February: Custom Built Piano Covers - Guye Janssens
February Chapter Meeting and Technical
Happy New Year, and welcome back! This month’s meeting will take place on Zoom, in expectation of inclement weather.
Presented by Guye (Guye (Ghee) Janssens of Instrument Covers II, we will learn not only how to order piano and string covers, but also about the many available fabrics and other options (such as embroidery) that will help make your clients’ pianos stand out while being well-protected. This is a rare glimpse into an adjacent industry to our own.
Founded by her parents 45 years ago, Guye has run the business for the past 19 years and every cover is still sewn with her own hands. As a family operation, her two daughters also help with the process and managment in their farmhouse garage workshop. Their impressive list of customers includes: dealers, music venues, touring artists, universities, manufacturers, the US military, other government organizations, and last but not least - the individual piano technician.
6:30pm-7:00pm: Business Meeting
7:00pm-8:00pm: Technical Presentation
March: Premium Service for Regular Pianos (grands) - Cy Shuster
March Chapter Meeting and technical
We welcome back Cy Shuster, RPT, to present the second half of his class, Premium Service for Regular Pianos (Grands). Last September we enjoyed his Uprights version of the class, and now we follow up with the grand piano.
The goal of this technical is to help provide a substantial benefit to the customer by correcting the most common regulation issues efficiently, in the field, with minimal equipment and time. Adding this to a normal tuning results in more complete service.
5:00-6:00pm: Dinner
6:00-6:30pm: Business Meeting
6:30pm: Technical Presentation
[schedule subject to change]
April: Aural Gauge Tools - Maggie Jusiel
April Chapter Meeting and technical
”Aural Gauge Tools”
Presented by Maggie Jusiel of Chapters 240 Roanoke, VA and 251 West Virginia
The beginning of the class will be a review of the harmonic series, inharmonicity, and wide vs narrow intervals. To understand this, the prerequisites are to understand major scales, intervals, the circle of fifths, inversions, beats, and why we temper. That won't be covered because of the time limit, and there needs to be a basic understanding of what will be reviewed. The main part of the class will cover how aural gauge tools (aka checks) work, and will share over twenty variations of these. Everything can be demonstrated on a piano.
Visiting our Chapter all the way from West Virginia, aural instructor at the Butler School of Piano Technology, and a PTG Certified Tuning Examiner, we are excited to host Maggie Jusiel for our April technical. Exact schedule TBA.
5:30-8:30pm – Food, Business Meeting, and Technical
May: Super Saturday with Jason Cassel
Special Event: All day classes with Jason Cassel!
Time, Location, Classes, Food, all to be announced. Meanwhile…
The Washington DC Chapter is excited to host a day of engaging classes with well-known instructor Jason Cassel, who will visit all the way from Salt Lake City. We welcome everyone to participate. There will be a fee to help cover the cost of provided food. There will be 4 class sessions of approximately 90 minutes each, with breaks between.
Save the date on your calendars, and please get in touch if you would like to attend. <email contact coming soon>
May: Chapter Business Meeting by Zoom
November Chapter Meeting
This month we have our special all-day technical with Jason Cassel on the previous Saturday, so we will hold our usual business meeting at the usual time, but via Zoom.
November: Tax Planning is Prosperity Planning - Daniel Haubert
November Chapter Meeting and technical
“Tax Planning is Prosperity Planning”
presented by Daniel Haubert of Chapter 170 South Central PA
Daniel Haubert will be presenting on the various ways that income is taxed by the IRS, the various categories that your business can be classified, and all of the consequences for each classification. Knowing which classification is the best for you can springboard you toward a prosperous future.
4:00-5:30pm: Pre-meeting technical workshop (see previous event)
5:30-6:00pm: Dinner and Social time
6:00-6:15pm: Review participants’ solutions from workshop
6:15-6:45pm: Business Meeting (with food)
6:45-8:00pm: Technical
This is our last meeting for the year. Happy Holidays!
Regulation Workshop: Testing All Levels
Just before our November chapter meeting, we are hosting a hands-on grand and vertical regulation workshop. Everyone is welcome - You don’t need to be a PTG member to participate.
This workshop is designed to help the beginner, and also to challenge the experienced. There is something for everyone! Tools will be provided.
Station 1: Apprentice’s Workbench
You will learn the nomenclature, how to play the key to isolate different regulation components, and how to set basic aspects of regulation. If understanding the action is confusing, this is the station for you.
Station 2: Setting Specs
Practice refining various aspects of regulation. Whether that’s nailing aftertouch or setting repetition lever height, this station is designed to test your regulating skills, but without a customer standing over your shoulder.
Station 3: Mysterious Symptoms
Translate confusing customer complaints into a real-world diagnosis and solutions. At this station, you will be challenged with multiple customer complaints, and must determine what is the problem, cause, and solution. Write your analysis anonymously on a provided card, and we’ll explore what the group came up with right before our business meeting.
Setup is from 4:00-4:30pm, and you may arrive early in this time to get an early jump on the stations, or to help out.
October: Teachers: Your Most Important Clients - Joyce Meekins & Russel Hilderbrand
Location: Steinway Piano Gallery
11611 Old Georgetown Rd
North Bethesda, MD 20852
5:30-6:30 - Pizza
6:30-7:00 PM- Business Meeting
7:00 -Presentation by Joyce Meekins, RPT, and Russell Hilderbrand, RPT
“Teachers: Your Most Important Clients”
Description: Teachers' recommendations can be the foundation of a successful piano service business. A productive working relationship comes with understanding the unique requirements of the teacher’s piano. Issues of scheduling, education, communication, and technical requirements will be covered. Learn how to locate music teachers and associations, and market yourself to them.
Will be streamed on Zoom. Link emailed to chapter.
September: Premium Service for Regular Pianos (uprights) - Cy Shuster
Location: Orpheus Music
8075 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182
Presentation by Cy Shuster
”Premium Service for Regular Pianos (Uprights)”
Goal: To provide a substantial benefit to the customer by correcting the most common regulation issues efficiently, in the field, with minimal equipment and time. Adding this to a normal tuning results in more complete service.
August: Convention Review
Location: Jordan-Kitts Fairfax
8500 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22031
Yearly check-in! Reno Convention attendees will share the latest from our organization: classes, events, tools, new resources, and the latest upcoming developments.
5:30pm - refreshments
6:30pm - business meeting
7:00pm - technical meeting
Zoom Meeting to discuss Convention Agenda
Check Member section or your emails for Zoom details
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Chevy Chase Community Library
8005 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
“June Meeting and Social”
Time to celebrate with food and fellowship - including awards, fun with a new Jeopardy challenge, and the induction of new board members to bring this year to a close
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Chevy Chase Community Library (lower level)
8005 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
“Center Pin Extravaganza” -
Work stations on all aspects of center pinning followed by a presentation on the topic
4:00-4:30 Set-up (we can always use some help)
4:30-5:30 Center Pin Stations (hands-on)
5:30-6:00 Pizza and Social time
6:00-6:30 Business Meeting
6:30-7:30 Technical Presentation on Center Pins (Sofia de la Péna and Robin Olson)
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Orpheus Music
8075 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182
Presentation by Robin Whitehouse
“Hearing Conservation for the Piano Tuner: A Healthy Lifestyle”
A primer on hearing conservation designed specifically for the piano tuner. Explores the social, medical, and personal risks and impacts of hearing loss, with a practical approach to knowingly combat noise induced hearing loss in your life. Conservation methods illustrated through relevant sound physics and hearing function, and the correct recommended exposure limits (OSHA is very wrong!)
This technical will explore the following:
• Hearing loss general information
• How the ear works, and how NIHL (noise induced hearing loss) works
• How hearing loss impacts lives
• How sound works (as applicable to listening as a piano tuner)
• Exposure - safe doses, measuring it, metrics in daily life and piano tuning
• Practical solutions for protecting your hearing
As piano technicians, we rely on our hearing for more than just tuning; we also need it to make tonal adjustments, to manage squeaks and creaks, to identify compromised action parts, and even for sub-conscious senses that we rely upon in every moment – such as directionality. Conserving our hearing is not only a requirement to continue delivering professional service, but it enables us to continue enjoying the full articulation of music and to remain engaged and present in our own lives.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Steinway Gallery - North Bethesda
11611 Old Georgetown Rd, Rockville, MD 20852
Technical Program by Justin Holcomb
“Intuitive Touch Regulation”
“I have found that teaching Piano Technology is a great passion. Years of concert work/ rebuilding has prepared me for it. Which is why I will always keep one foot in teaching and one foot working the field.”
Wed, February 14, 2024 - Zoom
Look for the Zoom link in the email newsletter or look in the Member Section of this website.
6:30-7:00 Business Meeting
7:00-8:30 Technical presentation
Rick Butler, RPT - “Advanced Regulation Skills” - Action alignment and the Compound Movement of Angled Hammers
October 11, 2023
Date: Wednesday, October 11
Time: 4:30-8:00 pm
4:30-6:00 Mini-Competency Playground
6:00 - 7:00 Food and Business Meeting
7:00 - Technical - "Full Day Service in the Home"
Ashley Turner, RPT, Matthew Pearson, RPT, and Joyce Meekins, RPT will discuss their approaches to going above and beyond the routine service appointment in their full day service option. A roundtable discussion will continue on the topic after these presentations.