Classes updated 9/16/2024

Our institute directors are busy firming up plans with our instructors.

Grand Damper System Repair and Regulation   2 hr
Don Mannino RPT
Don will unravel the mysteries of servicing damper systems in Asian grand pianos. He will demonstrate damper tray block replacement and service, regulating the damper lift from the key and from the pedal, Regulating the sostenuto, plus much more! Don will even include demonstration of trimming trichord wedges to reduce noise when lifting. If you’ve had difficulties working on grand dampers, don’t miss this class!

Resurrecting the Older Grand Piano     3 hr.
Don Mannino RPT
This seminar is a shortened version of Don’s all-day workshop on how to bring a well-worn grand piano into good playing condition in one day. Topics covered will be prioritizing your work, planning to spend time on the areas that will have the most impact on the piano, giving the most “bang for your buck” in action performance and piano tone. Don will provide an overview of how to accomplish this with some demonstrations, covering string seating, hammer shaping, minor action reconditioning points that can be done quickly, regulation, tuning, and voicing, He will also show some useful tips that can help any piano perform and sound better. This class will challenge you to raise the level of service you provide, and provide a lot of useful tips for making heavily used newer pianos perform at their best.

Installation of the Full-Fitted Pinblock (1½ hours)
Christian Bolduc
Christian show how to replace a full-fitted grand pinblock from A to Z. How to take necessary references before removing the plate, the use of the Plate-Puller, removing the pinblock using the Bolduc’s pinblock extractor. fit the new block to the plate, drilling it, glue and dowel in the case. Many tips and tricks to simplify the work.

Recapping the Vertical Bass Bridge w/o Removing the Plate (1½ hours)
Christian Bolduc
Is having to pull the plate putting you off? Christian demonstrates an easy way to replace split bridge caps on uprights without using epoxy or other glues to fix bridge pin problems. Learn how to build a jig over the plate to remove the old cap and glue the new one on. This technique can also be applied to grand pianos.

Cyborg Tuning: The Best of Both Worlds Humans and Machines Tuning Together for the Greater Good
Ryan Sowers RPT CTE
“ETD users lacking strong aural abilities are missing a crucial skill. Aural tuners lacking an ETD are missing a crucial tool” – Ryan Sowers, RPT The debate rages on! Which is best, aural or electronic tuning? As a staunch “aural tuning or die” tuner for many years, I finally deviated from the world of beats to the world of cents and visual displays and upgraded my tuning work to the next level. Learn how to harness the power of the ETD and use your ear to guide and refine the ideal tuning that exists in every piano. This class will include the following concepts:
Strengths and weaknesses of electronic tuning devices
Strengths and weaknesses of “aural only”
How to efficiently use an EDT in “manual override”
Optimizing stretch
Foolproof top octave

Ten Timeless Tuning Tips: A Compilation from Old to New
Jim Busby RPT
Unlike a “How to tune” class, Jim has selected his top ten list of hints to help you increase speed and efficiency, decrease fatigue, and other ideas that he has learned over many years.

Grand Dampers: Factory tips and speed techniques.
Jim Busby RPT
Regulating grand dampers efficiently comes down to three basic things: Developing a “damper technician’s eye”, knowing what each bend actually does, and knowing the “10 Operations” used in damper work. In this class Jim will explain these with videos and demonstrations.

Voicing Every Day:
Ryan Sower RPT CTE
Voicing, like unisons, should be learned from the beginning and mastered over a lifetime. This class will help you develop systems and protocols to upgrade the tone of everyday pianos using novel tools and techniques. Whether a Steinway B or Wurlitzer spinet, your clients will find new joy in their instruments and your reputation will soar!

Field Lyre Repair
Torger Baland RPT
You are hours from home or your shop and the pedal lyre is separating. learn this field repair technique to quickly solve lyre issues.  Loose pedals on a Steinway lyre? we’ll cover that repair too.

Working with Difficult Customers
Torger Baland RPT
Tips for working with different difficult customer types.  Develop a playbook for how to turn difficult situations into positive reviews. We will discuss how to diffuse tough situations, handle different personality types and respond to negative online reviews.

Before The Needle:  Prevoicing the Piano
Garry Telleen RPT
A thorough discussion and demonstration of the cause and effect on tone by strings, bridges, action parts, etc., and the adjustments that the technician may do to a piano after manufacture or rebuilding.

Tuning with the Verituner
Dave Carpenter, RPT – Veritune, Inc.
See up close how to take advantage of the unique tuning features of Verituner for iPhone and Verituner for Android. We will cover pitch raises, fine tuning, setting standard pitch, temperament, stretch styles, and saving tunings. Learn the best practices for getting a great sounding tuning on any piano with the fewest steps.

Glues, goo-es and other clues: Chemicals – what goes where when?
Maria G. Pollock, RPT
An overview of basic classes of glues, lubricants and solvents. The class provides information of where to get chemicals, how to store them and demonstrates how to safely handle and apply them. Did you know you could glue a hammer or whippen post with Knox gelatin?

Measuring Voicing – A hands-on approach to needles and chemicals
Maria G. Pollock, RPT(This class was presented at the 2022 and 2023 National Convention)
This technical will focus on practical voicing techniques and fixing errors. I will show tools andproper technique of using voicing tools, including chemical and mechanical techniques. Participants are encouraged to bring their own tools.

Regulation of oddball pianos
Zach Hardy
Description:  Learn to regulate the unregulatable.  While piano actions have become mostly standardized there are always pianos that don’t seem to conform.  In this class we will be teaching you how to regulate pianos where standard measurements just don’t work.  This is an intermediate level class going over some of the more advanced regulation techniques that must be employed when actions are outside of industry standards.  It is expected that attendees know standard grand regulation specs and the general process involved in achieving those specs.

All about knuckles
Zach Hardy
Description:  This little part has a big job and we will be teaching you all of the ins and outs of knuckles.  We will go over everything from history and manufacturing to repairs.  Learn all there is to know about knuckles.

Vertical regulation – When, What, and How? (3 Hour)
Lucy Urlacher RPT
This class will answer the questions of when to regulate, what regulation process affects something else making a regulation sequence critical, how to set regulation samples, and how to take the information from the samples and efficiently regulate all 88 keys.

The Good, the Bad and the Annoying
Apryl Johnston
In this class, I will discuss things I have learned over the last 21 years of tuning. Let’s face it…we ALL make mistakes. Even the RPT’s!! I will explain mistakes I have made, and how I learned to do things differently. I will also dive into the world of
cool tools I discovered and those that are not so cool. I will also touch on customer service and building clientele. This class will be geared towards beginners, but anyone may attend.

Grow with Gazelle
Timothy Barnes RPT and Nathan Ehresman
Learn how to build a better business using tools like Gazelle to save time, wow your customers, and grow your piano service business. In this class we will bring decades of business experience together to help you grow your business using the tools like online scheduling, automated reminders, invoices, payment solutions, estimates, and Quickbooks Integration.

Creating Estimates that Sell
Timothy Barnes RPT and Nathan Ehresman
You shouldn’t have to feel like a pushy sales person to get your clients to choose to invest in their piano. Creating estimates that sell is all about staying true to who you are, avoiding the curse of knowledge, helping your clients understand the value you provide, and utilizing the full power of tools like Gazelle in your business.

Tuning hammer technique and body ergonomics masterclass  (2 hr)
Timothy Barnes RPT
If you don’t have good hammer technique and solid tuning stability, nothing else matters because the pitch will not stay where you put it. If you want to improve your tuning stability and hammer technique this masterclass is for you. We will be working with 4 participants in a masterclass format to discuss and improve their tuning stability and body ergonomics. Class attendees will get the chance to observe and learn as we deconstruct and reconstruct how different body types and tuning positions (short, tall, standing, sitting, right handed, left handed, and ambidextrous techniques) affect tuning stability. Tuning efficiently and without pain often comes down to your technique, tuning stability, and your body ergonomics; all working together to either create efficiency or produce frustration and physical pain. If you want more tuning efficiency, less pain, and more confidence that your tunings are rock solid, this is the class for you!

Customer Experience 101
Ty Uphoff and Ashley Vinson
This class is for anyone looking to do better when it comes to communication and tact. Whether you’re socially awkward or beloved by all, this class will have something for you.  Common types of customers and strategies for meeting their service needs. Communication Basics: How to communicate warmly and effectively on the phone and through email. How to enter and exit your appointments.  Identifying and surviving time wasters.  Navigating tough clients. Turning negative situations into positive experiences. Collaboration Employee/Contractor Communication -Creating a Successful Environment ,Vendors, Retail Partners, Referral Relationships, Digital communication tools

Action Geometry for the Terrified
Dean Reyburn and Nate Reyburn
Do you have a feeling of dread when planning major parts replacement or mods to a grand action? With the concepts and tools presented in this class you’ll be able to complete major grand action work with confidence in the final result. This is a hands-on class where we’ll measure the key, whippen and shank ratios in class, determine changes, and predict the final result. then we’ll regulate the resulting action and compare our ivory tower predictions with the real world outcome.

CyberTuner – Tuning your way
Dean Reyburn and Nate Reyburn
CyberTuner can be optimized to repeat your tuning style, and adapt to how you tung pianos. We will be covering iRCT’s Smart Pure 12ths tuning style, and how to both tune and pitch raise quickly and accurately in a single pass for pianos up to 20 cents off pitch. CyberTuner’s new AI Mode will be demonstrated, and how the AI can tweak a tuning for that picky customer.

Piano Life Saver System Service for Older Models
Debi Gould Dampp-Chaser TeamEnhance your skills in servicing older models of the Piano Life Saver System. Discover how components have evolved over the company’s 75-year legacy of promoting pitch stability. Gain expertise in supporting these systems and understanding compatibility, from historic to current models.

Introduction to the Piano Life Saver
Debi Gould Dampp-Chaser Team
Struggling with tuning stability related to humidity fluctuations? This is a great course to check out, whether you are new to Dampp-Chaser’s Piano Life Saver System or just looking to brush up your skills and knowledge. We will cover a broad overview of product function, system selection, and basic installation and service.

Hands On Technical Exam Preparation
Ann Fell, RPT and Lucy Urlacher, RPT
If you are on track to attempt the reclassification exams, and would like some hands-on practice, this class is for you. It takes the Competency Playground a step further. Practice jigs such as you will find in an exam will be set up in work spaces. Experienced examiners will be on hand for guidance and to answer questions. The class will include illustrated suggestions on how to complete each repair task: flange rebushing and repinning, key rebushing, string repairs, hammer filing, and replacing a broken shank. There will be regulation models, vertical and grand, set up for you to evaluate as well. You may work on any or all of the stations through the class as space provides. Bring your own tools and supplies. (No super glues allowed.) Jigs and models will be provided.

Tuning Tutoring
Alan Crane RPT CTE
Click here for Details

Upright Hammer Hanging
Josi Davis
Learn expert techniques for hanging upright hammers both in and out of the piano from the team at Brooks LTD.  Know what parts are available on the market and opportunities you have to improve aesthetics, maintenance and performance during the replacement process. Let the voice of experience help you to avoid common pitfalls, build a better tool bag and increase your skill set – and ultimately, your business.  Powerpoint presentation, tools display, Q & A

Grand Hammer Hanging
Josi Davis
Join the team at Brooks LTD for a walk through of a complete grand action stack replacement – with a brief discussion of available action parts, hammer selection, addressing touchweight concerns and methods for weight control, taking proper measurements for parts duplication, preparing for and the process of hammer hanging, tools and materials and time saving services that can increase your profit and grow your business.  Powerpoint presentation, tools display, Q & A