If those of you who are on some sort of 1/2 time/fulltime situation find you need to attend as a working technician, do you subtract the hours from your normal work week? David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Paul Milesi, RPT" <paul at pmpiano.com> To: caut at ptg.org Received: 3/29/2010 10:43:07 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] recital policy >It looks like we follow a similar approach here. It is left up to me to >decide and do what is necessary to ensure an appropriately tuned and >prepared piano for each performance. I do not touch up during recitals or >concerts, although I often attend. Nor have I ever been asked to be >present. We have no real policy, written or otherwise, just a professional >expectation on my part and that of the faculty and administration that the >piano should be at a level appropriate for college level or professional >performance. >We have two performance venues used by the Department of Music. Neither has >a second instrument. Our Yamaha C5 recital piano is now 15 years old, and >has loose tuning pins due to excessive heat and dryness, so I have ended up >always tuning/refining unisons the day of or the evening before every >concert or recital, only because I¹ve learned that¹s what it takes to make >that piano sound good. If there are two recitals in a day, I will do my >very best to get in there for at least a couple minutes before the second >one to clean up unisons, especially if I know the first recital involved any >aggressive playing or a jazz rhythm section. I live about 2.5 miles from >the school, so I do hop over there on weekends, too. >Part of our original agreement/understanding was that I would tune the >recital piano once a week, but that¹s not even close to adequate with 4-6 >recitals a week, and always a weekly departmental program. Being on staff, >I do what I have to do -- sometimes at the expense of other routine >classroom, practice room or studio tunings or other work -- to make certain >the University and Department are represented to the public in the best >light. I¹m told this approach has put things on a level they have not >experienced in decades, and the result has been that I am given a lot of >autonomy in general. They trust me. I have fostered an atmosphere where >faculty and students are encouraged to approach me to request tunings or >alert me to other needed repairs, and so far this is working very well. >Everyone feels they are getting the service and attention they require. I >do have an overall rotational plan of my own to maintain pianos at certain >levels, and to accomplish remedial work as well. But this serves only as a >very rough guide for deciding where I will spend my time. I am not >obligated to adhere to it in any way. And again, if the recital piano >sounds good, I am not obligated to tune it just to say it was tuned >specifically for that performance; there is no such promise to anyone, just >an understanding that the piano will sound good! >-- >Paul Milesi, RPT >Staff Piano Technician >Howard University Department of Music >Washington, DC >From: Dennis Johnson <johnsond at stolaf.edu> >Reply-To: <caut at ptg.org> >Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:53:44 -0500 >To: <caut at ptg.org> >Subject: Re: [CAUT] recital policy >I would say the same situation applies here for the most part also. The >only thing I might add is that over time basically those involved with each >event have gradually come to expect that it will be my responsibility to >decide exactly what is necessary to provide a satisfying piano, given the >limits of access. It is often impossible to tune immediately before a large >event as one might expect. >I think my first year also was the only time I went out during intermission >for a faculty recital. If I remember correctly that wasn't even about tuning >but something happened to one of the dampers. Afterward another faculty >member implied, or suggested that maybe I was asserting myself >inappropriately, or whatever.... "This wasn't my recital." I could not >believe it, ....but I never did that again. >I do try and at least check pianos being used on the day of, except for >weekend student recitals and ensembles with non-prominent piano use also on >weekends. As much as possible I make sure pitch adjustments are never done >the day of an important piano event, and I think that partly explains why we >are able to have more solid work these days as Kent suggests. In the past >departments did not have the luxury of that level service. >cheers, >Dennis Johnson >St. Olaf College >_______ >On Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 8:38 PM, Fred Sturm <fssturm at unm.edu> wrote: >> I would echo Kent's comments, all of them. I haven't been on official duty at >> a concert by the music department, ever. I think I touched up at intermission >> once 23 years ago (first year I was there). I tune for all faculty and guest >> recitals, and then If I haven't otherwise tuned each of the concert >> instruments within two weeks, I schedule a tuning for the department in >> general (student recitals). I have no problem with my tunings lasting through >> many concerts - not that unisons couldn't be refined a bit every day if I had >> that much time to spare. (I am on at concerts for other venues only when the >> artist's rider specifically calls for it. George WInston and one or two others >> from time to time). >> Regards, >> Fred Sturm >> fssturm at unm.edu >> "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain >> >> On Mar 28, 2010, at 12:58 PM, Kent Swafford wrote: >> >>> Within the past week, my administrators have confirmed that we do not provide >>> concert standby. Generally speaking, we have more than one piano in the >>> halls, so if there is a disaster, the worst that would happen would be >>> continuing the concert on a different piano. Hasn't happened yet to my >>> knowledge. >>> >>> And by the way, even when I have happened to attend concerts, I have never >>> provided touchups at intermission. My thoughts are that the general level of >>> tuning is better than in times past, and our tunings can withstand a day or >>> so of playing, within reasonable limits and tolerances. >>> >>> In his recent article, Robert Weirich remarks on the passing of the one >>> recital/one tuning norm. Our halls are simply too busy to tune for every >>> recital, too busy to prohibit rehearsals on pianos between the tuning and >>> recital. Weirich sees this as a budget issue, but as I mention above, I think >>> that our tunings are generally better than they were 40 years ago, so we have >>> chosen to forego some tunings in the halls before choosing cuts in other >>> areas. >>> >>> >>> Kent >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mar 28, 2010, at 12:01 PM, Dr. Henry Nicolaides wrote: >>> >>>> Hi list...I was wondering about policy regarding the piano technician >>>> presence at/during recitals. It does not appear that we, at SIU, have a >>>> written guideline or policy. I prep and tune before the solo piano recitals >>>> and tune within a reasonable time (whatever that happens to be and >>>> considering the use of the piano and recital hall) before accompanied voice >>>> and instrumental recitals. Just wondering if anyone was "required" to be >>>> present during any recitals to be available should the unthinkable happen. >>>> >>>> Henry Nicolaides >>>> Piano Technician, School of Music >>>> Southern Illinois University >>>> >>>> >>>> Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your >>>> inbox. Learn More. >>>> ><http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID27925::T:WLMTAGL >:ON: >>>> WL:en-US:WM_HMP:032010_1> >>> >> >> >>
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