After 25 years I have decided to leave my position as the sole piano technician at the University of Illinois School of Music. With 210 pianos and the aid of 2 contract tuners doing 170 tunings per year, the workload stress finally became untenable. I simply had neither the time nor the resources to perform the level of work that was appropriate for a school of the caliber of UI. I will continue in piano work, building on my current private work in the area, possibly starting a local rebuilding shop. At this point it is uncertain whether the school will even do a search for a full-time replacement, choosing to rely on contract tuning for the majority of the work.
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John Minor
University of Illinois
jminor@illinois.edu------------------------------