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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. has been using my services for some 15
years. My work with Keyboards Etc. has 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 is
to keep in running order, the fleet of over 150 rental pianos, which the store
has 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 decade
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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