Need Training?
Well-Loved Piano provides mentorships and training to aspiring piano technicians all over the United States. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how much (or little) experience you have, or where you live. If you love pianos and you are interested in becoming a professional piano technician, we will provide you with a mentorship and help you build an amazing career in piano technology.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
Well-Loved Piano does not charge for the time we invest in your mentorship. However, we are highly selective and don’t accept everyone. If you don’t aspire to be the best technician in your city, then we can tell you right now this opportunity is not right for you.
What if I don’t have a musical background?
Some of the best piano technicians in the world don’t have a musical background. Regardless of your background, Well-Loved Piano’s apprenticeship program exists to help you develop your skills and build an amazing career as a professional piano technician.
What if I don’t have any experience?
We don’t require any experience to begin an apprenticeship. Everyone on our team knows what it feels like to have no experience and no clue how to go about learning a trade you know very little about. The Well-Loved Piano apprenticeship program is the first of its kind and is designed to identify and train a group of people who want to become the best technician in their city.
What is the goal of each apprenticeship?
Our apprenticeships are highly focused and fast paced. Everyone who is accepted into our apprenticeship program joins our team and begins working towards a paid position. First as a "apprentice’ and eventually as a professional piano technician.
Where is the training located?
The initial training is all online combined with onsite ‘boot camps’ in Charlotte, NC. Each week you will participate in a WLP training webinar and home study with your mentor. During these meetings you will set goals, ask questions, and refine your skills.
How are mentorships structured?
WLP Mentorships use small goals built around 12-week cycles. Every 12 weeks you will be focused on 3-4 attainable goals. At the end of each 12 week cycle we take a week of rest, reflection, and plan your next set of 12-week goals. You will set your own goals, but there is a catch. You have to push yourself outside your comfort zone. These strategic rhythms of short-term attainable goals combined with periods of rest are an integral part of the culture of Well-Loved Piano.
How long do mentorships last?
Most apprentices are able to deliver a stable tuning after just a few months and are out in the field working as an apprentice within 6 months. They are strategically focused on quickly giving you the skills you need to be out in the field, while at the same time never going faster than the speed of your current skills. We attain more doing 12 week goals than most people achieve in a year.
If at any point you are unable to meet your goals, then out of respect for each other’s time we will end the apprenticeship. We do this because we want to see you thrive, If this isn’t a good fit for you then we want to free you up to pursue something else with your time.
Are you a ‘School of Piano Technology’
No. It is important to note that we are not a ‘School of Piano Technology’. We simply evaluate your current skills and then work with you to set goals, provide mentorship, and give you a clear path to becoming the best technician in your city.
Do I need to buy tools?
Yes, eventually you will need to buy a full set of tools ($2,000+). However, Well-Loved Piano has a ‘Tool Bank’ of high quality tools for apprentices to use for as little as $3/day (This includes a copy of the industry leading CyberTuner & a Reyburn Tuning Lever). We do teach aural and traditional skills but we have found that having high quality tools early in your career can shave years off your learning curve. As your skills progress your mentor will work with you to guide you through the process of buying the right tool at the right time.
This is not a program for people who only want to be hobbyists
In order to respect the value of each other’s time, we are highly selective with our apprenticeship program. Professional piano service is a time-intensive field of study that requires a high level of dedication. It is likely the best career you will ever have, but nobody learns this trade overnight. Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to train you if you are not serious about making this your full-time career.
What if I am not sure this career is a good fit for me?
No worries. This is exactly the question our apprenticeship program will answer. And fast. We will not offer you a mentorship if we don’t see potential in you.
What kind of income potential is there?
Working a ‘sane’ schedule of 3-4 appointments per day, a full-time piano technician at Well-Loved Piano can easily take home $70,000-$112,000/year. It is important to note that there are some self-employed technicians out there who earn more than this by tuning 5-10 pianos a day / 52 weeks out of the year. But in our experience, this level of production is insanity and has a ton of hidden costs on almost every level (personal, professional, spiritual, physical…)
At Well-Loved Piano having a successful career isn’t about getting in the Guinness world book of records for ‘most number of tuning pins turned’. Rather it is about becoming the best piano technician in your city. This requires a level of focus and discipline that goes far beyond ‘quantity of pianos tuned’ and strikes at the core of what we believe it means to be a professional piano technician.
Do I need to become a Registered Piano Technician (RPT)? or be part of the Piano Technician’s Guild?
No. But we think you should want to. Being an RPT and participating in a trade organization is not about getting a set of letters after your name. RPT is simply the highest certification available in our trade for over 60 years. Participating in the PTG gives you opportunities to challenge yourself and a community of local technicians to network with. The PTG is vital to our trade we are proud to support these time honored traditions.
Do you teach aural tuning?
Yes. And we also believe there is value in ETDs. We believe that developing your aural skills unlocks things in your brain that heighten your other senses and increases your ability to keenly aware of the things you need to hear. Over time this helps you do better voicing, build better tone, and execute better regulations. Honing your aural skills is about more than just tuning. It is a way of saying to ourselves ‘we are not satisfied to be an average technician’.
Should I use an Electronic tuning device?
Yes, and as a Well-Loved Piano Apprentice you get access to your own copy of CyberTuner (the industries best ETD/App) when you rent your tools from the Well-Loved Piano ‘Tool-Bank’. Our philosophy towards ETD’s is ‘Use it, benefit from it, master it. And when you find you are no longer challenged by the ETD then aspire to something greater’. But whatever you do, surround yourself with other like minded technicians who are not satisfied with the status-quo. This is a sure-fire way to put yourself on shortest path to becoming the best technician in your city.
