RE working on the 3rd (in Lake Charles)

[Billbrpt@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/4/98 10:47:20 AM Central Daylight Time,
dbpowell1@juno.com writes:

<< Anyway tuners beware, please don't relocate to the Lake Charles, La.
 area.Ha Ha.
 Have a good 4th,
 Dick >>

I'm disappointed to hear this, Dick, because in fact, I have my name in the
phone book in the Lafayette, Eunice, Opelousas, Crowley and Abbeyville areas.
I bought the advertising because I often come to the area for music and
cultural events.  Eventually, I would like to get a second residence in
Lafayette and come down during the coldest part of winter in Wisconsin.  I
have passed through Lake Charles on the Interstate but not really visited it.
I do hear some might good Cajun & Zydeco music coming from there though and
I'll bet the food is just great.  It seems to me that the Cajun culture is
really very strong there and across the border into Port Arthur and Beaumont,
Texas.  Unfortunately, the piano is not the most popular musical instrument.

  Here in Madison, Wisconsin, a city of 1/4 million in the metro area, there
are 25 listings in the phone book and more who aren't.  Still the demand
outweighs the supply of good tuners through much of the heating season.  The
summer is a little slower.

I noticed that there was only one PTG RPT member in Lafayette (who works half
time at the university) and only one other person who advertised with a
display ad in the Yellow Pages.  But when I inquired locally, I was seen as a
"Yankee stranger" by many and told that there was "no shortage" of people who
could do that kind of work.  I could not even complete a sentence about any of
my credentials or qualifications.  No one would even entertain the idea that I
might be able to offer a better quality of service than the average tuner. 

 I did find a friendly dealer though who once gave me a little floor work but
he really only wants to work with a person who is local.  I let him know every
time I am coming down but he never has referred anyone to me, at least not
yet.  I have referred some calls to that dealer and some to the two local guys
hoping to establish some good will.  I have no idea who all the other people
are who dabble in piano tuning but there are some like that here in Madison
and their customers are very loyal.

Still, I do get some calls and I am slowly building a clientele of satisfied
customers.  I am sure that there are many pianos between Lafayette and Lake
Charles which go unserviced because there are no really good technicians
available.  Those are the people I am looking for.  When I come to the area, I
usually head straight for Mamou, Cajun Music Capital of the world, so it
seems.  I have never seen a single piano there, though.

I bought my authentic Cajun accordion from a maker in Iota.  I'll be going
down to Lafayette for the Festivals Acadiens the 3rd week of September and
will be servicing a few customers plus reconditioning the X-player  (you do
what you gotta do) of the accordion maker in Iota.

Happy 4th,
Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin