[CAUT] FW: Concert hall pianos

Porritt, David dporritt at mail.smu.edu
Sat Dec 5 09:07:03 MST 2009


So I should have made my life harder, faced increased traffic, arrived home much later to make it easier for other techs at some unknown time in the future?  We shouldn't take advantage of a good administration that allows us the flexibility to arrange our schedule to suit ourselves because it sets a bad precedent?  Our director, dean etc. have a much more practical view.  I'm sure they will let my successor figure out his/her own schedule as they have done for me.

dave

David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu<mailto:dporritt at smu.edu>

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Tanner
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 9:49 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] FW: Concert hall pianos

David,
First, I very much respect that what you've done is your choice, and it has worked well for you.

However, what you have done is to create a precedent. The guy who comes in in February will meet up with, "Well, our previous tech came in at 5:30 and the faculty have come to expect that the technician will work around our complex schedule. You'll be expected to work this schedule."

Then, that adminstrator takes a job at another school, where the activity level is increasing, and he says, "our tech at my last school "HAD TO" come in at 5:30 to get work done, and that's what you're going to have to do as well."

Then a faculty member from that school takes a job at another school, where he says, "our tech at my last school "WAS EXPECTED TO" come in at 5:30...."

Piano faculty and administrators have email lists like ours and they discuss how they deal with these things too.  It spreads like the pig flu.

Again, all the respect for you that you've done it the way you wanted to. But this is one example where CAUTs are doing it to themselves.  Every time we give up something, it becomes an expected change not only for ourselves, but for others in our shoes.

Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: Porritt, David<mailto:dporritt at mail.smu.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org<mailto:caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] FW: Concert hall pianos

Dennis:

Your point is well made.  I think we should be able to work "normal" hours as much as possible.  In my case, it has been my choice to work 5:30am to 1:30pm.  First, I like the early hours, I also live 49 miles away so I get to miss traffic both ways, I always get a parking spot, and I feel much more productive not having to spend an inordinate amount of time scheduling myself in rooms.  After 10:00 I can still work on practice room pianos (I can kick a student out if I have to but nearly never do).  Since more than 1/3 of our pianos are in practice rooms that works pretty well.  I can also reserve an unused classroom to do work later in the day, it's just harder.

This early schedule has been my choice.  Whoever gets the job February 1st when I retire will have to arrange his/her own schedule to suite the school and their personal preferences.  It will probably be different from mine.

dave

David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu<mailto:dporritt at smu.edu>

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