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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=Wimblees@AOL.COM =
href="mailto:Wimblees@AOL.COM">Wimblees@AOL.COM</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> July 24, 2002 7:51 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: no comp. was Re: =
Saying "No"
(was Convention is focused)</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 =
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">In a message dated 7/23/02 12:51:05 PM Central =
Daylight
Time, <A =
href="mailto:pianobuilders@olynet.com">pianobuilders@olynet.com</A>
writes: <BR><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Sans Unicode" =
color=#000080 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">This is where I would =
like to see some
ideas come out. What subjects, courses, ideas would attract those who =
feel the
convention isn't offering enough? Would there be enough of these kinds =
of
classes to fill out a schedule, or are there going to be only a few, =
like your
environmental class, that hopefully would attract some of the =
technicians that
no longer attend? The second problem with this is, if you have =
some new
classes next year, what will have to be offered the following year, =
and the
next? Is there ever going to be enough new material to have those =
technicians
you're talking about, coming back year after year?
</FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Well, I don't know what could be offered. I =
don't know
what other people are interested in. What they are doing in their =
'spare' time.
What excites them. What is driving them on. We'll have to search a bit.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>As to what to do the year after...let's worry =
about
that next year. Each year will present troubles enough of its =
own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Sans =
Unicode"
color=#000080 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">The next question is, =
who is going to
teach those classes? I know you spend a lot of time preparing new =
classes,
like the class I just mentioned. But who else is willing to take the =
time, and
present it, with little or no compensation? Are we gong to run into =
the same
problem? Are the advanced technicians who have given of their time and =
talent
for all these many years, and felt "taken advantage of," be willing to =
step up
to the plate, and do it again? </FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">And that, of =
course, brings
us back to where this all started. Yes, eventually we are going to run =
into the
same problem. With the current policies it will probably be impossible. =
But
those policies must ultimately change--it is only a matter of =
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 =
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">I have my own =
reasons for
doing what I do, not all of which I'm prepared to discuss publicly. But =
one big
motivation is to work, in my own way, to preserve an instrument and an =
industry
I happen to like. To do that I must try to make the best use of the =
tools God
has given me--an inquiring intellect and some ability to teach and pass =
on what
I've learned. I am not ever going to be one of PTG's presidents--if the
organization was ever foolish enough to elect me they would soon learn =
just how
bad a job I could do in that position. Nor will I ever lead one of the =
great
piano manufacturing companies of the world. I can, however, try my =
best to
expand the theoretical knowledge base and general awareness of how the =
piano
works among my peers, the piano technicians I have access to. So, it's =
what I
do.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 =
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">The =
original motivation
for this goes back to the early 1970s when it was patiently explained to =
me that
the only reason I (and most other technicians of the time) couldn't get =
certain
pianos to perform to the standard their owners had been led to expect =
was
because we were all incompetent. For some time I accepted this =
analysis at least of my own abilities and worked really hard =
to improve
both my knowledge and my skills. Eventually, though, I became convinced =
there
were some fundamental design issues involved in these (and most, if not =
all,
other contemporary) pianos. Once I reached this stage I started out in =
earnest
trying to unravel the 'secrets' shrouding the instrument. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 =
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Along the way I =
became
convinced that our industry had reached one of those plateaus. Actually, =
even
then--the late 70s--the signs of decay were evident to anyone not =
wanting to
ignore and hide them. Most wanted to ignore and hide them. It seemed
increasingly evident to me that if we didn't soon begin the process of =
taking
the instrument to the next obvious level our industry would ultimately =
suffer a
serious decline and quite possibly fade eventually into oblivion. No =
industry
(or organization, for that) can survive resting forever on its =
laurels and
past glories. It must continually reinvent itself or it will stagnate =
itself out
of existence. It also became evident that our industry was locked into
stagnation and that the established 'leaders' within the industry were =
not going
to hear much of anything I had to say. I was, after all, just a piano
tuner.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Somewhere in there I became convinced that if =
there was
going to be change, it would have to demanded from the bottom up. It was =
not
going to come voluntarily from the top down. And even that was difficult =
to get
started. </FONT><FONT color=#000080>When I began talking about these =
things I
felt pretty much like a lone voice in the wilderness. There may have =
been others
with the same message, but I didn't know about them. And it seemed that =
very few
wanted to hear much of it. Back then I had to push and prod the powers =
that be
into giving me class time to present these topics. Once, Ernie Juhn =
(of all
people) came to my defense saying, "Every industry needs its lunatic
fringe--you're it for us." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>By contrast, this year there was enough =
interest to
attract some 50+ potential and confirmed lunatics to an all-day =
presentation on
the subject. Several--Ron Nossaman, perhaps chief among them--easily =
qualify for
their own certificates and are expanding nicely on whatever foundation =
currently
exists. Progress is being made but the job is far from finished. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>Even the most obdurate industry watcher must =
now
acknowledge that our industry is in serious decline. There are many =
reasons for
this decline. Some are related to the social changes our world is going =
through
and those we are powerless, individually or collectively, to do much =
about. But
there are things that we can do something about. We can stop flooding =
the market
with obsolete, me-too pianos. We can start to design and innovate =
ourselves out
of stagnation instead of simply trying to blindly market our way =
through. But,
t</FONT><FONT color=#000080>o get from where we are to where we might =
be will
not be easy. There will have to be real demand for change--and real =
changes--not
just the mutterings and lip service we have today. At the same time, =
there will
have to be some hope--and some assurance--that such change is possible. =
Among
other things I hope still to show some possibilities and, if I'm lucky, =
to help
lead us on toward those possibilities. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face="Lucida Sans =
Unicode"
color=#000080 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Del, what I am about to =
say comes from
the heart, with all the respect and admiration for your talents and
contribution. But what's in it for you to make the sacrifice to take =
the time
and spend the money to teach at a convention, or even a seminar? If =
teaching
at a convention is a business expense, with little or no monitory =
benefit, why
go to all the trouble? As you said, why not find something more worth =
while to
do? Not that I want you to quit coming, but what's bringing you back =
year
after year? </FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 color=#000080 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">I'm not sure I =
can really
answer that. Hope, though, I suppose is one of the big reasons. And
desperation--I don't want to see this industry fade into oblivion as all =
of the
signs I see indicate is likely. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT =
lang=0
face="Lucida Sans Unicode" size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT color=#000080>I do know this. Whenever I have developed a =
new
class, I learn more about the subject than I knew before I started. I =
asked my
son, Chris, who, as you know, is a partner is CPA firm, what the
Anderson/Enron debacle meant for his firm. He sent a me a long letter
explaining how it will benefit his company. He thanked me for asking, =
because
it forced him to write down the thoughts that had been running around =
in his
mind. He was able to verbalize some ideas he had about the subject. =
That was
important for him. I am the same way. I have ideas, but it's not until =
I write
them down that they make sense. Is that the way it is with you? Is =
that why
you continue to come up with new ideas? </FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=3>Perhaps, though =
I can do that
in ways that do at least have the potential for earning me money. Yes, I =
really
do need to get my priorities straight.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face="Lucida Sans" =
color=#000080
size=3>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face="Lucida Sans" =
color=#000080
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><FONT face="Lucida Sans" =
color=#000080
size=3>Del</FONT></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0f0f0f =
size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF"></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>