[CAUT] Differences?

[Jim Busby]

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Thanks Jeannie,=20

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Yes, it does help.=20

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I have tried to divide up the work evenly between all students and feel
I've been "fair" that way, but you mentioned something so obvious it
almost made me laugh. "Standing up" might make it easier for them to
tune. I haven't done that because I don't stand. If I stand I have to
slump over! My daughters aren't tall but are very musical. I've asked
them why they don't like to tune and they just say "It's too hard". What
I think we need here is a female tech! I think that is part of the
answer. Thanks for your insight.

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Jim

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From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Jeannie Grassi
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 2:20 PM
To: 'College and University Technicians'
Subject: RE: [CAUT] Differences?

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Jim,

I'm assuming I may answer also.....?  I hope this long answer is more
interesting than boring.=20

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I was first drawn to this business because of the fascination I had with
the mechanical aspect of the piano.  So I adore shop work.  I never
thought I'd have trouble learning to tune because I had played the
violin from a very early age and had always had a "good ear."  I think
learning to tune was difficult for me in that my expectations were way
out of proportion with the realities of learning.  Like many musicians
coming into this work...I thought my "good ear" would make tuning a
snap.  But there were other factors.

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Here is another scenario I experienced and I've heard several women
technicians tell almost the same story. I also was not "allowed" to tune
in the shop where I was an apprentice because that was reserved for the
men in the shop.  I was needed to answer the phone, restock supplies,
clean the shop, and do menial repetitive and boring work.  It was clear
to me that I was perceived as a threat to their income.  It wasn't until
I realized that I could earn more by cultivating tuning clients that I
got serious about learning.  Then, when they told me they would teach
me, they only gave me a small amount of information, or in some cases,
misinformation, so that I would fail.   Needless to say, tuning did not
come easy for me because I wasn't being taught properly. When I finally
got some good training, I had to "unlearn" some of what I was told
originally.

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Sometimes we are drawn to what we've never had a chance to do before.  I
never was allowed to take shop in school...had to take Home Ec. instead.
I wanted to be in shop.  Working on pianos finally gave me the chance to
exercise the mechanical part of my brain.  It was new and exciting
because I'd always been denied the chance to work with tools and get
down and dirty!  :>)

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I don't think there are any inherent differences between men and women
in terms of abilities.....I've known too many excellent women tuners and
too many bad male tuners to make generalizations.  The only factor that
might make the learning process less than comfortable might be the upper
body and height differences.  I am short enough that I have to stand for
most tunings, except short uprights, and my arm strength and shoulders
just aren't as strong as a man's.  Even when I stand, for some tall
uprights, I don't have the advantage of coming down over the piano and
sometimes still must reach upward to the tuning pins. =20

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How tall are your daughters?  How musical are they?  What other things
have they learned to do with their hands...i.e. sewing, crafts, artwork,
woodworking, etc.?  How about temperament....who has more
patience....boys or girls?  I think personalities have a lot to do with
how we approach work and there are personality types in both genders. =20

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I think there are differences between the genders, but it would be
really hard to make any generalities.  I hope this sheds some light.

jeannie

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Jeannie Grassi, RPT

Assistant Editor, Piano Technicians Journal

mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net <mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net>=20

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________________________________

From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Busby
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:54 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: RE: [CAUT] Differences?

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Michelle, Barbara,=20

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A serious question here; I've got three daughters and a son who have
learned to do quite a bit of piano work. The girls all love to do
tedious shop work but HATE to tune. The boy loves to tune but doesn't
like shop work all that much. I just thought it was their personalities
until I started having students work here at BYU. Seems the same
applies. I don't want to come across as sexist in any way, but I want to
understand why. All the female students seem to excel more at the shop
skills, but seem to dislike tuning. It seems harder for them than the
guys. They seem to be less aggressive and more perfectionists and can
hardly stand it if they don't get it right NOW. There are other teachers
besides me so I don't think my teaching style is to be blamed. I guess
the real question is, do women (physically, mentally...) have a harder
time learning to tune?? I really want to encourage more women to take up
the trade. (Help!)

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Jim Busby BYU

=20

________________________________

From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Michelle Stranges
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:15 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] disability insurance

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Hey Barbara-

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It's your female partner in crime..

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I certainly feel that I have an advantage being a female tuner

(And I am the ony female in my Chapter here in Syracuse- *and* the
youngest...)

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So when I don't get my way I start crying and the guys give in.

They can't help it.

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:D

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