"piano people" and individualism, was Re: Piano Technician Training

[Charles Neuman]

David Koelzer wrote:
> Most "piano people" it seems to me have an individualism and
> independence that drives them to do their own thing.

I have noticed this spirit of individualism. I think that's what drives
piano people to invent new techniques, make new tools, and explore new
ideas. What's also interesting is that technicians seem to value sharing
this info. Many conventions in other fields are just excuses to boost
people's egos or sell things. It's great that the PTG Convention is
focussed on teaching, and the teachers don't even get paid!

I think there is a similar individualistic spirit and sharing amongst
computer programmers. This is especially true with those who support the
"free software" efforts, where people work hard to create software that
ultimately gets shared for free. There's sort of a Libertarian attitude
that goes on. Maybe it's because programmers, like technicians, like
solving problems and tend to work alone.

I also noticed that both fields allow for newcomers who like to learn in
their own ways. You can't become a doctor by learning medicine on your
own, even if you really know what you're doing! I have heard several cases
of technicians who are programmers or were interested in programming. I
think there's a connection.

Charles Neuman