PIANO TUNING. First Grade. The general study of pitch and musical intervals. Their application as employed in tuning. Structure of the temperament. Second Grade. Principles and practice of piano tuning continued. Musical acoustics, embracing the theory of scales, harmonics, beats and temperaments. general construction of pianoforte begun. Third Grade. Study of Tuning continued as in previous grades. Study of mechanism of pianoforte action in minutest detail. Stringing and principles of action regu lating. Simple repairing operations. Fourth Grade. Tuning practice as in previous grades. Setting up and regulating piano actions. Voicing, capping, etc. REPORT OF THE TUNING DEPARTMENT. Mr. O. H. BURRITT, Superintendent: Dear Sir. The following report of the tuning department is respectfully submitted: Twelve pupils received instruction in tuning during the year. Five of these were in the two higher grades-they had advanced far enough in tuning in action work to be able to undertake work outside of the tuning department. The pianos of the music department were kept in repair and tuned by these advanced pupils. Some tuning was done outside the school, and the pupils received pay at the regular rate. Perhaps they could get more to do if the price were put a little below what experienced tuners get. The educational value of this kind of practice is so evident that any project to provide as much as as our pupils need while under the instruction of the tuning teacher, should receive the most thoughtful consideration. The successful efforts to secure factory positions for a few of our tuners during the summer vacation were most commendable. The interests of the school would be promoted if factory practice could be made a part of the course of instruction in tuning to every pupil, not only because of the exceptional advantages of factory experience, but if a demand could be created for factory tuners from our school, many could be trained for that work who are not now considered eligible to the tuning department. The expense of demonstrating the correctness of this view would not be very great and would seem to be warranted by the success of a similar movement in the Philadelphia school. The money value of the work done by the tuning department during the year 1904-5 was approximately as follows: Sixty tunings at $1.50 (this includes minor incidental repairs). . . Three Chickering pianos renewed, at $10.. $90 00 30 00 $120 00 This work was all for the music department. I have no record of the money received by the pupils for work done outside the school. Yours respectfully, FRANK S. HARRIS, Instructor of Tuning. |