and attend seminars and conventions. We constantly need to make sure that what we are doing is the right thing. As the old adage says, there is a difference between 30 years of experience and one year of experience repeated 30 times. So even though we do a lot of repetitive things in our business, we also need to make sure we are practicing the right tune. </div><div> </div><div>There was a sign in a store window, “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.“ To put it more positively: “If you want to run with the big dogs, you’ve got to get off the porch. “ And how does that relate to piano business? If you just attended the PTG convention, where there were all sorts of classes on piano tuning, repairing, regulating, rebuilding, voicing and business, you would understand that quote. Basically, if you want to become a respected, sought after piano technician in your area, and you want to increase your business, you’ve got to get off your “porch”, and get an education. And there is no better place to get that education than at the Piano Technicians Guild Annual Convention and Technical Institute. </div><div> </div><div>The next one is in Seattle from July 11 - 15. Instead of waiting until the last minute, make plans now to attend. If you put away the income from one tuning per week in a special savings account, by May you should have enough money to pay for the registration, the hotel and the trip. </div><div> </div><div>If you have a family, consider making the convention an annual vacation. When our boys were still at home, the highlight of the year was the three week vacation we took, with the convention city as the destination. From 1979 to 1991, we attended every convention, which allowed us to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Florida to Oregon, and even to Mexico and Canada. We towed a camper and stayed in campgrounds along the way. We also managed to find campgrounds close enough to the convention hotel so I could attend classes, while my wife and boys toured the surrounding. Now that we’re “empty nesters,” my wife still attends conventions with me because there are lots of activities she enjoys with the Auxiliary. </div><div> </div><div>The bottom line is this. The PTG convention has been created to give you the education you need to go along with your experience, and to teach you how to run with the “big boys.” All you have to do is get off the porch. </div><div>　</div><div> Wim Blees, RPT</div><div>Hawaii　 </div><div>　</div><div> 　</div><div>　 </div> </div></div></div></div></blockquote></div> -- Ryan Sowers, RPT Puget Sound Chapter Olympia, WA <a href="http://www.pianova.net">www.pianova.net</a>