[OT] Aural versus ETD tuning training

[David Andersen]

> I spend a fair amount of time educating my customers.  I don't
>mind, I think it helps my business in the long run.
>
>David Love

I absolutely agree, and have gotten great feedback from doing technical 
seminars with  Q&A at piano teacher's chapter meetings.  A lot of serious 
pianists are hungry for info, but feel ashamed to ask, because they think 
WE think they "should" know this stuff.  So I get vulnerable and 
revealing with them about my relative illiteracy regarding formal music 
theory training, and it creates an atmosphere in which they can ask 
anything, and no question is too basic or seen as "stupid."  It's great; 
they are truly grateful for the education.

I always show clients what's wrong, or what maintenance needs to be done 
(if I possibly can), rather than trying to just use words.  And, age and 
experience has given me the gift of being able to play a piano for 2-3 
minutes and then pretty exactly describe the experience, the "spielart," 
of the piano; the clients' eyes get wide when I do that; trust is locked 
in. Then I solve the problems to the best of my ability, and given the 
limit of the budget I'm working with---I make a "big, positive change" in 
the way the piano sounds and feels.

May you feel joy every day in this New Year.......

David Andersen