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Scott Johnson's Education in the Piano Technology Field
I began my first apprenticeship in 1972 at age 17 and worked two years
with Registered Piano Technicians, Sidney Stone and E. Michael Silva of
Hayward California. I learned to rebuild and recondition upright pianos from Sid
Stone and learned tuning and in home repairs from Mike Silva. In 1974 Ellen
and I relocated to the Seattle area where I apprenticed with Darrell Fandrich
and learned grand piano rebuilding skills and voicing techniques. In Seattle I
rented a room from Ed McMorrow who was years later to write The Educated Piano,
a book outlining Mr. McMorrow's very innovative methods of coaxing the most out
of a fine piano. I learned much from working around Ed McMorrow.
After spending a summer traveling around Idaho tuning and repairing pianos
in very remote areas and attending the Piano Technicians Guild Convention in
Las Vegas I returned home to Oakland and set up my own business. I worked part
time however for Sheldon Smith's piano shop in Berkeley doing restringing and
action rebuilding. The knowledge I was able to glean from all these mentors
has been very valuable to me these last 29+ years. This knowledge has enabled
me to satisfy thousands of piano owners including many teachers, churches and
professional musicians. In 1979 My wife Ellen McKay and I relocated to Auburn,
California where I have maintained a piano service business ever since. Several
years ago I had the pleasure of restoring the Baldwin concert grand owned by
the Auburn Community Concerts Association. I'm happy to say the pianists who
have performed on this piano since the restoration have all said they are pleased
with the touch and tone. The local piano store, Keyboards Etc. used my services
for some 15 years. My work with Keyboards Etc. allowed me to become proficient
at solving many of the problems that are to be found in new pianos today. These
trouble shooting skills become more valuable as less and less time is spent
finishing off pianos at factories today than ever before. Another constant challenge
was to keep in running order, the fleet of over 150 rental pianos, which the
store had accumulated over the years.
Participation in the Piano Technicians Guild educational workshops, and manufacture
factory technical seminars, helps me to stay up with new developments in tools
and techniques in all areas of piano service. No piano technician who has been
involved in the Piano Technicians Guild over the last decades can say they have
not benefited from the monumental contributions of the team of Bill Spurlock
and his partner Fern Henry. They have contributed in countless ways to the betterment
of the piano industry in general with their many innovations in the field of
piano technology and a great deal of just plain hard work.
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