Piano tuning courses

[aengu]

Hi folks I'm currently considering a career change from music teaching to piano tuning

As there are no courses available here in ireland I will have to travel to England to study

Could anybody advise on what courses are available..Any recommendations would be appreciated..Ive just sent for info to newark college...has anybody studied there

[Barrie Heaton]

see
http://www.uk-piano.org/college.html

[tuna]

Hi, I studied at newark, would be happy to answer any questions you may have. (depending on which part of ireland you are from!)

by the way newark is a great anagram

[tuna]

Hi, I studied at newark, would be happy to answer any questions you may have. (depending on which part of ireland you are from!)

by the way newark is a great anagram

[aengu]

Well tuna,
living in dublin ,saving up for a house at the mo. also getting married next year, so just musing about a change in career (five year plan etc...)

I havn't got the prospectus yet so was wondering about fees ,,and did you find it hard to support yourself while you were on the course.
Did you have any musical background/what was the profile of the class.
Do you think it would be a good investment as id probably have to take ot a loan to do it?to cover mortgage etc..ie did you find it easy to get work when you came back. Did you go for the self employed route or work for a supplier like jeffers or tynan piano's etc!!(Sorry about all the questions!!!)


From checking out the forum i find its a bit of a territorial business. (Im just picturing every tuner with a shotgun in their van to protect their turf!!)

I was at a seminar about alternative careers in the music industry and one of the speakers was Andrew Tynan who got me thinking about changing jobs as these evenings are tough teaching till nine thirty every night.Even though I love the job. I questioned him on wheather tuners will become defunct now that digital pianos are on the scene and he Laughed at me (politely)saying digital will never replace real pianos. Im beginning to believe it now as four of my students have bought (or inherited) real pianos in the last year.

Sound like a very interesting career...Cheers

[aengu]

oh yeah Im from Limerick.

[tuna]

Hi again, I'm from the uk originally which meant my college fees, at the time I was at newark, were paid by the local authority.

My father is also a piano tuner which would explain where my interest in the piano came from in the first place. I asked him if he would teach me to tune pianos, but he suggested I should go off to do a college course instead. I don't think he would have had time to teach me anyway, even if he had wanted to!

I moved to Ireland nearly nine years ago, and initially worked for Pianos Plus in Dublin. I stayed with them for four and a half years, but then relocated to the south east and started working on a self employed basis.

As well as my own work in the area, I also do a lot of tunings in the area for Jeffers on a sub-contract basis. It makes more sense than them sending someone over from Bandon.

One of the biggest problems I have however, is trying to educate people to get their pianos tuned on a regular basis. A lot of them think once every ten years or so is all that's required!

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Tuna

[Gill the Piano]

I trained over 20 years ago at the London College - one of my contemporaries there was Richard Meyler, from Omagh, County Tyrone. It might be worth contacting him, as he's still tuning there as far as I know...tell him Gill said hello!