Posted by Joe S. on June 11, 2000 at 21:18:38:
In Reply to: Re: PLEASE FRIENDS, READ THIS(?? on future) posted by Jualez on June 11, 2000 at 20:39:07:
GREAT!! Some CONTROVERSY!!!:
Ahem...
"If repair is only one year, do that first. That will give you a pretty secure source of income..."
...as long as you have plenty of money in the bank with which to buy many of your customers NEW INSTRUMENTS, once the boo-boo's start-a happenin'.
A one-year repair school often covers ONE experience EACH with SIX or EIGHT different instruments...A trumpet, A trombone, A saxophone, A clarinet, etc., and WITH AN EXPERIENCED REPAIR TECH./TEACHER HANGING OVER ONE'S SHOULDER MUCH OF THE TIME. This year of introductory training does NOT qualify one to begin unsupervised work. This type of attitude often causes me to bite my lip when friends come in with their teenage children asking if I need any summer help "in the back".
No offense taken, but this gross underestimation of required ability and experience is often made. Incidentally, that is one reason why I never tell anyone what my hourly charge is. It seems to be worth it to my customers, and those who have access to my services (demand is out of control) feel much better paying me just a little MORE money (perhaps 110% - 200%) for 15 MINUTES of my work than paying a "washed-out" band director or alcoholic "retired" music store road salesman (in the back of the "old established" music store) to screw around for an HOUR AND A HALF with their instrument to REALLY mess it up.
This is a worthy pursuit, but a year doesn't cut it. After three years (AFTER the "one year) of a lot of screw-ups, some nice work will begin to be produced by a motivated apprentice. I have been at this for about 21 years. Perhaps beginning five years ago, the amount that I improved each year in my craft became less and less, but there are still plenty of things to learn from others and other things yet to figure out on my own.