Please join us on Saturday, February 8 for a technical on voicing by Maria Pollock, RPT, of Chicago, Illinois.
Fee is $50 for the all day seminar.
9:00-4:00
560 Music Center on the U City campus of Washington University
560 Trinity Ave.
University city, MO 63130
Voicing - A hands-on approach to needles and chemicals
(Parts of this seminar were presented at the 2022 and 2023 National Convention)
by M. G. Pollock, RPT
Objectives
- recognize voicing issues
- demonstrate and practice mechanical and chemical voicing
- use a spectrometer app to show changes in tone
- demonstrate and practice mechanical and chemical voicing
- troubleshooting techniques & tools acquisition and maintenance
Seminar Details
This seminar will focus on practical voicing techniques and fixing errors. I will show tools and
proper technique of using voicing tools. Participants are encouraged to bring their own tools.
I am referencing the work of Jason Cassel, RPT and David M. Koenig who used spectral
analysis to make voicing changes visible.
I will also refer to the work of Dan Levitan, RPT , Steve Brady, RPT , Ken Eschete, RPT and Jim
Houston, RPT
Candy
- How do you remove a broken off needle that is stuck in the hammer?
- How do you handle an over-hardened hammer?
- How do you spot errors in rake and strike point?
- How do you fix an over-needled hammer?
- What is Steinway soft pedal voicing and how do you do it?
The seminar is divided in four 1 hour sessions
1. Measuring voicing and identifying voicing issues
2. Making hammer juices (hands-on)
3. Working with needles
4. Needing, ironing & steaming (hands-on)
About Maria G. Pollock, RPT , AWE, TEC
1999 - present
I have dabbled with pianos since a young age; I figured out how to remove keys of our victorian
upright when I was about 8 years old. If we moved the handle of the sustain lever rod just right it
would make the piano silent and my brothers and sisters furious.
I am the last student of the late Virgil Smith, RPT . Though he was a pioneer in voicing in
Chicago he did not teach me voicing. I picked up intonation skills from books, PTG classes and
discourses with other technicians. I have worked as a college technician at Elmhurst University
and own a piano service company in Chicago. In summer of 2018 I had the fortune to be part of
the Shigeru Kawai academy in Los Angeles.
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Christine Guthrie RPT
Ballwin MO
(314) 799-5570
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