To the amazing members of The Piano Technicians Guild,
Although I would not be qualified to write about tuning or
repairs, I have been a keen observer of piano technicians, specifically members
of PTG, for the past 35 years. As one of my husband-technician’s human
soundboards, I have heard a lot about the way your professional organization
makes decisions and updates itself.
I have watched you operate as a group for years myself, and in the
process I have come to admire you very much.
Even after 35 years of observing high spirited Council
discussions and reading low integrity email rants, I am fascinated with the way
your organization sifts out the things worth keeping and moves forward. There
is a “wisdom of crowds” that prevails from your midst.
Ron and I have often referred to a similar part of that process
as the wisdom of Council. Each summer, more than a hundred delegates,
representing most parts of North America, travel long distances year to sit
together and make decisions for the good of the order. I watched your Councils
vote to adopt RPT exams that have became the industry standards. I saw your
Councils wrestle with intricate ethical issues and then come up with a durable
Code of Ethics that characterizes the integrity of the group.
I watched some of your talented members develop forums to
meet their needs as college and university technicians. As the Internet
developed, these folks established the CAUT LISTSERV as a way to network with
each other more easily than before.
Others built the Pianotech LISTSERV into a fixture of the
organization as an online feature with around 1,000 subscribers.
Time and again, members have come forward to build and
improve PTG. In many organizations
members come and go, leaving it to others to do their thinking and build their
group. PTG folk keep working to make things work better, just as they keep
voicing and regulating those pianos to bring them to peak performance.
In the past few weeks since the new web developments have gone
live, I have not been disappointed in the PTG members. Once the new sites were
launched, members around the continent and beyond began to ask defining
questions and make progressive suggestions. Your group rarely moves forward without a lot of discussion
and debate. The PTG Council has
never been a place for the timid or weak of heart, and online discussion
participants have joked about the need for flame suits on a regular basis. The
past has proven, however, that a palpable wisdom rises from the messy process.
So I wait with enthusiasm to see what wonderful new
developments emerge as the membership makes the new web opportunities their
own. I have every confidence that even as you grumble and argue, these new computer
tools will spark new networking, new business opportunities, new friendships,
and new ways to find more success as piano technicians. You will examine them, tinker with them,
and figure out the best ways to use them as you do with all your new tools.
As a loyal member of your PTG Auxiliary, I salute you for
continuing to build such an inspiring and valuable organization in the world of
music. I applaud your stellar efforts, you feisty dogs.
Julie Berry
Indianapolis, IN