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[Michiel van Loon]

List,
Until now we only have read about how North American techs have learned
their piano skills.
Let me be the first (and not the last) from the old world to tell his story.
I started my professional life as a apprentice carpenter with large building
firm.
Here I made window frames and other big stuff in their noisy factory.
I did this for a year and went back to school to become a structural
draftsman (concrete and steel constructions for housing and industrial
buildings).
In between I worked with a real estate agent where I made brochures for
selling houses.
In 1982 the housing market in Holland collapsed and I became unemployed.
My wife picked up her old job full time and I took care of our three kids.
When the kids were at school I tried to learn about computers (ZX Spectrum
and Basic programming).
Then a neighbour dropped 2 old player pianos in my garage (which is now my
fully equipped shop) because he could not manage to get them playing. I
started to read anything I could find about players and pianos. Joined the
Dutch Playerpiano Society (NPV). Fixed both player pianos. I did not touch
anything beside the player mechanism realising that the piano action was for
profesionals only.
In 1988 I went to the pianotuners/technicians school in Emmen , where I
learned the basics of tuning and rebuilding. This took three years with one
day a week at school and the rest of the week practicing tuning at home.
When still learning I started rebuilding pianos with a classmate for a
dealer he knew.
This classmate also gave me a few piano lessons.
In 1991 I qualified for the tuner/technician exam with very good marks. In
that same year I offically started my business by registering at the chamber
of commerce.
Though I was not a very good draftsman (my heart was not in it) (and else
would they have sacked me), the skills acquired in my former jobs make me a
better pianotechnician.
Since 1991 my business is gradually expanding, I do a few hundred tunings (a
lot of (world class) junk and a few gems) a year and a lot of reconditioning
and a couple of major rebuildings.
In January this year I joined the Pianotech list and in April I became
International Correspendent of the PTG (a.k.a. subscriber to the PTJ)
Never a dull moment.
Last  year the VvPN (the Dutch equivalent of the PTG) was founded and they
started a tuning test (copied from the PTG) . André Oorebeek (Antares) was
the first to pass the test on Sunday 22 March 1998. As soon as my work and
the flow of knowledge I get from this list every day, permits it I am doing
the same. Then I will be a DdVvPNePS (Door de VvPN erkend Piano Stemmer) or
in English DRPT (Dutch Registred Piano tuner) or whatever.
As a member of the VvPN, Europiano and ICmember of the PTG I support
organisations that try to raise professional standards and contribute to
innovations in Europe and America and in the mean time raise my own skills.
There are enough IPTs (Independent Piano Tinkerers).
Deze is voor jou Cyriel.
Michiel van Loon
mvanloon@xs4all.nl
Homepage http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvanloon
Meppel
Nederland

>List
>I posted results too early. Other folks are still coming out of the closet.
>One of the guys reminded me to include another category which I have now
>introduced. To illustrate how vague (another word for stupid) I am....I
>never thought of the other category and I belong there myself.
>
>Randy Potter school....20%
>Other schools...............25%
>Self taught....................25%
>University courses......11%
>Apprenticeships......... 20%
>
>Ralph Martin
>
>
>