Teaching Tuning

[Paul McCloud]

If anyone is even thinking to train an apprentice, he or she would be well
advised to contact Randy Potter, who has very good advice in this area.  I
once attended a class on this subject taught by him.  Even though at the
time I wasn't thinking of doing this, I realized he had some very good
ideas to share from his experience.  This might be a side topic from
teaching tuning, but it is very appropriate here.  Randy made a plan to
receive compensation from his trainees which entailed paying them according
to their expertise in a particular task.  As they advanced in skills, over
time, he would pay them progressively more, thus enabling him to profit
while they learned.  This would take place over a long period of time, even
a few years.  Otherwise, you will lose time better spent actually making
money.  You may find that after you begin sending them out to cover for a
tuning you can't do, the customer may decide to keep this new guy.  Maybe
he'll charge less, and you'll lose customers to him.  It's a good idea to
think carefully before going this route.  As Randy pointed out, many
technicians have tried to mentor somebody, just to find out later that they
regretted it, and became bitter about the experience.
FWIW,
Paul McCloud, RPT
San Diego

Paul McCloud
Service Technician for PianoSD.com
www.pianoservsd.com 
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> [Original Message]
> From: Tom Sivak <tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net>
> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 09/16/2008 7:34:45 PM
> Subject: Re: Teaching Tuning
>
> JFTR, I didn't just abandon the kid.  I tried to steer him in the right
directions, including telling him about CSPT (since we're here in Chicago)
and recommending he join the PTG.   He actually went to one of the First
Tuesday classes (which the Chicago Chapter holds for Associates).  
>
> He either has no money or is not interested in investing any towards the
goal of learning to tune a piano.  He's a Theory and Composition major at a
local college, so this may just be an "area of interest" to him, rather
than a possible profession.
>
> I probably learned as much as from him as he did from me.   At least now
I know that teaching this stuff ain't for me!  I'll leave it to the
professionals.
>
> Tom Sivak
>
>
>
> --- On Wed, 9/17/08, paulrevenkojones at aol.com <paulrevenkojones at aol.com>
wrote:
>
> > From: paulrevenkojones at aol.com <paulrevenkojones at aol.com>
> > Subject: Re: Teaching Tuning
> > To: pianotech at ptg.org
> > Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 12:30 AM
> > Sure. The more professional schools, the better.
> > 
> > P
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jean and David Weiss <djweiss at ntelos.net>
> > To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org>
> > Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 7:01 pm
> > Subject: RE: Teaching Tuning
> > 
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> > And the University of Western Ontario!!!
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> > David Weiss
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> > From:
> > pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> > [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> > paulrevenkojones at aol.com
> > 
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 6:49 PM
> > 
> > To: tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net; pianotech at ptg.org
> > 
> > Subject: Re: Teaching Tuning
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> > ?
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> > CSPT (Chicago
> > School for Piano Technology)!? NBSS (North Bennett Street
> > School)! 
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> > Yup, it's difficult. You can find our entire curriculum
> > out on our website,
> > Tom. It's taken years to develop, and we're not
> > done, ever.? While you're
> > there, take a look at the graduates page, see what
> > they're doing after one year
> > of training.
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> > Paul
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> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > 
> > From: Tom Sivak <tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net>
> > 
> > To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
> > 
> > Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 5:24 pm
> > 
> > Subject: Teaching Tuning
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> > I have a new-found respect for those of you who teach
> > others to tune.? I took on 
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> > a student, albeit a not-too-serious one, this summer.? I
> > have taught piano for 
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> > nearly 20 years, I used to teach college level music
> > theory; I thought I could 
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> > be a good tuner-teacher, too.?? Not so.? Knowing what
> > you're doing doesn't 
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> > necessarily make you able to teach that to others.
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> > My theory, as to why this was so difficult for me, is that
> > I basically taught 
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> > myself how to do all this stuff.? Sure, I had tutoring
> > sessions with various 
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> > RPTs here in my area, but for the most part, I read, I
> > watched others 
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> > critically, I attended all the PTG meetings and Institutes
> > I could, and I bought 
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> > old junker pianos and regulated, reconditioned, and
> > partially rebuilt them.? 
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> > I didn't really do it all by myself, but there was no
> > curriculum I followed, nor 
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> > any logical course of action other than trying to absorb
> > everything that came my 
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> > So when it came time to pass this knowledge down, I had no
> > idea how to form 
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> > basic lesson plans that progressed from one step to
> > another, or create aural 
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> > tuning exercizes to help this youngster learn how to tune.?
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> > Perhaps a more serious student might have made me feel a
> > little better about the 
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> > job I did, but I don't blame the student.? I think
> > I'm just no good at it.? I 
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> > don't foresee taking on any other students in the
> > future.
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> > No response necessary from anyone on this post.? Just
> > wanted to express my 
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> > gratitude to those who helped me get a start, and my
> > admiration for those of you 
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> > who have the talent to teach others.
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> > Tom Sivak
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