February 2025

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Greetings to Our New Members

If you're reading a PTG member e-newsletter for the first time, welcome! If you need anything, please get in touch with your chapter president, Regional Vice President, or the PTG Office. Be sure to check out some of the great benefits of PTG membership. To all members, check out the list of new members in each month's Journal and see who's new in your area. See the info below about our upcoming 2025 convention. If you are a first-time attendee, you get $300 off your registration fee!

Inflation Buster Alert!

• Attend the 2025 PTG Convention and pay the 2024 price.
• First-time attendees still save $300.
• Updates coming at convention.ptg.org so bookmark and visit frequently.

Convention Room Scam

PTG is aware of members receiving e-mails about booking hotel rooms for the upcoming PTG Annual Convention and Technical Institute in Des Moines, IA. 

DO NOT BOOK ROOMS THROUGH ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS. They are not affiliated with PTG in any way. You may book rooms now at www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/pianotechnicians2025 or by calling 515-645-4032 and ask for the PTG rate. Room rate is $159 per night plus taxes and fees. If you have questions about the legitimacy of any e-mail claiming to be affiliated with PTG in any way, especially if it involves financial transactions, please contact the PTG Home Office.

PTGF Offers Convention Scholarships

Are you hoping to take your final RPT Exam at the 2025 PTG Convention and Technical Institute in Des Moines, IA? The PTGF Convention Scholarship is for you! The Piano Technicians Guild Foundation offers scholarships each year to members intending to take their final RPT examination during the current year’s Convention. The scholarships provide individual recipients with funds for the convention registration fee, as well as examination fees to cover the applicant’s choice of either the PTG Technical Exam or Tuning Exam. Up to eight scholarships are awarded annually. Applications are due by April 30. Visit

ptgfoundation.org/outreach/scholarships for details and to apply online.

RPT Examiners: Certification Kudos

Congratulations to the following PTG members who were either certified or recertified during the 2025 Winter PTG Board of Directors meeting:

New Certifications

CTE (Certified Tuning Examiner): Kate Therrien, RPT and Jared Maltba, RPT

Recertifications

CTE: Debbie Cyr, RPT and Christopher Storch, RPT

TEC (Technical Examiner, Certified) Rick Butler, RPT, Greg Cheng RPT and Tzung-Shiun Wu, RPT

If you are an RPT interested in becoming an examiner, you can find information at www.ptg.org/ptgmain/members/certification/examiner.

Membership Outreach and Retention

It Starts With You…and Continues with Us

Kudos to the Detroit Windsor Chapter who used a PTG Marketing Grant to help fund their exhibit booth at the Michigan Music Conference in January. The event drew 2000 music teachers, students, parents and educators. The PTG chapter booth was hopping with lots of visitors. The “Guess How Many Tuning Pins” game drew more than 145 entries. Many visitors were also looking for technicians and some visitors expressed an interest in exploring how to become a piano technician. In addition to the Detroit Windsor Chapter, financial support was also provided by the Northern Michigan and Western Michigan Chapters.

To learn more about what you can do individually and as part of a chapter to promote piano technology, the PTG and share and engage with your fellow members, visit www.ptg.org/members/member-outreach.

Winter Board Update

The PTG Board of Directors recently met at the Home Office in Kansas City for their Winter Board meeting. Watch your regional community at my.ptg.org for a newsletter from your RVP with an overview of the Board actions. Read about bylaws and policy changes, new projects, exam updates and more. Meeting minutes will be available in the PTG Member Forms & Documents area at www.ptg.org as soon as they are reviewed.

What's in the February 2025 Journal?

• False Beats: Understanding Through Critical Thinking, Part 1
• A Custom Soundboard Cleaning Tool that Saves Time and Effort
• The Practical Technician Hangs a Pegboard

The Piano Technicians Journal is always available 24-7 online. Read the February 2025 issue here.

NAMM and PIPPA

PTG was on the scene in January at both the National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, CA and the Piano Industry Professionals and Producers Affiliated event in Las Vegas. At NAMM, PTG was one of more than 1800 exhibitors who welcomed more than 60,000 exhibitors over the 3-day event. More than 40 PTG members took advantage of the free registration offer for PTG members. In addition to Home Office staff member Shawn Bruce, WRVP Lisa Weller, RPT and PTG Vice President David Stoneman, RPT staffed the booth. PTG Journal Editor Scott Cole, RPT was also in attendance and will report on the show in an upcoming issue.

PTG Secretary-Treasurer Ricki Klos, RPT staffed the PTG table (pictured above) at the January PIPPA event. This marked the second year for this event and attendance was double the previous year. Special thanks to Las Vegas Chapter member Kelly Dugger, RPT for loaning an action model to display at our booth.