On Wed, 20 May, "Ralph Martin" <rmartinjr@email.msn.com> wrote: >I would be very interested in a poll taken directly from this list, >including the factory technicians that sometimes contribute information, to >learn how the majority learned their craft. It could prove to be very >revealing. I'll begin with myself and let others add their source(s) for >learning. > >How about the rest of you folk? During the last half of 1971, I spent occasional weekends with a friend of my father's, a non-PTG piano tuner in Los Angeles area, learning the rudiments of tuning and repair; practiced tuning on an old upright at home. In 1972, started tuning pianos on the side (until I found out the pins were on the front! <g>). Began my business in Santa Cruz in '74, becoming full time after about 4 years. Became technician for UCSC, local community college and city schools by 1979. Doing multiple classrooms/practice rooms was very useful for getting rid of time-consuming bad habits. In the early 80s, I was invited to CA State Convention (San Jose). Joined PTG in '87, became RTT about 1 year later. Looking back, this was really the hard way to learn anything. For 15 years, after the initial 6 months, I never talked to anyone about the profession, never went to any schools or seminars, never read any books about piano tuning. Every piano was an opportunity to learn something new. I was very much The Lone Ranger and thought I could teach myself every step of the way. I was very fortunate to never have gotten into any expensive trouble. The other dumb thing I did was to quit my day job on 1/1/72. I, therefore, had to supplement my very meager piano tuning income by doing auto repair, handyman jobs, carpentry - anything that I had a little experience in, I'd do. So, I've learned very well how not to become a piano technician. And, thanks to PTG, I've learned from some very great technicians how to improve my skills. -- Thomas A. Cole RPT Santa Cruz, CA
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