Paul,
If you are doing more than 4 tunings a day, you are seriously giving the institution more than they are paying for. (I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but they're not going to give you a raise for it -- they'll just expect it of you in the future). I was quite inspired by the writing of Michael Jorgensen some years back. I've bookmarked this page in the CAUT archives - it is also found somewhere in the pianotech archives. (Ok, so maybe I didn't bookmark it - I just have it engrained in my mind). It is worth reading.
Jeff Tanner
http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/2001-March/003785.html
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul T Williams
To: David Ilvedson ; caut at ptg.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 5:04 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Available
David, 4 a day is when things are relaxed, my friend. When you have to tune 90- 100 pianos in 18-20 days... do the math. There's no reason or time to tune earlier and also other things, camps, stuff, happenings, preventing just going down the halls tuning all day. I wish I could!! UNL is busy all year long! I guess I could tune 4 and then do other things too, but I'm limited to 40 hours/wk. I also have 4 harpsichords, a forte-piano, a pedal clav, a virginal, a "normal" clavichord , and other stuff to see to. How do I do it??? It never ends! I just spent all day on the forte piano! Where do I go now? Home!
HOWEVER,...I do try to start the massive tunings earlier before each semester...just tune the uprights, as they don't usually go too far out, then the faculty pianos closer to the start of the semester, then a huge blitz of practice grands just before each semester. Then there's the classroom pianos....and then trying to get the concert instruments up to snuff before all the happenings. THEN...adjust my time to take care of the piano needs throughout. All the tunings are quick and dirty! then I make notes of the triage (is that how one spells it?) and then start my fall term attacking the immediate problems, then check the grands for touch-ups, then check the uprights for checkups, then start my fall rebuilding project and concert tunings, replace broken strings or whatever, and deal with life. the piano faculty are still something to deal with! As you can see, an assistant would be really helpful!! No budget now,...they just layed off the horn technician with no plans of replacing him! Ain't that a kick? I wish I could get overtime!! I could make a fortune! Ahhh...state monies....there's the kicker!
Sooo, I just keep on keepin' on, and see how many of the "important" pianos I will keep in great shape......which I do!
How's that?
PW
"David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
06/17/2009 03:33 PM Please respond to
David Ilvedson <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>; Please respond to
caut at ptg.org
To caut at ptg.org
cc
Subject Re: [CAUT] Position Available
4 a day sounds good to me.
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA 94044
----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "ron worth" <ronald_worth at hotmail.com>
To: caut at ptg.org
Received: 6/17/2009 12:42:47 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Available
>Paul,
>Thanks for the kind reply. I was warned 2 years ago.
>RPTs told me to look for schools with a shop, space and tools.
>I was doing 4 tunings a day (or night) including Saturdays and Sundays - depending
>on artists performance schedules.
>At one point someone asked me is that all I do? (It was not all that I did - they did
>not understand or appreciate that even
>4 tunings daily is a heavy workload - at least for me - and I will make an assumption
>here - 4 tunings daily is more
>than a fair share of work load for ANY piano tuner/technician.
>Ron
>To: caut at ptg.org
>From: pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu
>Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:52:04 -0500
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Available
>Boy, Ron,
>That's a hard row to hoe!! No
>shop, no tools??? That's appauling! I now know I made the right
>decision not to apply there. Was it only the shop space and tools
>that they won't go for? If you rented a shop somewhere, would they
>have covered that expense? At least the tools you would have aquired
>would have been yours. They must not have a great deal of respect
>for their technician or their pianos!! Sorry it didn't work out for
>you.
>Did you at least have a decent budget
>to outsource jobs? without either shop or funds, their pianos will
>soon be food for fire! Would the carpenter shop allow you to work on a
>piano there? I'm really flabbergasted (there's a word you don't see
>too often!) that the university has a school of music with no way to take
>care of their instruments. How about the "horn shop" Are
>they in the same boat? I'm really fortunate to have a fairly good
>sized shop and we also have a 'horn' shop, although waaay too small to
>handle our huge marching band and other serious musicians with university
>instruments. My only hold back, besides a huge wallet, is a way to
>get anything bigger than a 7' piano actually into the shop (due to the
>size of the elevators). That is a real pain for the concert instruments,
>but I guess I'm sort-or easy street in these regards and times.
>I hope you find better roads ahead!
>Best,
>Paul
>ron worth <ronald_worth at hotmail.com>
>Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
>06/16/2009 12:51 PM
>Please respond to
>caut at ptg.org
>To
>caut university <caut at ptg.org>
>cc
>Subject
>Re: [CAUT] Position Available
>I was the last technician there. The problem
>is the University has provided no (rebuilding) tools, space and shop for
>any of the pianos.
>You have to provide tools, space and shop for repairs. I failed to convince
>the University to supply tools, space and shop.
>Most of the pianos need shop work, yet there is no shop, space or tools
>provided for this work. Dr. Parr is aware of this.
>You can only house call service the instruments so much, then serious rebuilding
>tools, space and shop is unavoidable and required.
>I was naive enough to believe I could do the job without the rebuilding
>tools, space, and shop. It's strange because the Fine Arts College
>is provided with a fully equipped repair/carpenter shop and space for building
>their stage props. If you have all the tools, space, and shop,
>then, and only then do I recommend SFASU. Since the university climate
>control "problem" appears among 90% of the of the commentary
>put forth by CAUTS, it will suffice here to say the climate control has
>been the chief complain of all the technicians who have gone before
>me here at Stefen F. Austin State University.
>Ron Worth
>(936) 569-6516 Home
>(936) 553 1935 Mobile
>ps.: I encourage and support any technician to contact me if Stefen F.
>Austin State University position is bestowed upon them.
>I contacted my former colleague before serving at Stefen F. Austin State
>University which I found very helpful.
>To: caut at ptg.org
>From: pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu
>Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:53:01 -0500
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Available
>Thanks and this is interesting.
>When I was interviewing exactly 3 years ago this week, this job became
>available just as I was asked to interview at UNL. Does anyone know
>if they ever filled it, the tech didn't work out, didn't like it, etc.
> I checked out the position and it looked a little less than what
>I was applying for, but still looked like a fairly decent position and
>cost of living is average around there (back 3 years ago)
>I may inform a fellow tech who's toying with the idea of CAUT work, but
>wondered if any of you know what happened in Nacogdoches. (could
>it be the spelling of the town :>) )
>Paul
>"Ward & Probst,
>Inc" <wardprobst at wardprobst.com>
>Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org 06/15/2009
>04:46 PM
>Please respond to
>caut at ptg.org
>To
><caut at ptg.org>
>cc
>Subject
>[CAUT] Position Available
>All,
>
>I submit the following as a courtesy for anyone who may be interested:
>
>Full-time Piano Technician position open at Stephen F. Austin State University,
>Nacogdoches, Texas. Annual salary is $40,000 plus benefits. Opportunities
>for outside work. School of Music has circa 75 pianos: Steinway grands
>in performance halls and piano faculty studios. For information
>on job requirements or to apply, visit https://careers.sfasu.edu
>and search posting number 0600140 or contact Dr. Andrew Parr, search committee
>chair, at (936) 468-1157 or aparr at sfasu.edu.
>Best,
>Dale Dale
>Probst
>Registered Piano Technician
>pres at ptg.org
>
>Invite your mail contacts to join your
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