Joining the Throng.. was what would you do?

[Richard Brekne]

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Hi Roy

Your recent disgruntled post.. and then this one prompted me to respond, as your
situation as you describe it struck a note from my own experiences.. especially
those of the past 4-5 years.

Let me first say that you should set your sites on joining the gang... and
passing the RPT test. Not because it is or is not in itself worth anything...
but simply and mostly because of what you can learn on the way. True some RPT's
get as far as passing the test.. then stop learning.. and true the RPT test in
itself is no horrific testimony of distinguished learning, but you do have to
work to get there, and you may, as I did for the Norwegian variation... find you
have to unlearn some of what you have learned before. In any case the experience
is very achievable and more valuable then you may know.

I first took such a test 4 years ago now. And I flunked. This after 20 years or
so of nothing but sucess in some pretty demanding situations. 15 years (then) I
had tuned for Molde International Jazz festival, many of the best jazz pianists
in the world came through. From 1990 to 1993 I was living in Seattle, and the
festival payed to fly me back and forth so as to not loose me. During that time
I met some of Seattles fine membership, I got the honor (grin... well....)of
tuning the Steinway that was to be used for Sherman and Clays annual tuners
dinner one year. About 40 techs typically show up for this. Got nothing but
compliments from all present.

All in all, I had absolutely no reason to suspect anything then that I could
"tune with the best of them". Ahhhh... how dangerous and silly is complacency.
Then I met Lars... a fellow who would become my "mentor" if you will. He talked
me into taking the test.. I did.. and it wasnt good enough. Very inconsistant
bass and too low as well.Very sharp treble.. shakey but acceptable temperament,
tho the tuning was solid as a rock, nice unisons. I also got critical marks on
upright damper regulation. All in all... they sent me home with encouraging
words... to come back and try again, but I didnt pass.

Now this was discouraging... threatened my ego... etc.. etc. After all the
success I had had... why should I bother listening to a couple guys from bumf---
Nordland ?? I ask you ? grin.. A couple days of thinking it over and something
inside me began to say... hey... I shouldbe able to please these guys. It wasnt
long before I set out to do just that.

Not long after I started working with Lars.. and he was confident indeed that he
could get me straightened out on the tuning. The damper regulation part was up
to me to straighten out. I knew what I had to do.. just needed to do it. So 2
years goes by..I passed the test just before summer... Got second best in
tuning.. waaayyy best in grand regulation theory.. and best in regulation of
uprights.

During the last few months leading up to this second attempt at the test.. I
started reading this list. I plagued the hell out of Jim Coleman about this
para-inharmonicity thing... grin.. sorry about that Jim... but he recommended
some reading that was to really contribute, and just now is starting to really
take off in helping me further along the road. A fellow on this list named Ron
and I have had it out on a couple occasions..but this guy knows one hell of a
lot and his advice and consul is invaluable... I got into it a bit with a fellow
named Keith... just these past couple weeks over tapping pins... its all in fun,
we all have our opinions.. Some of us are wrong when we dont know it... and some
of us are right (grin.. and sometimes we dont know that either) The list of
names of these fine fellows goes on and ever on.. Del.. Jim.. Roger.. Bill..
Newton... Ed... Ron Overs from Australia.. and so many more.   Point is Roy...
the PTG is a long ways from perfect..but it is indeed a great organization. Full
and rich in knowledge and freindship.  Hell I spent 20 years or so thinking I
didnt need them.. "just a bunch of shouting angry ego maniacs with nothing
really to offer". Jimminees if I could have that thought to rethink again.. I've
got a good ear... if I had been only smart enough to get good training from the
get go.. instead of winging it on my own.

Despite whatever its lackings,.. there is very very much that is good and
incredably valuable in the PTG. You just gotta let humans... well be human, for
better or for worse.

Join freind Ron.. be a part of it you wont regret it for even a second. I look
back on these past 4 or 5 years, and see that I have improved immensly, and
understand a whole whale of a lot more about what it is I do.. Most important of
all that I have learned.. is that there is so very much more out there to learn.
And more then anything else.. I owe it to the fact that there are these
organizations and people who keep them going ...  who are ready and willing to
help... who challange you to be good enough for them... and encourage you to be
better then you ever thought possible. Go for it.

Yours sincerely

Richard Brekne
I.C.P.T.G.  N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway



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