[CAUT] caut Digest, Vol 1090, Issue 3

[Willem Blees]

Paul

It me took me a while, but I now refer those difficult questions to 
the people who are paid to make difficult decisions. Lay this problem 
on the desk of the piano chairman or the department chairman. I would 
go so far as to not even offer my recommendation. That leaves you 
completely out of the decision making process. 

Wim 
Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA


Quoting Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>:

> Hi List,
> 
> Some of my greenish hue is starting to wear off on being a CAUT, but
> on 
> budget matters with piano faculty, in particular, I shine brighter
> that 
> the emerald city!!  We have 105 keyboard instruments here at the 
> university, one of them being a Belt forte-piano about 25 years old. 
> The 
> professor who plays it primarily is demanding a major rehabilitation
> to it 
> which will require some outside help with my assisting this outside 
> expert.  The estimated cost of bringing this "expert" in will take
> over 
> 28% of my yearly budget.  The instrument is used in concert 6-8 times
> per 
> year as compared to our 3 Steinway D's, 1 concert Baldwin and 3
> Steinway 
> B's which are used constantly.
> 
> Some of the other faculty are up in arms about using the piano budget
> and 
> insist that this is a "special project" and should use "special
> funds" 
> like grants and the like.  Of course I agree strongly both ways!  It
> is a 
> university instrument, so it should use university funds.  On the
> other 
> hand it is used so infrequently, that I can't see using a huge slice
> of my 
> pie.  On the third hand, one of my responsibilities is to see to it
> that 
> all instruments are happy.
> 
> Having such a limited budget as I do, if I had to replace a good
> quality 
> grand, (not even concert level), I would be spending far more than
> one 
> year's budget, leaving all other instruments on hold until next year
> 
> whatever the need may be.INCLUDING the concert instruments.
> So I ask for a bit of seasoned advise from you all.  How have you
> handled 
> such delemmas? Thanks for your help.
> 
> Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.....
> 
> Paul T. Williams RPT
> University of Nebraska-Lincoln
>