October 2014
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October 2014 Meet the Honorary Member Malcolm McKeand A Life Remembered — Francis “Frank” Evans Precision Tools from Gavin Hartley PTA/Yamaha Day/The Piano Workshop Reigate 2 CONTENTS Editorial — 4 President Writes — 5 Membership News — 6 Gavin Hartley, Precision Tool Engineer — 8 Student Mentoring Scheme — 9 Meet the Council — 10 Obituary — 12 Students’ Pages — 14 Classical Music is Taking Over the World — 17 PTA Yamaha Training Day — 20 Images from Piano History — No 2 — 21 Meet the Honorary Member — 22 Council Report — 26 Wanted: Testimonials — 26 PTA Diary — 27 To advertise in PTA News, at very reasonable rates, please contact: Tania Staite, Flat 8, Deepdene, 15 Streatham Common Northside, London, SW16 3HQ. Email: [email protected] The next deadline for PTA News is: Friday 21st November 2014. PTA News is the Newsletter of the Pianoforte Tuners’ Association. All views expressed are those of the contributors, not necessarily reflecting those of the PTA or the editorial team. Please send items for publication to ‘The Editor’, preferably via email or computer disc . If by email or disc please send photos separately from the text. Items can only be returned if accompanied by an SAE. Please obtain permission before submitting copyright items. PTA News, 49 South Hamilton Street, KILMARNOCK, KA1 2DT Email: [email protected] October 2014 3 EDITORIAL ANNE BURTON “I’m on the scrounge” is how I might make a request in my native city with people that I know well, however it sets the tone for some of this editorial. Genie Dyke requests Mentors to volunteer themselves for the Student Mentoring Scheme (p9) where a range of levels of involvement is required. The recent Yamaha Training Day in Reigate (p20) was marvellous and I would like to thank Derek Love for hosting the day and Neil Farrar for his teaching. I’m now looking forward to a trip to Stirling (see below), so I hope that many of you will sign up for what should be another great day; again it is only £10 for Students. As promised, Gavin Hartley, Precision Engineer and Toolmaker, introduces himself (p8) and there will be an in-depth interview with him in the next issue. In addition to meeting new Council Member Andrew Giller (p10), we “Meet Honorary Member Malcolm McKeand” (p22). I met Frank Evans and his sister on a trip to Poland in 2005, so it is with sadness that I learned of his recent passing. Edited sections of the booklet Kay made in his memory are reproduced here (p12). We continue the series “Images from Piano History” supplied by Dr Alastair Laurence, to whom I apologise for omitting his name credit in August’s newsletter (printed format). I’d like to thank Nigel Polmear for alerting me to the article “Classical Music is Taking Over the World” (p17) and to the Evening Standard for their permission to reprint it. From 1st March 2015 some significant changes will be made to the Membership Test; full details will appear in the December Newsletter. Also in December I hope to have information from the PTG of America about access for our Members to their on-line resources. Finally, please pen a testimonial as Matthew asks on pages 26/27. There will soon be a new website to go along with the new official Face Book and current Twitter page and these testimonials will be used across all these platforms. Please ‘like’ and ‘follow’ at www.facebook.com/pianotunersassociation PTA/KAWAI TRAINING DAY Sponsored by Kawai UK Saturday 1st November, 2014 10am –4pm Stirling Highland Hotel, Spittal Street, Stirling FK8 1DU Training with Manabu Arimori. focusing on Kawai Upright Piano Regulation and the mechanics of the Anytime hybrid systems. £45 for Members/Associates/Patrons, £65 for non-Members, £10 PTA Students Followed by the Scottish Autumn Dinner £25pp To book your place, contact Mrs A Summers, PTA Secretary Tel: 0845 602 8796 Email: [email protected] 4 THE PRESIDENT WRITES BRIAN FROST From time to time it’s worth remembering what the PTA stands for and how it operates. Council is elected by the Membership to represent it in the day to day affairs of the Association. It has a duty to protect the Membership and the Association as a whole, where possible, from possible court action, and also to ensure it remains respected within the piano industry. When becoming a Member of the Association we all sign a declaration that we will abide by the rules of the Association. Members are expected to conduct themselves and their business dealings in such a manner as to ensure that the name of the PTA is not brought into disrepute. The use of social media within the Association has slowly grown over the last few years and it is worth thinking about the implications this can have over the way we interact. We have to be careful when posting items on Social Media so that we do not offend others and that the things we write are not libellous. It is often said that PTA discussion forums are ‘closed’ to the public at large and it does not matter what is posted or discussed. The reality is that in this modern age of technology, Members’ posts made in a PTA forum can be easily shared, not just by those within the Association, but also to others outside the PTA. This means that Council has to decide, where necessary, what constitutes an offensive or libellous post and then act accordingly. Council would be negligent in its duty to the general Membership if it did not act, and on the very rare instances when action is taken the decisions are not taken lightly. I would like to remind everyone that when posting things on-line it is essential to bear in mind what they are sharing with others. What might be acceptable ‘banter’ in the bar at a Convention may not be something that should be shared with others on a PTA forum. Before posting something that could be controversial or risqué please consider that something you might find acceptable may well be offensive, and could affect the reputation of the PTA. On a lighter note, I am delighted to report that the Yamaha training day in Reigate was an excellent day with over 30 in attendance. The full report is on page 20. I hope that some more of you will consider travelling up to Stirling to the Autumn Training Day and Dinner on 1st November with Kawai. If you are going, I look forward to seeing you there. More training days are being planned – so watch this space! Brian Frost PTA President September 2014 October 2014 5 MEMBERSHIP NEWS ANNETTE SUMMERS A warm welcome to new PTA Member: 1234 Mr Ed Stroud 50 Denmark Road, Wimbledon LONDON SW19 4PQ Tel: 020 8947 1964 Mob: 07817 382534 [email protected] and also to new PTA Students: S363 Mr Chris Steedman 7 West View, Warwick Road Balderton, NEWARK Notts NG24 3QF Tel: 07510 967096 [email protected] S364 Mr Jim Jacobs 2b Queen Elizabeth’s Walk Stoke Newington LONDON N16 0HX Tel: 020 7502 2253 Mob: 07970 933220 [email protected] S365 Mr Paul Mill 4 Old Town Hall Cottages, Wadsworth HEBDEN BRIDGE HX7 8SP Tel: 01422 706209 Mob: 07746 714392 [email protected] S366 Mr Gerwyn Murray 4 Glanywern, Manod BLAENAU FFESTINIOG LL41 4AW Tel: 01766 831103 Mob: 07876 399627 [email protected] Please note these changes to the 2014/15 Year Book: 1228 Mr Patrick Symes (new address; telephone and email remain the same) 5 Esther Road, Leytonstone LONDON E11 1JB A78 Mr H J Smith (new address) 101 East Beach Road, Selsey, CHICHESTER PO20 0EZ Tel: 07528 809614 6 S345 Mr Ben Elsey (new address; telephone and email remain the same) 32 Lymbourn Road, HAVANT PO9 2SL S353 Mr S Haynes email should read [email protected] Additional telephone number: 01636 918738 S357 Miss C V Byrne (new address; telephone and email remain the same) 8c Beach Lane, MUSSELBURGH EH21 6LA S360 Mr M Hackworthy (new address; telephone and email remain the same) 2 Rivers Reach, FROME Somerset BA11 1AQ Please send all changes of address, telephone and email to The Secretary using the contact details on Page 27 October 2014 7 GAVIN HARTLEY PRECISION TOOL ENGINEER seeking a change of scene after leaving my previous job in aerospace engineering I happened to come across the piano tuning course at Newark College onto which I enrolled. This was my introduction into the trade where, with the support of friends and colleagues, I found my way into making tools specifically for piano tuning and regulating. Due to my background, and my nature I suppose, I am used to working with high-quality tools and, when none are available, making my own. Frustration with the ‘standard’ equipment had led me to make a tuning lever of a fairly conventional design for myself whilst I was learning to tune. It became apparent that there was a demand for my home-made levers and scope for further improvements to the design. So I set about designing a tuning lever which addressed all of the short- comings of existing designs and which, I felt, was the best possible tuning lever that I could make. Feedback from my most experienced colleagues confirmed my design ideas and it is this which is now my ‘standard’ design of tuning lever. As a result of me experimenting with other ideas and being approached by people with their own, I have branched out into making an increasing range of tools which includes standard designs as well as completely bespoke tools made specifically to individuals’ requirements.