November 2024

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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.

Winter Board Meeting Deadline Approaches

If you intend to submit an RFA for discussion at the Winter Board meeting, it must be in the hands of the Bylaws Committee by November 30. Download the Request for Action form, and send to allan@allangilreath.com and copy bylaws@ptg.org.

2025 Dues

Invoices for 2025 PTG member dues were sent to your email inbox for online payment. To pay, log in as a member at www.ptg.org using your e-mail and password and click on PTG Members > My Portal, Paying online is quick and easy. When an invoice is ready to be paid, a small red number “1” will appear on the bell image in the upper right corner on the portal page. Click on the bell and a link to your invoice will appear.

If you’d like to set up monthly installment payments please contact the Home Office at 913-432-9975 before December 31. Please note that chapter dues must be paid in full. Monthly installments that were set up for 2024 will automatically continue in 2025 as long as a valid credit card has been saved to your account. If you need to change your payment method, please contact us at 913-432-9975.

Important Information for those On or Considering Installment Payment Plans

If you are currently on, or are thinking about going on, the installment plan offered by PTG for paying your annual membership dues, please read this important information.

According to PTG Organization Policies, Article I.B:

4. Members who elect to make payment installments will be required to set up automatic payments through the PTG website to be withdrawn on the 1st of each month. Members who have automatic payments not clearing will have until the 15th of the month to pay and re-establish the automatic payments. Members will be dropped on the 16th of the month for non-payment. An administration fee of $5 per month will be assessed to members who elect installment payments for dues.

5. Membership benefits (including a Piano Technicians Journal subscription) will cease when members are dropped from the active roll.

Also, please note that if you were on an installation plan when dues for the upcoming year were billed on November 1, the system automatically set up another installment plan AND charged the first (January) payment and the full amount of chapter dues. Then, in December, you will have your last payment for 2024. There will be no payment in January (because it’s done at the time of billing). On February 1, an installment payment for the new year will be charged to your bank account or credit card and again on the first of each month through December 2025.

Educational Opportunities

The 2025 PTG Convention in Des Moines is still a ways away (July 16-19, 2025), but there are a ton of educational opportunities available in the early months of 2025. Check them out at www.ptg.org/ptgmain/about/events

Nominations for 2024 PTG Awards

Know a PTG member you think deserves to be nominated for an award? Nominations will be accepted through December 31 for the PTG Hall of Fame, the Member of Note Award, and the Golden Hammer Award. Download a nomination form. Award criteria and a list of past recipients for each award can be found at www.ptg.org/members/awards. E-mail the nomination form along with any supporting documentation to awards@ptg.org.

Classified Ads, both online and in the Piano Technicians Journal, can also be a great way to reach a large audience of PTG members and non-members at an affordable price. Online classified ads can usually be placed and posted on the same day. If you are a plan-ahead type, you can combine a classified ad in the Journal with an online ad for one low price. Get details about advertising here or e-mail shawn@ptg.org.

Member Survey Highlights

Our thanks to the PTG members who responded to the recent member survey. We had a pretty even percentage of members and RPT members respond. The number one reason for joining PTG was for educational and professional development. The Piano Technicians Journal continues to be a very popular benefit of membership. Education and training is the number one chapter benefit. Improving technical educational offerings was ranked as the number one priority by members. 69% of PTG members are self-employed either full-time or part-time. Complete survey results will be available in the next couple of months.

Welcome, New Home Office Staff!

Dawn Dan-Irabor has joined PTG as our accountant. In his new role, he is responsible for recording and reporting PTG’s financial health. He is a recent accounting graduate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is eager to not only use his education but also improve. Dawn is the youngest of four siblings and enjoys reading and listening to books.

What's in the November 2024 Journal?

• The Art of Gentle Tuning
• A Plate Repair: 12 Years and Counting
• The Wonderful World of Electromechanical Keyboards

The Piano Technicians Journal is always available 24-7 online. Read the November issue now.

Holiday Hours

The PTG Home Office will be closed the following days:

November 28-29

December 24-26

January 1, 2025

There may be delays in PTG Store shipping during the holiday season. Please place any orders as soon as possible in order to ensure the most timely delivery.

Looking For a Journal Article?

Visit the online PTJ article search. You may search for an article by using key words that seem likely as well as the author and/or title. Type in search terms, hit return or click on the magnifying class icon, and all records that include the search term(s) will appear. This index of the Piano Technicians Journal from 1979-present was under the aegis of the PTG Education Committee. A big thanks to project coordinator Jason Kanter and the many volunteers who contributed to the index. Find it at www.ptg.org/members/journal-search.

Key Deadlines and Dates

• November 1, 2024 | Dues invoices for 2025 go out via email. Dues for 2025 are $360.00 and due by December 31, 2024.
• November 30, 2024 | Bylaws and Organizational Policy RFAs due to Bylaws Committee | See Bylaws Committee page for more information.
• December 20, 2024 | Committee reports, all other reports and other RFAs due to Barbara Cassaday, barbara@ptg.org
• December 31, 2024 | Award Nominations due for the Golden Hammer, Hall of Fame and Member of Note awards. Visit the Awards Committee page at www.ptg.org to learn more. Download an awards nomination form and submit nominations online to awards@ptg.org.
• December 31, 2024 | Last day for 2025 dues payments.
• February 1, 2025 | Nominations for PTG Board of Directors due. Positions include President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer and Regional Vice Presidents. Visit the Nominating Committee page at www.ptg.org to learn more. Submit nominations to nominating@ptg.org.
• February 3-5, 2025 | Winter PTG Board of Directors Meeting | PTG Home Office, Kansas City

Member Savings

Attend NAMM 2025

NAMM and the PTG have again partnered to offer members a free registration to the January 23-25, 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. Here’s how it works:

• You must be a PTG member.
• You MUST send an e-mail to shawn@ptg.org with your complete name and e-mail address by December 10, 2024. Please include NAMM NAME BADGE REQUEST in the subject line.
• That e-mail address will be shared with NAMM. You will receive an e-mail from NAMM with further instructions on how to complete the registration process. Once complete, you will receive confirmation from NAMM that your badge awaits you.

If you make it to the show, please make sure and stop by the PTG booth. More information about the NAMM show is available at www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend.

PIPPA Reduced Registration

PTG is pleased to offer its members $50 off registration for the 2025 PIPPA Show in Las Vegas. Scheduled for Jan 28-30, PIPPA is short for Piano Industry Professionals & Producers Affiliated and is a trade show event for piano dealers, piano salespeople, manufacturers, and others connected to the industry. The PTG discount code is PTG25. Register at www.pippaevent.org.