October 2024 PTG Member E-news

October 2024

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.

2025 Dues Renewal

Invoices for 2025 PTG member dues will be delivered to your email inbox and available for online payment on November 1. Make sure your e-mail address is correct by logging into www.ptg.org and clicking on PTG Members > My Portal on the portal page, click on the person image in the upper right corner and select My Profile. Learn how to update your login information at my.ptg.org/help/userfaq. If you don’t see your invoice in your email inbox, check your Spam/Junk folders or contact the Home Office. Dues for 2025 are $360 (plus chapter dues, if applicable).

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. Click on the bell and a link to your invoice will appear. Note: Chapter dues must be paid in full but if you’d like to set up monthly installment payments for the PTG portion please contact the Home Office at 913-432-9975 before December 31. 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 prior to November 1. Paper invoices will only be mailed to those who do not have an e-mail address on file.

Survey Information

This fall, PTG is conducting a member survey. Your participation is critical to making sure survey information reflects the needs, interests and priorities of our members. The survey was scheduled to arrive in your email on October 1. Please contact the PTG Home Office at ptg@ptg.org if you did not receive a link.

What's in the October 2024 Journal?

2024 Annual PTG Convention and Technical Institute (Wrap-Up)
Take me Back to the Ballgame: Revisiting Upright Aftertouch
The Practical Technician Makes a Table Extender for Vertical Actions

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

Grand Action Regulation in 37 Steps

Ten students gathered October 10-12 for our Fall 2024 Grand Action Regulation in 37 Steps class at the PTG Home Office in Kansas City. Here’s a peek at some of the things they did. If you are interested in attending the spring 2025 three-day GAR37 class, please send an email to Kathy Maxwell at kathy@ptg.org. You can always view upcoming educational events at www.ptg.org.

Welcome, New Home Office Staff!

Kara Keck recently joined the PTG Home Office as the new Administrative Assistant. She’ll be the first point of contact for calls into the office as well as assisting with office duties and the PTG Store. Keck is mom to 6 kids and 2 cats and grandma to 3. She enjoys watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and loves chocolate with peanut butter and caramel. Contact her at Kara@ptg.org.

2024 Reno Convention Souvenir Pins

The Reno, NV Chapter still has pins left over from the 2024 PTG Convention. Whether you were able to attend or not, these custom-designed pins are a unique way to commemorate an annual convention. If 10 or more go to the same address you can purchase them at the convention price of $5 each, shipping included. For smaller orders they are $10 each which will cover shipping. Contact Dennis Roberts by texting 530-251-6251 or sending an email to robertspiano@frontiernet.net.

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.

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.

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