Convention Issue Johnny Pearson Tribute June 2011 Michio Takayama giving assistance at his Kawai Concert Grand Preparation Class at this years PTA Convention at Worksop. Read about all the classes inside. Smart, Simple, CyberTuner!® Accurate. Consistent aural quality tunings for all experience levels. Easy historical temperaments. Fast, precise pitch raises. Contact us for a free demo DVD. Find out why RCT is preferred by so many piano tunertechnicians. Distributors Heckscher & Co. Ltd. 75 Bayham Street London NW1 0AA phone: 02073871735 fax: 02073873043 email: [email protected] Reyburn Piano Service, Inc. phone: 16166961002 or 18887638440 (USA) email: [email protected] Odd Aanstad (Sweden) phone: (+46) 570 511 84 email: [email protected] Above, Pocket RCT’s tuning module “CyberEar” on a Pocket PC. CyberEar’s spinner gives you the ultimate in pitch control. Reyburn CyberTuner Pocket PC Windows Macintosh www.reyburn.com Gavin Crooks receiving the Val Addis Memorial Award Busy at the ‘Spring Clinic’ Editorial — 4 President Writes — 5 Steinway Study Day Notice — 5 Meet The PTA at Vale Pianos — 5 Membership News — 6 Convention Supporters — 7 Johnny Pearson Tribute — 8 Convention Reports start from… — 10 PTA AGM — 14 PTA Diary — 27 Fun at the Tool Auction. It was a long night in the bar For your advertising in PTA News, at very reasonable rates, please contact: Tania Staite, Flat 8, Deepdene, 15 Streatham Common Northside, London, SW16 3HQ. Copy may then be emailed to the Editor at:[email protected] The next deadline for PTA News is separately to the text. Items can only be returned if Friday 15th July 2011. accompanied by an SAE. Please obtain the necessary permission before submitting copyrighted items. PTA News is the Newsletter for the Pianoforte PTA News Tuners’ Association. All views expressed are those of Cobblestones the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the Church Lane views of the PTA or the editorial team. Great Holland Please address letters intended for publication to FRINTON-ON-SEA ‘The Editor’, preferably sent via email, computer disk Essex CO13 0JS or typed. If by email or disc please send photos [email protected] June 2011 3 It doesn’t matter just how much I Editorial tell myself NOT to come back from Matthew Gough the PTA Convention with any more new tools, I just can’t help myself! Now, my already bulging tool case (well, out this project as an extra two cases actually) has some more to your course work. Rick occupants to give some company to the Ohlendorf has written a review of the many who are already in there. They’ll soon concert further on. be complaining of lack of space and It was wonderful to see one of those petitioning me for a third case. students, Gavin Crooks, receiving the Val The trade stands at this years Addis Memorial Award at the PTA lunch, Convention at The Lion Hotel in Worksop for exceptional work at college. Val had the seemed to have even more ingenious new foresight to understand that our college tools and devices than normal. A ‘Bargain students are the future of the industry and of Basket’ proved to be a big draw and hosted the PTA. Hopefully, with our support, the the most enormous pair of pliers I have ever Students will understand how the PTA can seen in my life! Indeed, there was plenty of be of help to them in their own future. It merry banter about the purpose of this or was lovely that some PTA Students made that tool or what those lovely looking the effort to come along to Worksop and it traditional wooden wedges are for. was a pleasure to meet them A very interesting video was on constant Judging from the accounts I have rotation in the Exhibition area, showing the received, the classes were of huge benefit making of a Kawai piano from start to as usual. It’s amazing how even one little finish. It would be unfair to say that the tip in a whole class can change the way you piano appeared to have no human contact in work for the better and forever. That tip the process but on playing the two Kawais would just not have happened had you not on show, I asked myself how much that attended the PTA Convention. would matter, if such excellent pianos as It was a joy to be able to put faces to the these had been produced in that way. names I print onto the envelopes that house The process in the video was all so very every issue of PTA News. A drink in the different from the slides of the New York bar, a good dinner together, these make the Steinway Factory in 1916. This pre dinner Convention even more memorable. treat was provided by Eric Schandall and If you have been kind enough to was an extraordinary reminder of days gone compile a report for me then please accept by. No ear protection in the stringing my heartfelt thanks. You will find reports department in those days! You can read on all the various classes starting on page John Lamberts report elsewhere in this issue. 10, after a tribute to the great Johnny Another pre dinner extra was a concert Pearson, a PTA Patron, who died in April. for two pianos which was especially Only another five editions of PTA News arranged by PTA Member Phil Taylor. One to go before the next PTA Convention in of the pianos had been largely reconditioned Hereford from 16th-19th May by two of the final year students at Newark, 2012. David Barker and Gavin Crooks. Very good Put the date in your diary it sounded too and well done to you both for now! the hard work and dedication in carrying 4 The contents of The President Writes this PTA News will Keith Owen show that yet again this year's Convention has by a small handful of been a triumph. people who also have businesses, families and Preparation for each Convention starts other P.T.A. two to three years ahead; the selection, responsibilities – so you will negotiation and booking of the hotel alone understand my mortification upon realising has to be done this far in advance in order that in my after-lunch speech this year, in a to secure our venue. Then, as time goes on, mental aberration spectacular even by my the classes are arranged, sponsors sought, standards, I failed to say "Thank You" to exhibitors booked and a working overview those who have worked so hard on our of the programme of is set out. Ideas are behalf. This deprived me of the pleasure of sought for peripheral events, and anything expressing out loud the gratitude I feel, but, else that adds interest and value. more to the point, it also it meant that the As the date approaches and the assembled company were not able to application forms go out, there is the applaud as they no doubt wished. For this business of allocating classes, hotel rooms, I apologise. sorting out who wants to share with whom, Let me now say "Thank You" to dealing with the finances, and then finally Brian Frost, Andrew Jamieson, Annette arriving at the venue a day ahead of Summers and Lewis Flisher. everyone else to sort out the logisitics of what goes where – no easy matter where Best wishes, pianos are concerned. All this takes hundreds of hours' work Keith. PTA/Steinway Study Day Steinway Hall, London – Friday 14th October With Bill Shull BOOKING FORM ENCLOSED WITH THIS ISSUE For more forms or further information please contact the PTA Secretary Meet The PTA at Vale Pianos, Worcestershire Saturday 7th October from 10am-4pm There will be a Master Class from a Kawai MPA Technician and a tour of the Vale Pianos showrooms and workshops. Lunch will be provided. Please email [email protected] to book your place. June 2011 5 Membership News Congratulation to new PTA Member: Annette Summers 1218 Mr David Day (previously S293) 3 Daffodil Wood BUILTH WELLS Powys LD2 3LE Tel: 01982 553623 home or 01432 265725 work and welcome to new Associate; A86 Mr JA Eastoe Pell Howell Priory Road DISS IP22 1AJ Tel: 01379 644534 and the following students: S347 Mr JJ Pashley, 14 Folds Crescent, SHEFFIELD S8 0EQ Tel: 01142 351508 or mobile no. 07772 501474 S348 Mr Paul Hampshire, 6 Alder Chase, Scholes, ROTHERHAM S61 2XU Tel: 07740 443352 Please note these changes to the PTA Year Book: 1117 Gillian Stone has a new address; Flat 18, Westward Court, Ebley STROUD, Gloucester GL5 4ST Tel: 075115 22381 S333 Lynne Montague has also moved to: 33 Temple Road, LONDON W5 4SL 1202 Nigel Polmear now has an email address: [email protected] 1176 David Wheeler has a new one: [email protected] 1003 Eric Sievers email should be: [email protected] 1159 Graham Cooke’s email should be: [email protected] Brian Brassington Patricia Brassington has told us the sad news that her husband Brian died in April. Patricia says that although not a regular attender at events or Conventions, Brian always valued the service and support provided by the PTA. We also valued his support as he had been a Member for the many years he had worked as a self employed tuner. We pass on our sincere condolences to Patricia and her Family. 6 Please send any changes to the PTA Secretary using the contact details on P.27 Thank you to our Supporters at Worksop! Barry Caradine Fletcher and Newman Ltd Grotrian Steinweg Heckscher and Co.