Hello pianoworlders!

Next Thursday I will go to a school for piano technicians (HMC Amsterdam) for an intake conversation.
They will then check if I'm fit to become a techy, but sadly their website isn't very clear on what they're going to ask.

It said some of the studies the school offers require you to take a test, however it didn't say if Piano Tech was one of those studies.

Did any of you have to take a test when you started school, or do you have any clue what they might ask?

I'm really nervous about this, after all they only take 15 students a year, and I'd hate it if I'd have to wait for another year just to re-apply and give it another shot.

If any of you have any tips on how I could prepare, or how I could come off better, please tell me! I'm quite desperate, and willing to do anything to increase my chances of being accepted in school, as it means everything to me!

If not, well, at least it got me to make an account here and draw me out of lurking.

Thanks in advance!

Can you contact them directly by telephone and ask them?

Pianosaurus Rex:

Welcome Aboard! Your member name is great.

I have only a little advice. Be yourself and do the best you can. They probably can spot a phony a mile away. And if your best is not good enough for them, it is still the best you can do. And a good way to overcome a fear of failure is to learn to laugh at yourself.

Good luck!

The school I went to only flogged you if you did not pass the initial interview. Amputations started only if you failed a second time.

Really, I cannot imagine what they would want besides the most basic mechanical aptitude, the desire to learn, and the money to pay for it. So be sure you know the difference between a left-handed monkey wrench and a right-handed one.

I didn't know there were any left handed monkeys.

Keep in mind, that school won't be the only option you have. You could go the correspondence route such as Randy Potter's course, or apprentice with someone or work for a teaching store. The school may be making more of the interview than need be. No need to be nervous. There will be many tests and "conversations" in the future. Just handle them one by one and it all works out in the end!

I had to do a pre-admission test 25 years ago to get into a 2 year college piano technician program. I think one reason for the test was to weed out many of the applicants since the program took students only every 2 years and I was told there were hundreds of applicants and only 35 openings.

The first test was a general interview where they determined your reasons for wanting to be there, your ability to intelligently discuss things, and if there was any background that related to the trade (such as music, woodworking, or similar trades that required hands on capabilities).

The second test was a mechanical aptitude test. We were given a piece of hard wire about 2 feet long and a pair of pliers and a 2D drawing of a multi-sided object. We had to bend the wire to resemble the drawing...the catch was that there was more wire than the perimeter of the shape so you had to figure out how to scale as you went along (we were not allowed to cut the wire).

The last test was going into one of the tuning rooms and trying to tune up a couple unisons. This one was daunting for me since I never held a tuning hammer or knew what to do. The instructor demonstrated how to do it and what to listen for...left..and came back 10 minutes later to check my progress. I doubt it was even close to whats acceptable for a good tuning but I was close enough to show that I had potential and wasn't a complete dolt.

I wish you success in your endeavors. Many people who have handicaps such as blindness or language barriers have succeeded in the trade and been graduates, so do not be afraid to rise to the challenge and and show an open willingness to learn.

I think Emmery has it about right: you'll get rudimentary tests, just to determine whether or not you have enough fundamental hearing and mechanical aptitude to even make a go of it.

I think on this side of the pond, the question your most likely to be asked is "Can you pay for the course?"

In most of Europe, one must be licensed at a trade to go into that profession. You need papers. Is this so in the Netherlands, Pianosaurus?

BTW, I'm with Jnright on the name; wish my mom had thought of it....

Thank you all so much! The tests Emmery mentioned sound doable. I assume tuning unisons is where you tune the various strings of a single key to sound in unison? :P

As for the payment, I'm eligible for a goverment loan for education, and if I pass school I'll only have to repay a part of it.

I'll also take a look into the optional paths Bob mentioned, having a plan B never hurts!

I remember my interview at North Bennet Street. I think if you showed enough determination to get into Boston and find parking in the North End, or if you realized early enough that there is no parking in the North End and were able to figure out how to get there on the T and arrive within an acceptable window of time, you pretty much passed.

Due to some problems with my internet, I kinda forgot about this forum. Since I returned here, I was a bit hesitant to bump this old topic, but eventually I figured it's still better then opening a new one.

So, with that said, I just wanted you guys to know that I have been accepted into school, and am very delighted about it!
School starts August the 30th, so 3 years from then you lot will have a new colleague! Huzzah!

Congratulations.

Congrats Pianosaurus Rex. Keep us updated.

Good Job! Learn all that you can, there are no dumb questions so ask many.

Thanks guys! I honestly can't wait 'till my first term starts!

As a test all the applicants had to find a 1 day "orientation internship" at a piano dealer, and write a report about it.

I called up the store where we originally got our own piano, and they said I could come the next week. They were really helpful, and took plenty of time to answer any of the millions of questions swarming through my head.
I helped to get an old Petrof upright ready for sale. Though I mostly did only cleaning, I still find it was amazing! Shame it was only for 1 day, and I had to go back to my regular job after that!

Pianosaurus, I can see why you were accepted by your last post alone. Would you care to post here your report (even if you want to edit it somewhat)? That would reveal a lot about your mindset and why you would want to become a piano technician.

For me, the decision, once I came to it, was easy and made a lot of sense. I could work for myself and the work I did was pleasing to my customers. I never got tired of hearing, "It sounds beautiful!". I put money in my pocket every day. I live a comfortable lifestyle doing what I believe in and am passionate about. Every day is a new day, none is the same as the last. Sometimes, I work hard and long, sometimes I have time to rest.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to enter another line of work entirely. I had been selected on the basis of what was publicly known about me as the type of individual they were looking for. I turned the opportunity down. I did think about it but not very long. I knew that I could not sit in an office wearing a suit and tie and be only interested in making money that way. I would miss what I have done full time for over 30 years the very first day onward.

I had that same feeling when I was in a hospital emergency room last Monday. They took me there as a precaution after my car had been struck from behind and destroyed. Fortunately, I was only very slightly injured. I was bored lying in that hospital bed. I wanted to be tuning a piano!

PR:

Glad you were accepted and glad that you let us know. I had wondered from time to time how you were doing. Don’t be a stranger. And since we are all still learning, I consider you to be a colleague already. No need to wait three years.

Now there are three things I am curious about and would have been asked on an application if I was looking for students. Why do you think you will be able to tune, why do you think you will like to tune, and why do you think you should tune? (I wish I had asked these questions of myself about tuning and many other things.)

Bill;
Guess I could send you the report, but it is on my step dad's laptop and it's in Dutch, so I'd have to translate it first. But if you really want it, I could send it to you in a few days.

And what you said about liking the reaction of people after you tune their piano is pretty much what I said myself at the interview. Personally I'm really happy when my own tuner stops by to patch up my piano, I'd wish to spread that same joy to other pianists myself.

As for the feeling of having wasted your time whenever your not tuning, well, I never tuned a piano yet, but I often feel the same way when I don't get to play piano.
Glad to hear you didn't have anything serious, by the way!

Jeff;
Why I should tune? Because someone has to do it, and there's not an awful lot of people doing it. At least not over here.

Why I want to tune? Because I love piano's, and I'd love nothing more then to earn my living with them. With concert pianist being miles out of reach, teaching, selling, and tuning/repairing are the most logical options left.
Out of those three piano technician sounds like the most interesting career choice to me.
Teaching seems like a very nice job too, but too be honest, I don't think I'd be a very good teacher. On the other hand, I'm pretty handy and know my way around with tools. I guess I'd do fine on the repair/maintenance part of the job. As for tuning, I can't say for sure yet, since obviously I haven't tuned a piano yet, which brings me to your last question. (Which was actually your first, but I scrambled 'em up. :þ)

Why I think I will be able to tune? I don't really know, but that's why I go to school; to learn! But since I have no past experience with this, I have nothing to gauge my own skill in this.
But if I don't try, I'm 100% sure I won't succeed. If I do give it a shot, I'm pretty confident I'll learn it eventually!

PR:

Thanks. Seems like you have your head screwed on tight. Best of luck.

Indeed, best wishes to you.
As someone who is well into my life, I sometimes lose sight of the fact that I'm good at what I do, and wish that I'd become a piano technician originally. Respectful care of exquisite instruments is an art. I hope you find that in your future.