Richard: so I was thinking about this, too.
The Tuners’ Journals I scanned from that time don't mention much about piano tuning in the South: few guild members and few piano manufacturers south of Baltimore.
We know that the popularity of pianos in American homes outpaced the number of trained technicians. Hence, the rise of the itinerant piano tuner, and "fakers" which drew criticism from the national guilds.
The majority of piano tuning students at Shenandoah were trained musicians and teachers. Presumably, by 1914, Albert Hall would have been using Oliver Faust's material, since he was a student of the Faust School in New York. I know Braid-White's books were used for the Piano Technology curriculum here in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Kate Redding
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-14-2023 11:03
From: Richard West
Subject: UPDATE: Shenandoah's Piano Tuning Yearbook
Kate,
Great work! Beautiful publication/history. It piques my curiosity about that early 20th century era. A lot of big names in piano tuning. Braid-White and others. A lot of piano production. A lot of piano factories. But I hardly know anything about piano tuning, and piano tuning instruction/schools. I wonder what other schools there were and what textbooks (if any) they used, especially before Braid-White's book. Probably the early piano tuner publications/journals would have answers to my questions. Interesting history. And evidently Shenandoah was a leader. Thanks for your good work!!
Richard West
Original Message:
Sent: 7/14/2023 8:27:00 AM
From: Kate Redding
Subject: UPDATE: Shenandoah's Piano Tuning Yearbook
I am excited to share my research on piano tuning at the Shenandoah School of Music and Shenandoah Conservatory, 1904 to 1992. I was surprised to uncover information on Shenandoah's early piano tuning department in rural Virginia during the height of American piano manufacturing.
Initially conceived as a CAUT webinar, or article, my retrospective takes the shape of Shenandoah's yearbook, Zynodoa, and includes archival images, information, and lighthearted homages.
A hardbound copy will be available to browse at the PTG Foundation Exhibit at the 2023 Convention: Represent Our Trade. I invite you to stop by and explore the many good works of your PTG Foundation.
A free online edition of Zynodoa can be accessed on Issuu by following this link to Shenandoah's news page.
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Kate Redding
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