Do you play piano?

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, Gregor:
	I don't play, neither did my mentor, nor his father who was also a
tuner/technician.
	I got my start at age 38.  I did not attend a school, but learned on the
job.  When I went to college, I was going to be an engineer like my father.
I later decided it wasn't for me, so I didn't finish school.  I spent years
living as a monk (like our friend "Thump" Gordon).  Later, when I married,
I needed a vocation, so I took a correspondence course in electronics which
took 2 years to complete.  Unfortunately, employers here in San Diego
didn't think much of correspondence courses because no one would offer me a
job.  One day, out of desperation, I spied an advertisement offering an
apprenticeship to become a piano technician.  I procrastinated for a while,
but after encouragement from my new wife, went down to check it out. 
Somehow, I hit it off with the boss, and got the job.  Now, I'm 55, and
still employed  at the same store.  I get clients from referrals, so I also
have my separate business.
	I meet people often who want to become piano technicians.  Unfortunately,
there are very few opportunities for apprenticeships here.  But there are 3
or 4 fine schools now in the United States where one can get excellent
training in a full time setting.  Not to mention Randy Potter's
correspondence course, which upon graduation, one could find a job
anywhere, or become an independent technician even while taking the course.
Randy has a class on apprenticeships, which I highly reccomend.  In that
class, he outlines exactly how to make an apprenticeship work for both the
experienced technican as well as the trainee.  It is a shame that such
apprenticeships aren't widely available because they are badly needed for
new people coming in.  Your European system is not in place here.  Almost
no one goes into a business as a very young man, unless he happens to have
a father who is in the business.  Most technicians I know started later in
life.
	A very interesting topic.

	Paul McCloud, RPT
	San Dieg