WHO WE ARE
There are currently over 18 million pianos in the United States, and
only 4,000 technicians available to service them. Contrary to popular
belief, owning an acoustic piano instead of a digital or electronic one
is still very desirable. The piano is a gloriously complex musical
instrument with anywhere from 10,000 - 12,000 parts. Servicing and
maintaining the instrument requires the specialized skills of a highly
trained piano technician. But how does one get the training needed to
become a piano technician or a piano tuner?
There are currently only a few schools in North America that offer it, but most require
prospective students to relocate to the city where
the program is offered. This will probably mean that the student will
have to either quit or take a leave of absence from gainful employment
in their home town. The tuition is very expensive, ranging in price
from about $14,000 to $28,000. Relocation costs and the cost of finding
a place to live must also be considered. If you are attending any school
that is different than your own country, work visas may be necessary, and
you may have to pay a higher tuition.
The piano's design has not changed significantly in the last 100 years,
but now, thanks to modern technology, the internet and proven distance
education theory, learning how to service pianos and become a tuner
and/or a technician will now be possible for more people at a
significantly lower cost than existing programs.
The course author, a practicing piano technician with a Master's Degree
in Distance
Education that was obtained through online education, was once a student in a traditional piano technology
program. She was able to study with ease because she happened to live
in the same city where the course was offered. Many of her classmates
however, made significant sacrifices to take the course, having to
leave jobs and/or families behind to relocate in a strange city. Upon
reflection, the course author realized how lucky she was to not be in
the same position. Many of her classmates did not complete the program
because they became homesick or ran out of money.
The author combined her personal experience at a traditional Piano
Technology program and her years since 1996 as a self-employed piano technician
in private business and tuning for a university and piano retailers,
with her knowledge about online distance education and website
creation, and the Durham School of Piano Technology was born. These
unique programs combine online learning instructional units that are
led by a piano technician. The program permits students from around
the globe to study from home and keep their jobs while studying, and
all that is required is a reliable high speed internet connection.
Students will interact with each other in online
discussions, and will, from time to time, participate in live online
presentations at a time that is convenient for them.
The program can also be used as a "springboard", to help a student decide
if they want to enhance their experience by attending a traditional face-to-face
program.
Register for the programs here: (Coming soon)
visitors to this site.