Receptiveness of teachers at school.

[Michael Magness]

On Jan 31, 2008 6:26 AM, <david at piano.plus.com> wrote:

> I don't tout for schools  work, but I do one school regularly, and have
> occasional calls to do stuff in other schools.
>
> I must say I  do find  that it can be a struggle to get much in the way of
>  civil conversation out of secondary (high school) teachers.  When I
> address a remark to them,I've felt sometimes that it's as if the geranium
> spoke.
>
> This amuses me a bit,for I am a teacher too, registered with the same
> regulatory  bodies. But because I work in the tertiary (Community College)
> sector, I get paid around $3000 per annum more than the high school
> teachers!
>
> Best regards,
>
> David.
>
> >>Apparently all school districts are not like this.
>
> No they aren't. The more urban the school, the more inane the hoops you
> have
> to jump through. Personally, I don't need the work. I tune for a handful
> of
> rural schools that haven't gone crazy yet and still treat me like a
> professional. As long as there are tuners out there willing to jump
> through
> the hoops of insanity they'll keep upping the ante. Me, I don't need it.
>
> Dean
>
> Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
>
> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
>
> Terre Haute IN  47802
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
> Behal
>
>  List:
>
> At the school district where I tune, by the time I arrive there the
> pianos are in such bad shape that the teachers make all the students
> leave me alone so I can work in order that they can have a tuned and
> working piano. In other words, they, so far, have treated me like royalty
> and they respect me enough to make sure I can provide them with a good
> instrument. I feel like they are giving me the red carpet treatment when
> I go there. Apparently all school districts are not like this.
>
> Martin Wisenbaker, RPT
> Houston, Texas
>
>
>
>
>
I've found it depends on the attitude/personality of the instructor. I dealt
with one guy for 14 years who just didn't respect what I did, just
considered me a necessary evil and treated me almost as an enemy at times.
He was also a very disorganized individual and not a pianist but rather a
guitarist who had learned enough piano to get through school. His wife was
an excellent pianist and went to Austria each summer to further her studies.
He "burned out" after 14 years. The instructor now, I have known since she
was a college student and is very much a pianist, rather demanding for a
high school environment but agreeably so.
I have another school I tune for with an equally demanding
pianist/instructor however she doesn't have the budget to afford her needs!
The superintendant of that district is a former elementary school music
teacher who went into administration and worked his way through college
doing shop work for a piano technician, key bushings, repinning actions etc.
Despite this that district has the worst piano budget of any I've ever
worked for! Go figure!

Both of the School Districts mentioned above are large districts drawing on
a large rural and military population, they're only 15 miles apart, 2 small
towns of about 3500 to 4000 each but the hub of their respective areas. Each
have 6 to 8 grade schools that feed into a central middle school which feeds
into a central high school. Both have bult new schools, added additions to
schools and expanded the existing high schools several times.

I have found the students at both to be friendly, helpful and intelligent,
at least the music students who are the students I come into contact with. I
don't get "special treatment" but I am treated well by the intructors and
they try to keep the students out when I'm working. I use the 20db earplugs
from Pianotek which also helps.
I recall years ago in a small clinic seeing a sign on the darkroom saying
"please keep the door closed or you'll let the dark out". I've considered
making a sign to put on practice romm doors "Please keep the door closed,
you'll let my concentration out!". I just haven't done it, yet!

Mike
-- 
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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