CONNOR HOFFMAN
Staff Writer
The piano: it’s been around for centuries and is such a huge part of our culture — but have you ever wondered just how this instrument works?
As it turns out, you’re in luck. Fredonia is now offering MUS 376 Intro to Piano Technology, and this class goes over just how the piano works. In order to qualify for this new course you must be enrolled in a music program.
“I just felt the need to get the idea out to the students of another way of making a living in the music world. Technology is a field that is always open to new technicians,” said class professor Graham Howes.
“I took the class because I wanted to learn how to tune pianos. Not only is a great skill to put on a resume, but it also is a useful skill in any field of music. All fields of music are going to use a piano, and all fields will require maintenance for those pianos,” said Hayley Gill, a junior music education major who is currently taking the class.
The class is a combination of both hands-on work and lectures.
“Tuesdays we have lecture day, and it’s a class [where] we talk about the history of the instrument itself, the history of piano tuning, we talk about the basics of tuning itself and repair stuff like that,” said Howe. “Thursdays we’re up in the practice rooms on the third floor of Mason Hall, and the kids are actually tuning pianos. They’re working on techniques and exercises in rudimentary level to begin tuning pianos.”
Since the Thursday portion of the class is completely hands-on, the students get the chance to learn just how pianos work and also are testing their skills in tuning pianos. Jodie White, a sophomore music education major, feels she has learned a lot from the hands-on portion.
“I have learned how to tune the first three middle octaves of the piano in an efficient amount of time. If I do continue on to repair school, and one day take the Piano Repair Technician exam, I need to know how to complete tasks quickly and correctly. The instructor gives us weekly speed tests to see if we can complete the tuning of three octaves in 15 or 20 [minutes]. I cannot quite make it yet, but I am getting better each time,” said White.
Howes hopes that students who take the course will be able to learn more on instrument repair and possibly pursue a career in it.
“I hope that they learn a little about the piano itself as an instrument and how it functions and works. Hopefully [this class inspires] them to pursue it a little further if they decide to pursue it further, if they decide to make piano tuning and piano technology a part of their career,” said Howes.
Howes feels that he will definitely change some things with the way he teaches the class in the future. He said he feels like the lecture part of the class needs the most work. He mentioned how, although he’s been a piano technician for years and has had apprentices, this is the first time that he has taught a class on piano technology.
“Having never taught before, it’s been a challenge for me to be able to communicate what I want to say in a streamline manner,” said Howes.
Some students believe that the lectures can become a little boring and should be more interactive. But, at they same time, they also understand that this is Howes first time teaching a class on this subject.
“I think he would benefit from a constructivist teaching style that included more class discussion and activities,” said Gill. “I know he does not have a ton of experience teaching, but he is definitely doing all the right things. He is patient and helpful in his feedback.”
White feels that the class can be made better by focusing more on rebuilding pianos and having more than one class dedicated to working on the pianos. She mentioned how her and Howes have discussed the possibility of a more advanced piano repair class in the future.
“I believe it is a great resource on campus for music majors and should be offered every single semester,” said Gill.