This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Wimblees@AOL.COM=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: July 24, 2002 7:51 AM Subject: Re: no comp. was Re: Saying "No" (was Convention is focused) In a message dated 7/23/02 12:51:05 PM Central Daylight Time, = pianobuilders@olynet.com writes:=20 This is where I would like to see some ideas come out. What subjects, = courses, ideas would attract those who feel the convention isn't = offering enough? Would there be enough of these kinds of classes to fill = out a schedule, or are there going to be only a few, like your = environmental class, that hopefully would attract some of the = technicians that no longer attend? The second problem with this is, if = you have some new classes next year, what will have to be offered the = following year, and the next? Is there ever going to be enough new = material to have those technicians you're talking about, coming back = year after year?=20 Well, I don't know what could be offered. I don't know what other people = are interested in. What they are doing in their 'spare' time. What = excites them. What is driving them on. We'll have to search a bit.=20 As to what to do the year after...let's worry about that next year. Each = year will present troubles enough of its own. The next question is, who is going to teach those classes? I know you = spend a lot of time preparing new classes, like the class I just = mentioned. But who else is willing to take the time, and present it, = with little or no compensation? Are we gong to run into the same = problem? Are the advanced technicians who have given of their time and = talent for all these many years, and felt "taken advantage of," be = willing to step up to the plate, and do it again?=20 And that, of course, brings us back to where this all started. Yes, = eventually we are going to run into the same problem. With the current = policies it will probably be impossible. But those policies must = ultimately change--it is only a matter of time. I have my own reasons for doing what I do, not all of which I'm prepared = to discuss publicly. But one big motivation is to work, in my own way, = to preserve an instrument and an industry I happen to like. To do that I = must try to make the best use of the tools God has given me--an = inquiring intellect and some ability to teach and pass on what I've = learned. I am not ever going to be one of PTG's presidents--if the = organization was ever foolish enough to elect me they would soon learn = just how bad a job I could do in that position. Nor will I ever lead one = of the great piano manufacturing companies of the world. I can, however, = try my best to expand the theoretical knowledge base and general = awareness of how the piano works among my peers, the piano technicians I = have access to. So, it's what I do. The original motivation for this goes back to the early 1970s when it = was patiently explained to me that the only reason I (and most other = technicians of the time) couldn't get certain pianos to perform to the = standard their owners had been led to expect was because we were all = incompetent. For some time I accepted this analysis at least of my own = abilities and worked really hard to improve both my knowledge and my = skills. Eventually, though, I became convinced there were some = fundamental design issues involved in these (and most, if not all, other = contemporary) pianos. Once I reached this stage I started out in earnest = trying to unravel the 'secrets' shrouding the instrument.=20 Along the way I became convinced that our industry had reached one of = those plateaus. Actually, even then--the late 70s--the signs of decay = were evident to anyone not wanting to ignore and hide them. Most wanted = to ignore and hide them. It seemed increasingly evident to me that if we = didn't soon begin the process of taking the instrument to the next = obvious level our industry would ultimately suffer a serious decline and = quite possibly fade eventually into oblivion. No industry (or = organization, for that) can survive resting forever on its laurels and = past glories. It must continually reinvent itself or it will stagnate = itself out of existence. It also became evident that our industry was = locked into stagnation and that the established 'leaders' within the = industry were not going to hear much of anything I had to say. I was, = after all, just a piano tuner. Somewhere in there I became convinced that if there was going to be = change, it would have to demanded from the bottom up. It was not going = to come voluntarily from the top down. And even that was difficult to = get started. When I began talking about these things I felt pretty much = like a lone voice in the wilderness. There may have been others with the = same message, but I didn't know about them. And it seemed that very few = wanted to hear much of it. Back then I had to push and prod the powers = that be into giving me class time to present these topics. Once, Ernie = Juhn (of all people) came to my defense saying, "Every industry needs = its lunatic fringe--you're it for us."=20 By contrast, this year there was enough interest to attract some 50+ = potential and confirmed lunatics to an all-day presentation on the = subject. Several--Ron Nossaman, perhaps chief among them--easily qualify = for their own certificates and are expanding nicely on whatever = foundation currently exists. Progress is being made but the job is far = from finished.=20 Even the most obdurate industry watcher must now acknowledge that our = industry is in serious decline. There are many reasons for this decline. = Some are related to the social changes our world is going through and = those we are powerless, individually or collectively, to do much about. = But there are things that we can do something about. We can stop = flooding the market with obsolete, me-too pianos. We can start to design = and innovate ourselves out of stagnation instead of simply trying to = blindly market our way through. But, to get from where we are to where = we might be will not be easy. There will have to be real demand for = change--and real changes--not just the mutterings and lip service we = have today. At the same time, there will have to be some hope--and some = assurance--that such change is possible. Among other things I hope still = to show some possibilities and, if I'm lucky, to help lead us on toward = those possibilities.=20 Del, what I am about to say comes from the heart, with all the respect = and admiration for your talents and contribution. But what's in it for = you to make the sacrifice to take the time and spend the money to teach = at a convention, or even a seminar? If teaching at a convention is a = business expense, with little or no monitory benefit, why go to all the = trouble? As you said, why not find something more worth while to do? Not = that I want you to quit coming, but what's bringing you back year after = year?=20 I'm not sure I can really answer that. Hope, though, I suppose is one of = the big reasons. And desperation--I don't want to see this industry fade = into oblivion as all of the signs I see indicate is likely.=20 I do know this. Whenever I have developed a new class, I learn more = about the subject than I knew before I started. I asked my son, Chris, = who, as you know, is a partner is CPA firm, what the Anderson/Enron = debacle meant for his firm. He sent a me a long letter explaining how it = will benefit his company. He thanked me for asking, because it forced = him to write down the thoughts that had been running around in his mind. = He was able to verbalize some ideas he had about the subject. That was = important for him. I am the same way. I have ideas, but it's not until I = write them down that they make sense. Is that the way it is with you? Is = that why you continue to come up with new ideas?=20 Perhaps, though I can do that in ways that do at least have the = potential for earning me money. Yes, I really do need to get my = priorities straight. Regards, Del ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/de/99/df/48/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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