Have you ever seen those cones they put on posts in the harbor? It keeps seagulls from having a nice flat place to land. No I haven't tried it, just day-dreaming David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Paul T Williams" <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu> To: caut at ptg.org Received: 4/27/2009 3:22:09 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pizza party >Hi all CAUT's >Incorrect, and correct at the same time on both accounts, Alan. These >pianos are OUR pianos. We all pay taxes, you, your parents, me, my boss, >the piano faculty, the students, etc. These pianos are property of the >state in which you live and work. To make them last must involve >cooperative care. All of these students just forget or haven't grasped >the fact of where their taxes go. What a great place to put your >instrument case, your lap-top, your valve oil, etc It's just the right >height after all!! >I put a very simple note on all practice pianos on the lid.. "nothing >allowed on the pianos...especially anything liquid." Guess what... most >of those notes gave permission to students to simply use my note as a >"coaster" for their drink!! :>( All of them have the tell-tale cup ring >on them. I know Oberlin has a $50 fine for anything brought into the >practice rooms or class-rooms....maybe a good choice... if it can be >"policed". Or, we can all put covers on the lids; fit in just a way to >make them just a bit too fluffy to set anything on them. There's some >bucks to spend! >We have at least two benches in each practice room, one for their butts >and one to put their junk on, but that doesn't work either! >ALL FACULTY (except two or 3) put junk on their pianos here...including >some who choose to put total city displays of whatever Euopean city they >visited over their journeys.. on their studio pianos...and most of them >have done so for years, so who am I to tell them?!! I'm just "the help" >in most of their minds,( never mind that I've have gained at least as much >or more education and experence than any Post doctorate shy of a PHD: >therefore putting me on par with them or better...also with 30+ years of >performance experience...alomost none of which can match!!); and should >just please their every whim, including taking all their junk off "their" >pianos for service...Unless the faculty also keep ALL crap off their >pianos, then, so will the students slurely follow. This, too will take >time,,,, as Mom put beautiful Christmas scenes on the top of Grandma's >pianos as they grew up. There's no end. It will never end!!! Perhaps >plexiglass or Spurlock-style white plastic fitted for each piano is the >way, but, why encourage them to do it? There is a way, but I'm not >experienced enough to control this. >How have all of you to keep faculty from putting junk on their pianos? I'm >very curious. >Thanks for all response! >Best, >Paul >reggaepass at aol.com >Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org >04/27/2009 03:52 PM >Please respond to >caut at ptg.org >To >caut at ptg.org >cc >Subject >Re: [CAUT] Pizza party >"They are not your pianos. You can't take it personally." >Yes, and when I get the attitude, "Yea, Alan, we know: These are YOUR >pianos..", I tell them, "No, they are YOUR pianos. My piano is at home, >and I would NEVER bring it here!" ;) >Alan Eder >-----Original Message----- >From: Zeno Wood <zeno.wood at gmail.com> >To: caut at ptg.org >Sent: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:06 pm >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Pizza party >David (Skolnik, that is), >Thanks for your insights, they all ring true. Dealing with egos in any >kind of institutional setting can be tricky, and that's a big part of >working at a college. I've been lucky to have the support of the Chair >and others, and in fact, when I say I've sent emails to the faculty, >what's actually happened is the Chair has forwarded my emails to the rest >of the faculty. >I hope I haven't given the idea that I play Piano Cop (if at all, I'm the >Good Cop ). I think that I've established a working relationship with the >students and faculty from having taught a few classes and playing in a >student ensemble when time allows. I've also been seen as a resource and >have been invited to give piano presentations to piano students and >composers. >Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree with your point that "They are not your >pianos. You can't take it personally." We take care of the instruments, >but they're not there for us. And if nobody used them, we wouldn't have a >job to begin with. >Cheers, >Zeno Wood >An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy Steps!
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