Some of you may have been following my very slow progress toward regaining my RPT status. For those who don’t know, the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG) provides structure to the industry of piano maintenance, producing annual national conventions and numerous regional ones that focus on education, training and professional behavior. In an effort to standardize a way of measuring skills, the guild offers RPT status, which stands for Registered Piano Technician. To achieve RPT status, one must pass a series of tests, including a written test, a bench test consisting of 3 parts (grands, uprights and repairs) and a multi part, 4 hour tuning test.
I originally achieved RPT status in 1980 but, in a stroke of idiocy, let my membership to the Guild lapse about 10 years ago while I was working in management for Yamaha. Being an Associate has bugged me and I’ve had it in my mind to regain the RPT level if for no other reason than the fact that not many people in my place in the piano business have it. Generally one is either a tech or a sales/marketing guy. Sure, some sales/marketing guys claim to be techs but not may of them actually have the RPT badge.
Anyway, after thinking about it for a long time and putting it off for over a year, I finally got it together and took the tuning exam last week (more on the tech exam later). I was pretty confident I would pass as I have tuned a lot in my life, but I haven’t been actively involved in piano tech work for some time, so you never know.
Well, I’ll cut to the chase; I nailed it. Click on the image to see the proof. I guess I got lazy in the treble section, but I’m pretty happy with the rest. I mean come on…98% in the high treble!?!? At MY age!?!?
Passing is 80% in all sections and those who achieve 90% or greater in all sections, while tuning completely aurally, are eligible for CTE (Certified Tuning Examiner)status which means, as I was told, that after training I could give my life away to the Guild and oversee tuning tests.
Yes, I’m pretty jazzed about the results because it means that even old dogs can still have it. Thank God I will never have to tune another piano!
PS. I’m still not an RPT… the technical exam still needs to be, uh, mastered.