Richard, Well, as Jeannie said, sexism is alive and well in this business, but it's alive and well mostly everywhere else, too. There was a group of older techs (whom I lovingly refer to as the Old Farts) that I had to deal with from Day 1 (I started in 1982). My offenses were #1 I was a woman, #2 I refused to be intimidated or controlled by them, #3 I was a PTG member. There were a number of incidents when the OFs tried to discredit me, but I persevered. The most interesting of those incidents was when I had just been hired at Illinois Wesleyan and the <then> Steinway dealer called IWU and said their new D's warranty was no good if I was servicing the piano. After years of taking punches, that knocked the wind out of me--it had been nasty before, but this one took the cake! (I had been hired after one of the OFs had been asked to leave). The Director of the School of Music and the piano faculty were livid. Yes, the dealer got in trouble over that one! I've had some scary moments when I was worried I wouldn't be able to avoid being sexually attacked, but that can happen to anyone in any business. I don't put my home address on my business card either. I only had a yellow page ad for a couple years, because that's where many problem calls came from---it might be different now because of caller ID. I got started working for dealers and had a very good experience building my business that way. I don't want to paint a picture of doom and gloom. This is a great profession, if a person has the passion and drive to go for it. I'd say to not be afraid, but be smart. I'm short, too, 5' 2". I've never had to use two hands on the tuning lever, though. I know that for some years when I first got started, there was an informal gathering of female techs at the PTG Convention. Our numbers were very few then. Unfortunately, they were mostly moaning sessions and I was more interested in learning technical stuff, so I think I only attended one or two. Now it might be interesting to hear a "technical" on how we deal with strength or safety issues, etc. When I served as CERVP (1986-1988), and the convention was in Toronto, I asked the director why there were no female instructors (Sally Jameson and Priscilla Rappaport approached me because they had been snubbed) and I was told we were in Canada and none of the Canadian techs would come to classes taught by women. Since part of Canada was part of my region (at that time), I told him the only thing I had heard from the Canadians, is that they wanted to be treated equally as members. Ah, the memories! :-) Congratulations on your nearing retirement. I still have "Pianos are not tables" in my personal archive. Best, Barbara Richmond, RPT ----- Original Message ----- From: <rwest1@unl.edu> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 9:04 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Differences? > This has been an interesting thread on many levels. For one thing, my > daughter is coming to my office to learn piano service. She graduated > from college last summer and likes the idea of working independently. > She's pretty handy with tools (she has a minor in art/ sculpture), and has > grasped tuning well, although I don't think she likes tuning all that > much. > > My question is this: What problems do women run into out there is > businessland? I talked to one woman who doesn't put her address on her > business card because she doesn't want it out there for all to have. > This was something I had never thought about, being of the male > persuasion. Also the upper body strength issue seems that it must be a > major problem. One rather petite woman I know had to use both hands to > move the tuning hammer on pianos with tight pins. Another said she had > to lift weights and work out to keep from having pain. I know this isn't > just a female thing, men have upper back problems too. If my daughter > does indeed continue to do well, it would be nice to know what she should > be aware of when she starts working on her own. Does PTG do anything to > help women get together and talk about these things? Maybe you "guys" > just seek each other out and meet over lunch to exchange ideas. > > On another note, I'd like to make an announcement. I'll be retiring from > my university job as of May 12, 2006. I'll be 62 and will be moving into > a part time piano service business and otherwise have time to do other > things. I'm looking forward to it. I've worked at the university of NE > for 30 years and it's been a good gig. I'm announcing this so that any > of you that might be interested in applying will know that the position > will be open soon. The department is preparing to advertise. I don't > know what the pay scale will be, but I'm pushing for a decent starting > salary and the benefits are good. > > Richard West > University of Nebraska > > > On Jan 22, 2006, at 1:20 AM, Jeannie Grassi wrote: > >> I used to tinker with things, too. I even fixed an old piano one summer >> when I was in high school. The funny thing is that I wanted to be an >> architect when I was in school and go to engineering school. My >> guidance >> counselor told me that I wouldn't be very good because I got a low score >> in >> Mechanical Reasoning on my 8th grade skill assessment test! (As did most >> girls!!!!!) I believed it for a long time until I was an adult, living >> on >> my own. One day I looked around my apartment and realized I had about >> half >> a dozen lamps and other things from friends who had asked me to fix them >> for >> them. I was really good at fixing things and all my friends knew it. >> It >> just took me a while to adjust my perception of myself. It's funny how >> some >> of those things can leave long-term damage. >> >> Shortly after that I embarked on a journey to do technical >> work.....first in >> broadcasting. >> >> But enough of my stories one day.....I sure am envious when I hear about >> teachers like Ted S. Before he left Banff I was in the process of >> figuring >> out how to go up there for a training session. Then he left. What a >> shame >> I didn't act immediately. >> >> jeannie >> >> Jeannie Grassi, RPT >> Assistant Editor, Piano Technicians Journal >> mailto:jcgrassi@earthlink.net >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of >> Susan >> Kline >> Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 10:43 PM >> To: College and University Technicians >> Subject: RE: [CAUT] Differences? >> >> At 01:20 PM 1/21/2006 -0800, Jeannie wrote: >>> 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. >> >> >> Jeannie, I'm really sorry to hear that you had to go through this. >> >> An incredible stroke of good fortune, that when I decided >> to learn how to tune and repair pianos in 1978, Ted Sambell had just >> set up the course I found. No doubt ever that he was >> thoroughly and very effectively on my side, and that I would be >> able to grow into any aspect of the business I wanted to, from >> the start he gave me. >> >> Yes, I had to take Home Ec in 7th and 8th grade as well, even >> though my mom had already taught it all to me years before. I >> didn't realize at the time how much I would have loved wood >> and metal shop. I used to tinker with stuff on my own, without >> having any real tools or knowing how to use them. I would buy >> folding Kodak cameras from second hand stores, take them all >> apart, fix the ball bearing shutters, clean them up, and put them all >> back together again, with tweezers, lens tissue and lens-cleaning >> fluid, sewing machine oil, and one small screwdriver. The big >> ones, with old sizes of film which one couldn't get anymore, >> I'd use by cutting and hand-loading sheet film. It was fun. >> >> Pianos were a great discovery -- real tools, real parts, a ton of ways >> to >> do things, and a huge playground of clapped out old uprights to >> improvise affordable repairs on. >> >> Susan >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >
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