Piano Technicians Guild
WESTPAC - Western and Pacific Regional Conference
February 26-March 1, 2015
DoubleTree by Hilton , Ontario, CA
Conference Schedule in Calendar Format [PDF] [revised 2/27/15]
Schedule by Class Category [PDF] [revised 2/27/15]
Thursday All-Day Special Classes
8:30am - 5:00pm
NOTE: Click on an instructor's name to see a bio.
Voicing New York Steinway Hammers – A Master Class
Eric Schandall, RPT - https://sites.google.com/site/ericschandall/
Eric Schandall has worked in the piano industry since 1967, most recently as the Administrator/Teacher of Technical Training and Education at the C F Theodor Steinway Technical Academy at Steinway & Sons in New York City. This position also incorporated work in the roster of concert technicians in the Concert and Artists Department at Steinway Hall in Manhattan, across North America, and in China and Russia. He also worked as a College and University technician in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for over 25 years. Since 2008 he has made his home in Oslo, Norway where he is responsible for the concert pianos at the New Norske Opera and Ballet, also traveling throughout the country working freelance for the Steinway Piano Gallery, Oslo, the franchised Dealer for Steinway & Sons in Norway. He has provided services for a variety of music festivals in Norway including the Festspillene i Bergen,the Grieg International Piano Competiton, and regularly provides services for the Norsk Musikkhøgskole in Oslo and for recordings for several record labels. Eric has also continued to teach, most recently in England, Sweden, Denmark, China, and the United States. His lectures have been well received by the technical community and provide an excellent opportunity for other technicians to benefit from his wide range of experience both as a concert technician and a teacher.
Registration fee of $95 for this all-day class includes lunch.
NOTE: Pre-registration is required for these classes! Seating may be limited.
How have the hammers in the New York pianos changed in the last few years? How do we lacquer them now, and what changes must we make in our voicing techniques? We will discuss, but more importantly, demonstrate as much of the voicing process as time will allow, and answer these questions. With the luxury of two instruments to demonstrate how to voice a new set of hammers, and also how to maintain and refine the voicing on a used set of hammers, we hope to optimize your learning experience in the classroom. As always, the goal will be to provide as much practical and applicable information as possible.
Make It Shine! Hands-On Polyester Repair (Allied Piano)
Ruth Zeiner, RPT
Ruth
(Phillips) Zeiner had spent 18 years as a piano technician prior to delving
into finish repairs and restoration when, in 1995, Allied Piano was asked to
take on the Konig polyester and lacquer repair products line. With experience
in customer relations as well as the practical aspects of piano cabinet maintenance,
she can guide you in this increasingly important part of piano service. Her
goal is helping others succeed in their dealings with their clients. www.alliedpiano.com
Registration fee of $95 for this all-day class includes lunch.
NOTE: Pre-registration is required for these classes! Class limit 11.
Polyester finishes are everywhere today, not just on pianos. See demos of scratch removal, simple fills, and larger damage and edge repair. Identify the finish prior to deciding on a procedure. Spend the day with Ruth and then be prepared to grow your business with this much needed skill.
A Bellyman's Holiday
Ken Eschete, RPT, RPT
Ken Eschete has been tuning and restoring pianos since 1974. He has held RPT membership in the Piano Technicians Guild (1976 - 2012), and membership in Australasian Piano Technicians (2011-2013). Having undergone conservation training at the Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg, Ken achieved Professional Associate membership in the American Institute for Conservation.
Following his initial training at North Bennett Street School, Ken started a business in his native New Orleans restoring modern and historic pianos. He went on to become Director of Keyboard Maintenance at Northwestern University in Evanston, Il., where he lead a team of technicians and served as primary concert tuner. Following his retirement from NU, Ken moved to Auckland, NZ where he was the concert tuner for Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. He is now a happy resident of Spokane, USA.
Registration fee of $95 for this all-day class includes lunch.
NOTE: Pre-registration is required for these classes! Seating may be limited.
The Pneumatic Soundboard Press: An Introduction to Construction and Use is especially for rebuilders who already have experience with "board in a box" installations and would like to have more complete control over every aspect of the work.
Ken will cover the construction of a simple and inexpensive rib press and the methods used to construct soundboards. Participants will work as a team to make a rib fit into a model rim, cut a radius into the rib, locate and glue it onto a demonstration soundboard panel using elements of a pneumatic press.
Bridge Capping: A hands-on class that puts a chisel in everyone's hand. Covers making the new bridge cap, laying out the bridge pins and carving notches. Participants will work in teams to layout locations of bridge pins on a model bridge, followed by notching the bridge; use of saws and sharp chisels. Any students who have bridge-notching tools should bring them.
The Pinblock: Techniques and procedures for replacing fully-fitted blocks, "letting-in" new pinblock material in original blocks, and consolidation of original blocks using low-viscosity epoxy and other museum conservation techniques. Includes the use of Acryloid B-72. (What? Never heard of B-72? Come to this class for something really new!)