<HTML> <TT>Ed et al,</TT><TT></TT> <TT>I work in a shop run by an RPT consisting of two independent contractors and a part-time employee. I fall into the former category, more recently as well as being a part-time list-lurker; I've been here for three years, and round out the shop as a luthier and instrument builder on the side.</TT><TT></TT> <TT>We run our shop independently adjoining a retail piano gallery. Gene Roe, the RPT, handles tuning both for our own customers and for the store; repairs, restoration and rebuilds are delegated among we three remaining roughly in categories. The p-t employee handles customer maintenance action work, the other contractor rebuilds for the store and I work on antiques and miscellaneous projects.</TT><TT></TT> <TT>I plan on taking 2 or 3 of the PTG tests next summer, having forced upon myself a most challenging tuning ordeal (within the "instrument building" category); however, to date I have not availed myself of many of the resources the Guild affords including chapter technicals, but I count on attending both the N.E. Regional and the National Conventions next summer (beware, I can be a bad student). I do follow the Journal, and what's offered - I'm just picky.</TT><TT></TT> <TT>While my training has been doing more often than not, at least for my purposes the environment can't have been better. I have a critical and (mostly) working understanding of a lot of the aspects in this field. Add to this a healthy dose of revisionism coupled to a certain respect for historical practice (I just plotted an 1844 grand piano scale from R.Harding's The PianoForte, app. D for a great surprise) - I have developed preference for certain instruments, but have learned that prejudice mostly can be overcome. Mostly, this list seems to concur.</TT><TT></TT> <TT>I look forward to the D.C. convention.</TT><TT></TT> <TT>Yours,</TT><TT></TT> <TT>Clark Panaccione</TT></HTML>