[CAUT] Rice University

Mary Smith marysmith@mail.utexas.edu
Tue, 02 Nov 2004 08:49:17 -0600


Dear Anne and List;

It is so very exciting to hear about your program at FSU, Anne. You are one 
of my heroes. I am so impressed with the amount of energy and enthusiasm 
you have dedicated to developing this program (though sometimes I worry 
about your sanity! ;)). We ALL owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude for 
your pioneering program there. Please do keep us updated on how things work 
for you this year.

Best,
Mary

At 01:41 PM 10/30/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Otto,
>Thanks for your thoughts and concerns about the new Master of Arts in 
>Piano Technology here at the Florida State University School of Music.  I 
>designed this program to counteract the very "inbreeding" that you 
>describe.  I have planned guest lecturer visits for every semester to 
>ensure that the material offered is varied, multi-faceted, and 
>current.  My students just enjoyed a two day visit with Don Bennett from 
>Atlanta.  He took them through both pinblock installation and bridge 
>capping with tremendous amounts of hands-on. Bob Marinelli is slated to be 
>here in December to do a three day seminar on actions and keyboards, and 
>Susan Graham has signed on for a visit in the spring.  John Foy has 
>committed to fall 2005 and David Stanwood will visit in 2006.  The 
>students have had access to many of our resident faculty and have worked 
>with musicologists, historians, and performers.  They've discussed 
>research projects concerning temperament practice and philosophy with both 
>faculty and doctoral candidates and have gained more experience servicing 
>clavichords, harpsichords, fortepianos, and a portative organ in one 
>semester than most piano technicians get in a lifetime.  These students 
>have direct contact with piano majors, piano faculty artists and the 
>numerous guest pianists and keyboardists from all over the world that we 
>host every year.  Through these experiences, they are able to improve 
>their communication skills and are exposed to many different ideas.  We're 
>developing a mini-chemistry course that will encompass the full array of 
>poisons we all work with, and our Museum Studies program affords these 
>students access to curatorial and conservation opportunities.  The vibrant 
>arts administration program here has enabled them to seek ways to fund 
>tangential training opportunities by helping them through the grant 
>writing process.  We just welcomed our 6th Nobel prize winning faculty 
>member to campus.  Sir Harold Kroto of "bucky balls" fame joined the 
>chemistry department this fall.  He, along with every other professor on 
>campus, hosts office hours where students have direct access to these 
>great minds.  As you can see, the university setting  eschews "myopic 
>vision", and cross-pollination is an every-day occurance.  I have learned 
>so much from these students in the first eight weeks of this program and 
>I'll be the fortunate beneficiary of much more learning in semesters to 
>come.   I look forward to talking with you and many others in Kansas City 
>about this new program.
>Anne Garee
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Otto Keyes" <okeyes@uidaho.edu>
>To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
>Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 4:37 PM
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Rice University
>
>
>>According to the Journal article, the only candidates considered for the
>>Florida program are ones who have gone through the London, Ont. course.
>>Unfortunately, this can lend itself to technical in-breeding & the ills
>>associated therewith, ie:  myopic vision, hardening of the cranial cavity to
>>exclude the entrance of any external ideas, elevation of the septum &
>>associated olfactory tissue, etc., etc.  However, when re-printing your
>>cards, it does afford the opportunity to pile a few more letters on the
>>other B.S. behind your name.
>>:-)
>>
>>Seriously though, I do think it's a point of weakness.  Sometimes the
>>ignorant greenhorn can come up with some of the most innovative solutions to
>>long-time problems.  Not that you want a novice in a grad program, but a
>>variety of view-points is essential.  If everyone is looking from the same
>>angle they may all miss a very simple, yet important fact.
>>
>>Otto
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)" <WOLFLEEL@UCMAIL.UC.EDU>
>>To: <dporritt@mail.smu.edu>; "'College and University Technicians'"
>><caut@ptg.org>
>>Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 9:50 AM
>>Subject: RE: [CAUT] Rice University
>>
>>
>>>David,
>>>
>>>Thanks for the info on Rice. It sounds like Dean Shank is training other
>>>crossover pianist/technicians. Anne Garee created the Masters degree
>>program
>>>in Piano Technology at Florida State University in Tallahassee and I
>>believe
>>>it just started this year. Here's a link:
>>>http://www.music.fsu.edu/garee.htm
>>>
>>>Eric
>>>
>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>Eric Wolfley
>>>Head Piano Technician
>>>Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
>>>University of Cincinnati
>>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>>  -----Original Message-----
>>>From: David M. Porritt [mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu]
>>>Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 12:36 PM
>>>To: caut@ptg.org
>>>Subject: RE: [CAUT] Rice University
>>>
>>>Eric:
>>>
>>>Dean Shank, DMA is the technician/piano faculty member.  Years ago he was
>>>half-time piano technician and half-time teacher I believe.  Now he has
>>>another working with him.  Avery Todd at U of Houston probably knows more
>>>about their program.
>>>
>>>dave
>>>
>>>PS I wasn't aware of the Florida program.  Which school?  Is there more
>>info
>>>on the web?
>>>
>>>
>>>__________________________________________
>>>David M. Porritt, RPT
>>>Meadows School of the Arts
>>>Southern Methodist University
>>>Dallas, TX 75275
>>>dporritt@mail.smu.edu
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
>>>From: Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel) <WOLFLEEL@UCMAIL.UC.EDU>
>>>To: 'College and University Technicians' <caut@ptg.org>
>>>Received: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 11:22:54 -0400
>>>Subject: [CAUT] Rice University
>>>
>>> >Does anybody know who the technicians at Rice University are? A visiting
>>> >pianist here for a concert told us he earned a Masters degree in Piano
>>> >Technolgy (along with a Masters in Piano Performance) from Rice. He >tuned
>>> >and serviced the piano he performed on (an off-site piano not under our
>>> >jurisdiction). I'm just curious about this because I have not heard of
>>any
>>> >graduate programs in piano technology other than the one in Florida.
>>>
>>> >Thanks.
>>>
>>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >Eric Wolfley
>>> >Head Piano Technician
>>> >Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
>>> >University of Cincinnati
>>> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>> >_______________________________________________
>>> >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
>_______________________________________________
>caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC