COMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER – This month's meeting is Thursday, November 15th at 8:30am. It will be held at David and Barbara Bonham's home at Ski Island, 10717 Eastlake Circle.
Directions: From the intersection of Hefner & MacArthur, go south to the first street and turn right, then take the very next right turn, go to the end of the block. You’ll see the cars. Their # is 721-0566 if you get lost, but you won’t.
Technical:
David will be bringing in a Bergman Grand in that the customer was complaining about a heavy feel difficult to play. Further inspection revealed a touch weight as much as 80 grams. Evaluating, correcting and the decision making process will be discussed. The Thursday session of TSA by Soliday and Martinelli was on this very subject. It was a real mind expander to say the least. David purchased the tools used and will be demonstrating them as well.
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One way to make sure crime doesn’t pay is to let government run it. Ronald Reagan
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Bob Scheer, RPT
Edmond, OK
As the story goes, the actor, Gregory Peck went to a posh LA restaurant with a friend one evening. Apparently they arrived at a busy time, and there were no tables available. After a considerably long wait, Peck’s friend said “they obviously don’t know that they have such a famous actor in their midst, maybe if you’ll go tell them, they will seat us first. Mr. Peck wisely replied, If you have to tell them “you are”, then “you aren’t”.
In the highly competitive world we live in, many of us are motivated by the need for wealth, power, and recognition. Although I see nothing wrong with these aspirations, to a point, I have yet to meet anyone who wanted to be rich and famous that ever felt like they reached a point that they were rich and famous enough. It seems to me to be an insatiable quest.
For me personally, those who have been the most influential in my life have been underpaid, overworked and at times the least appreciated. My parents, teachers, and ministers all fall into these categories, yet they will be remembered the most. These are the GIVERS of the world!
Thanksgiving is the time for thanking the Givers. Why not take a little time to thank those who have made our way of life possible.
Happy Thanksgiving! See you at the next meeting. Bob
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Health nuts are going to feel pretty stupid someday lying in the hospital dying of nothing. Redd Fox
I made $200 a week and had to buy my own bullets. Jackie Gleason
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TSA has come and gone
1 Big THANK YOU to all who helped and/or supported our hosting of the 2007 TSA Annual Convention. The classes were very good, the weather was beautiful, the food was delicious and the entertainment was enjoyed by all. The number of paying attenders was not as high as desired so there was a financial loss to the TSA kitty. But on the heels of the big 50th Annual National Convention only 5 hours northeast of here I think we did alright. It was a challenging time for many of us who were involved, but with teamwork and a helping-out attitude we managed to host a very good seminar. We even gained a new Associate member to our chapter. Welcome Billy Casas from Rose, Oklahoma.
I want to thank several individuals in our area for their hard work and support.
Norman Cantrell, SCRVP – should receive much of the credit for his wealth of knowledge and work on the brochure, mailing and seminar details and as liason with the TSA Board and for teaching a couple of classes in the midst of all that and providing so much of the stuff needed for the pace classes.
Keith McGavern - for tuning the piano for the banquet and for chronicling the whole event through video and for chronicling the whole event through video and still photography and making all that available to view on the website www.ptg.org/chapters/oklahoma
Nathan Sobel - for putting together the Oklahoma tourism packets for registration, arranging for the Jazz Choir to sing at the banquet and for providing some great piano music during our banquet meal and for loaning the piano tilter for the class.
Dale Probst - for teaching one of the classes and being our National President.
Liz Ward – for tutoring at OCU, playing cello at the Sunday morning chapel and for calmly knitting in the midst of much activity and chaos.
Jamie Marks – for teaching class and exhibiting for Mason Hamlin in spite of the sadness of the death of his father-in-law on Saturday night and for providing us the opportunity of helping move one of the heaviest pianos on the planet.
Albert Evans – for providing (through the labor of Greg Cochran{thanks Greg}) 2 upright classroom pianos and the baby grand for the banquet.
David & Barbara Bonham – for moving 3 pianos in from Larsen’s and Edmond Music, and for teaching a great class on piano moving and for providing the goodies in the hospitality suite and the compressor for class.
Blane Morris, Eric Williams, Jordan Bruce, for helping with those piano moves.
Bob Scheer – for his financial donation to the cause when he wasn’t able to attend and for his arrangements that made the OCU tour and tutoring sessions possible.
Mike Gilliam – for providing 3 pianos from Larsen’s and Edmond Music.
Greg Anderson, Eric Williams, Jordan Bruce, Nathan Sobel, Billy Casas, Blane Morris – for attending classes and increasing the knowledge base of the Associate members in our chapter.
I’m sure I left off someone or something, but know that I appreciate all the help that everyone gave to this final TSA conference (since the members voted to rename the organization South Central Regional Conference). I think you can look forward to going to San Antonio next year for the first SCRC.
Thanks again.
Gary Bruce, RPT
2007 TSA Seminar Director
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I’m an overnight success but it took me 20 years. Monty Hall
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The Bizarre Files ----- I sometimes help David Bonham on some moving jobs if Barbara is not available or what is needed is brawn instead of brain. One morning I got an early call from them about a square grand that had to be moved by 10AM that morning because of an eviction notice. I got there a few minutes early and a little old lady who resembled Mrs. Doubtfire came out and looked at me very suspiciously and then went back inside locking the door behind her. I acted as nonchalant and uncriminal as possible as I paced back and forth whistling pop tunes. David showed up a few minutes later and informed me that there had been a drug bust the night before in this house and the occupants were in jail and apparently Mrs. Doubtfire was the grandmother. She turned out to be a sweet lady who had just been through a horrific ordeal.
As soon as we went inside the stench was almost unbearable and trash was everywhere. The cops basically overturned everything and threw it in the floor along with X-rated videos dirty pictures and animal feces. David was in the other room talking with the lady and I was supposed to get things cleared from our path. It was so disgusting I just started tossing things across the room just like the cops did. David came around the corner just in time to see me grab the antique piano stool and midget toss it across the room crashing on piles of trash. You should have seen the look on his face! All I could think of was something like,”you ain’t got no legs lieutenant Dan.” We got the piano out and loaded, and learned later that she had lost her husband a few years before to alcoholism and her grandchildren took advantage of her and were now in jail, and her great grandchildren taken from her.
Whenever things get tough or I become impatient with life I think of this little old lady and realize,--- I am pretty fortunate! We need to be thankful for what we have. ...Editor
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Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. Remember? Gregory Peck
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house. George Carlin
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As of this date 10/8/2007 the Oklahoma Chapter website has had hits from the following locations:
Chicago, IL – Oklahoma City, OK – Chula Vista, CA – Portland, OR – Kingfisher, OK – Plano, TX – Nashville, TN – Garland, TX – Georgetown, TX – Tempe, AR – Tulsa, OK – Brossard, Quebec, Canada – Albuquerque, NM – Bloomington, IL – Hartford, CT – Edmond, OK – Waco, TX – Downey, CA – Aurora, CO – Wichita Falls, TX – Los Angeles, CA – Austin, TX – Carbondale, IL – Philadelphia, PE – Dallas, TX – New York, NY – Las Cruces, NM
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I highly encourage all members of the Oklahoma Chapter to read two (2) articles in the November 2007 Piano Technicians Journal:
1) Which Direction do You Insert a Mute? (Tips Tools & Techniques, P8)
2) Tone Production by the Pianist (Q&A Roundtable, p 10-13)
Keith McGavern, RPT
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President – Bob Scheer
Vice President – David Bonham
Secretary – Jordan Bruce
Treasurer – Gary Bruce
Newsletter Editor – Blane Morris
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“All expression of opinion and all statements of supposed fact are published on the authority of the author as listed and are not to be regarded as expressing the view of this chapter or the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc. unless such statements or opinions have been adopted by the chapter or the Piano Technicians Guild, Inc.”
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