Paul, others, It's hard to get started, but our students (BYU) actually make the shop money. (more later) We have 5 students and training is only about 2-3 hours per week. After about a year only 1-2, and then they start becoming a benefit instead of a liability. As students are trained they help train new students, with your supervision. Teaching helps them become even better. Of our 5 students 1 is an RPT, 2 will take the last test and be RPTs by the end of August, and the other 2 are starting the tests. On "re-fixing" and such, yes you do have to do a bit of that, but very little if done right. Start with key bushings and repinning. Do it with them. After the first two jobs you'll never have to rebush again, as they will teach the next student, while you scrutinize over their shoulder for only a minute or two. Start tuning by only giving them a couple practice room pianos. As they progress give more. It takes about a year before they do a good job (usually) but in the mean time the floors are swept, bushing and pinning is done, etc. and you are free to do other stuff. Most of these students (we screen them) become better at some things than me. Last week a student (son of a machinist... they're the best) hung two sets of hammers and his first work looked better than my last! (Dang, I'm a good teacher! <G>)We also have pianos across campus that are not school of music and so we charge them for service. Upper level students do this. More money in the shop budget. At Snow College I only have 35 pianos but have one apprentice. He's now at the point that if I'm gone I don't worry. And he's VERY happy to be learning a trade, along with his other degree. It's a win/win for me. But I will say you're right to be hesitant. If you don't do it right it will be "the tail wagging the dog". Jim Busby RPT BYU and Snow College <<<<I hesitate to find a student, as I would have to take 10-15 hours/week to train them. We have no budget anyway to pay them, so they would have to learn on the fly with no pay. Not a good possibility. Especially with new students, I would have to go in and re-fix what they do so the pianos work .>>>> Paul -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20100720/dde9748d/attachment-0001.htm>
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