Pianotech

Thanks, Wim. This is not for a customer. Pianos that I own and will be selling. Strictly on an as-needed basis. College age with no previous manual experience that I know of.

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. Wim, I have to say I've been called a lot of things but never "Edward". I'll put that on the list.

To answer your questions: Every once in a great while, I run across a serious jazz pianist who asks me to show them a few things. This is for their personal survival playing in venues that supply a piano that may have issues. How the damper pedal works and how to adjust it. How to hear and tweek a unison. How to take off the fall board. I'm doing that now with a very talented player who's teaching and gigging. He's not an apprentice and is looking for some functional information and experience. I don't know if he will pursue the technical end, but my experience is that this is as far as they want to take it. I'm hiring him to help me around the shop on an as needed basis for things I don't think will get screwed up. I'll be in the shop to supervise.

I don't take on apprentices. There are schools for that and there is a much more organized way of teaching than I am capable of. I wish more players would take the time to actually learn about the history and mechanics of the instrument they play. 

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Stewart,

I once put together a nice PowerPoint lecture for piano majors and gave it at a university (CSUN) about just this; what musicians need to know about pianos.  I even included a brief encouragement to consider piano technology as a career.

It was well received, but I tried to promote it and market it, even when  offered for free to every university and college and music teacher in my region, but I go no takers.

Apparently the music professors are too plugged into their set class schedules and agendas to take time out for a guest lecture.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. Wim, I have to say I've been called a lot of things but never "Edward". I'll put that on the list.

To answer your questions: Every once in a great while, I run across a serious jazz pianist who asks me to show them a few things. This is for their personal survival playing in venues that supply a piano that may have issues. How the damper pedal works and how to adjust it. How to hear and tweek a unison. How to take off the fall board. I'm doing that now with a very talented player who's teaching and gigging. He's not an apprentice and is looking for some functional information and experience. I don't know if he will pursue the technical end, but my experience is that this is as far as they want to take it. I'm hiring him to help me around the shop on an as needed basis for things I don't think will get screwed up. I'll be in the shop to supervise.

I don't take on apprentices. There are schools for that and there is a much more organized way of teaching than I am capable of. I wish more players would take the time to actually learn about the history and mechanics of the instrument they play. 

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. Wim, I have to say I've been called a lot of things but never "Edward". I'll put that on the list.

To answer your questions: Every once in a great while, I run across a serious jazz pianist who asks me to show them a few things. This is for their personal survival playing in venues that supply a piano that may have issues. How the damper pedal works and how to adjust it. How to hear and tweek a unison. How to take off the fall board. I'm doing that now with a very talented player who's teaching and gigging. He's not an apprentice and is looking for some functional information and experience. I don't know if he will pursue the technical end, but my experience is that this is as far as they want to take it. I'm hiring him to help me around the shop on an as needed basis for things I don't think will get screwed up. I'll be in the shop to supervise.

I don't take on apprentices. There are schools for that and there is a much more organized way of teaching than I am capable of. I wish more players would take the time to actually learn about the history and mechanics of the instrument they play. 

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

I'm not a legal expert and I don't know all the fine details of this situation, so I'm not claiming anything about this specific case, but I feel compelled to say a few words in case others find this and are considering doing something similar.

Be extremely careful with this type of thing. Every state has different laws about unpaid internship/apprenticeship and you (generic "you" not specifically you Alan) should familiarize yourself with them before taking one on, including probably consulting with a lawyer.

Most states will probably classify this person legally as an employee (no set curriculum, no school credit, coming in regularly every week, providing work at a quality that clients will pay for/generates revenue for the business, etc). 

Misclassification of an employee as an unpaid intern/apprentice, even if you have a formal contract agreement with the person, is a serious offense with steep fees and owed back-pay. An employee must receive your state's minimum wage monetarily at the lowest end, and "other forms of compensation" just don't cut it from a legal standpoint.

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan

Thanks for this perspective, Matthew.

i guess if Stewart was rebuilding his piano on spec and eventually sold it for a profit, your legal cautions could apply.

Best,

Alan

I'm not a legal expert and I don't know all the fine details of this situation, so I'm not claiming anything about this specific case, but I feel compelled to say a few words in case others find this and are considering doing something similar.

Be extremely careful with this type of thing. Every state has different laws about unpaid internship/apprenticeship and you (generic "you" not specifically you Alan) should familiarize yourself with them before taking one on, including probably consulting with a lawyer.

Most states will probably classify this person legally as an employee (no set curriculum, no school credit, coming in regularly every week, providing work at a quality that clients will pay for/generates revenue for the business, etc). 

Misclassification of an employee as an unpaid intern/apprentice, even if you have a formal contract agreement with the person, is a serious offense with steep fees and owed back-pay. An employee must receive your state's minimum wage monetarily at the lowest end, and "other forms of compensation" just don't cut it from a legal standpoint.

Wim,

When my private students matriculate from paying me for instruction to doing shop work tuition-free with the crew, they are not working for free. There are different forms of compensation. Money is one. Top drawer instruction and inclusion in a tight knit, mutually supportive community of up-and-coming piano technicians are others.

We affectionately called the training that takes place with me at CalArts as a "combat apprenticeship." There is no curriculum. Everyone tries their hand at tuning, learns to fix broken strings when they break and learns to clean pianos.

Everything else is dependent entirely on what comes our way on a given day. Although this may sound haphazard, it has proven quite effective, with the vast majority of my trainees becoming lead and supporting technicians at music schools and piano stores, and having very successful private businesses. Several have become RPT's, and one just passed all his tests at examiner level.

Alan

Alan

You have a very good argument to get students to work for free. But I presume you are set up as a "school", with some sort of curriculum, where the students go through a step by step process to learn the craft. From what I understand, Edward is hiring one person to work on his own piano. In the process this person is  only learning a few skills at a time to get a piano ready for sale. There is no set of instructions. Just a job here and there, as needed. Even if Edwards keeps him/her after this project is completed, and is hired for other projects, it's still not a controlled on-going path towards becoming a piano tuner. I think that needs to be taken into consideration. 

I would like to echo and underscore the point just made by David Weiss.

in order for someone to understand why they would not be paid because they have no skills to bring to the party, you might consider advertising the position as tuition free training in piano technology. Assuming that you are a solid tech and have a passion for teaching, this would be a great opportunity for someone interested in entering our profession. (And I can assure you that there are burgeoning numbers of folks out there taking a hard look at piano technology as a desirable career path.)

If you can get the attention of people interested in learning our craft specifically, this could work out.

My own private students pay me to teach them piano tech. Once they have skills to contribute, and have demonstrated their ability to learn and be a functional member of a team, I allow them to work with my crew, tuition free. If they continue to develop, be productive, and otherwise be part of the rising tide that floats all boats, then, and only then, does the money start flowing in the other direction. 

You may think that this advice is worth about what you paid for it, which is nothing. But this model has worked for me successfully after over 40 years of training the next generation of piano technicians.

Good luck, and please keep us posted as to how this works out for you.

Best,

Alan