somewhat OT- Acquiring Education -- was Re: who pays?

[Michael Magness]

On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 1:06 PM, Willem Blees <wimblees at aol.com> wrote:

> Ron
>
> The Hawaii chapter has been meeting every other month since I got here last
> year, (The first time ever that it has ben meeting on a regular basis), but
> there are only 6 of us who attend meetings. I talked with one non-member the
> other day, and he basically stated that at his stage of development, (about
> the same as yours and mine), he really doesn't need to come to meetings to
> learn. I have been thinking of putting together a newsletter to send out to
> all the tuners on the island, (about 20 of them), to encourage them to come
> to meetings. I want to ask permission to use what you just said. Maybe it
> will encourage some of them to realize the importance of learning.
>
> On a similar note, just before he died at the age of 86, I asked my dad if
> he had any regrets. His answer was. "I've got so much more to learn".
>
> Wim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 7:00 am
> Subject: Re: somewhat OT- Acquiring Education -- was Re: who pays?
>
>   > I guess that's the difference when you really LEARN something. You >
> never forget it.
> > > JF
>
> That's why I don't understand the people who don't read the list unless
> they want a specific answer, and don't seem concerned as to why things work
> like they do. There has been a bunch of times something I read here saved my
> butt years after I read it, when I had no earthly use for it at the time.
> People mostly seem to want isolated lick and stick factoids, specific to the
> crisis du jour and expiring on application, rather than long term integrated
> systems of basic principles applicable to almost anything. Handing them a
> "what" may solve their current problem, but if they care enough to bother to
> work out the "why", they can avert a thousand future problems and get into
> trouble at much higher and more interesting levels than before.
>
> "What you have been obliged to discover by yourself leaves a path in your
> mind which you can use again when the need arises"
> --- G. C. Lichtenberg ---
>
> "It is little short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have
> not already completely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry"
> --- Albert Einstein ---
>
> Off to turn over a few rocks,
> Ron N
>  ------------------------------
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Hi Wim,

I have a story and a couple of observations that you can add to your
arsenal. I am fast approaching my 40th year in this profession my
ex-stepfather, also a tech has been at it for 66 years. I had occasion to
call him not long ago about a job I was going to be doing and any insights
he could offer. During the conversation we discussed my having more to learn
and he assured me that he still was learning and looking forward to learning
more, the man turned 86 in May.

My story is a personal one. About a dozen or so years ago at our pre-meeting
lunch we were discussing, of all things, pianos!<g>
A young man across the table from related that on his final tuning the
previous day a key had cracked, at the balance rail window, just as he was
about to finish his tuning. I said "so you had to glue, put veneer on it and
clamp it and make an appointment to return"? He said "no, I asked if they
had any strapping tape, glued it, taped it back together, put it back in the
piano and used it to finish tuning that note".
I had not been aware until then of the use or value of strapping or UPS
clear box tape as a clamp. I have used this invaluable tool numerous times
since, in fact I carry a small roll with me in case it isn't available in
the home/school/church.

My point is had I not gone to the meeting and had lunch with him I probably
wouldn't be aware of it today!

Of course, this is only one of many things that I have picked up at
meetings, lunches etc. over the years. Similar to Ron I read many of the
posts on the list acquiring new techniques and knowledge about things that I
find myself using months or years later.

Mike
-
I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about his work.
Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never achieve anything
worthwhile.
Walter Chrysler



Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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