[CAUT] Differences?

[Jeannie Grassi]

Don,
I can assure you that there were not nearly as many women 30 years ago as
there is today.  I think that those who started, were more attracted to a
formal program like NBSS, because most of us found it hard to find someone
to mentor with privately, or a shop situation that would give us the time of
day.  So, the impression might have been a bit skewed.  I think a school
alternative may still be more attractive for several reasons for many women
just starting out.  

The official PTG membership says that around 20% are women joining each
month.  However, there is a higher attrition rate for women, and fewer make
it to RPT status.  Now, of course, there are many factors going in to that.
I would guess that the female RPTs number closer to 12% of the membership.
This is just my random sampling based on monthly membership announcements.

Recently, there has been a huge surge in new female members.  As President
of the Seattle Chapter, I have to say that the past two years has shown an
increase in women applicants.  We have also had more women drop out than
men.  We've also had a couple of babies from those new women members.  That
can put a kink in working on your tuning hammer technique!

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 Don
McKechnie
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 8:44 AM
To: caut@ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Differences?

This has been a interesting thread. But first, congratulations Richard! 
A good run I'm sure. I'm looking forward to something similar in the not 
too distant future. That is, if this place does not kill me first. :-)

I mentioned to Michelle not long ago that it seems like there are less 
women present at the annual convention than say ten or more years ago. 
It would be interesting to see the statistics of male/female Guild 
membership over the past 30 years or so. It is my perception (which 
could be way off) that 30 years ago when I got started, there were more 
women trying out this profession than there are now. At least a third of 
my class at North Bennett were women. I wonder what the ratio is these 
days in any school? I have had a few more women than men do 
workstudy/internships with me here at IC, but none of my students have 
taken up the profession. They enjoyed the work but their music career 
came first. The times, they are a-changin? A pity if so.

Don
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