News and Events:
Over time, we will add details about major up-coming events and news about the school. Please visit this page on a regular basis to see what is happening at The Chicago School for Piano Technology.
- Congratulations to the class of 2010, August 15, 2010! Photo album here...
From the left: Tim Niblack, Sabra Berkley, Salem Settlemeyer, Jim Rielley (Not pictured: Christa Andrepont, Advanced Curriculum/Concert Preparation completing her summer at Tanglewood on this date)
- Another amazing seminar at CSPT! Trevor Stephenson, accompanied by Norman Sheppard, on Saturday August 7th, brought his 7' double manual harpsichord along to join 4 other pianos all tuned in different temperaments. He spent the afternoon lovingly demonstrating to us the language of key signatures that exists in "historical temperaments", but which is opaque in equal temperament. He played from an extensive repertoire and all the while spoke as he played about the changing tonalities and emotions evoked by the changing variations in intervallic structure. He was joined in the last hour by two of his ensemble musicians, violinist Brandi Berry and cellist Anna Steinhoff, to play with the harpsichord in a French modified meantone temperament. Amazing! The program notes are available here, and there are various photos from the seminar here.
- Mother Nature provided a perfect day for the 1st Annual Alumni Garden Party at the home of Paul and Oksana Revenko-Jones!
- The enrollment process is always open! Contact us if you are interested and have questions. If you are considering studying with us, you need now to begin to think about a decision for Fall 2010 or beyond. If you missed the recent Open House, we will still welcome your visit to the School at any time by prior arrangement. Don't hesitate--enrollment is growing! CSPT has decided to hold tuition costs at the current level through the school year 2010-2011 due to current economic conditions. We will, however, be considering a tuition increase in the following year. If you are considering studying with us, you may wish to take advantage of this.
- CSPT is most pleased to announce that Laura Olsen, RPT, has agreed to join the faculty of the School as an instructor in regulation and repair topics. She brings a wealth of technical and personal experience to the School, as well as deep and on-going involvement with the Piano Technicians Guild. She is currently the VP of the PTG Foundation and a curator of the Foundation’s Museum of Piano Technology in Kansas City, KS. Laura has been a piano technician since 1985. Find out more about her on the Faculty page. Welcome, Laura!
- CSPT has introduced a new part of the curriculum into the overall School structure. It is called the Inter-Term, and will run between the 1st and 2nd quarters from the last week of November until just before the December holidays. The purpose of the Inter-Term is to create a period of structured practice time for students who have completed the first quarter and who have just been introduced to tuning the temperament. It will be a required part of the curriculum, and details will be outlined both in the Basic Curriculum pages as well as in the Student Handbook.
- The Chicago School for Piano Technology is pleased to announce that, as of 1/25/10, the School has been approved for Candidacy for Accreditation by the NCA-CASI (North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For further details about this process and its impact on School visibility for potential students, please visit the NCA site.
- CSPT offers two new avenues for interested students! We are now approved for IMMIGRANT STUDENTS through SEVIS, and for VETERANS by way of the GI Bill through the Illinois State Approving Agency. Those who may qualify should contact us for more information regarding enrollment and application procedures.
- Please note that, as of January 1, 2010, CSPT has changed its business structure from for-profit LLC to a not-for-profit corporation. There is now a new Board of Directors for the School: http://pianotechschool.com/CSPTBoardofDirectors.html.
- Christa Andrepont, who graduated the Basic Curriculum in August 2009 and is halfway through the Advanced Curriculum in Concert Prep and Institutional Management, has been selected as the Advanced Intern for the Tanglewood Festival and the Boston Symphony in the summer of 2010. She will be responsible for the Ozawa Pavilion concert instruments as well as the regular duties of these highly selected interns. Congratulations, Christa!
- Through the kindness of the author, the required book The Wonders of the Piano: The Anatomy of the Instrument by Catherine Bielefeldt is now available gratis from CSPT when an applicant has completed the Enrollment Agreement.
- A new page on the website, http://pianotechschool.com/Donations.html, might give donors of pianos some guidance, and there is also a description and link to the Chicago Chapter's Gift of Pianos program.
- CSPT is pleased to announce that the School is now a venue for RPT testing. Anyone interested in tuning or technical testing should contact their local PTG chapter representative to arrange for the tests which can be given on site at CSPT, overseen by the local CTE's and TEC's. The written exam will be handled by Paul Revenko-Jones RPT by direct arrangement.
- Please notice that we have added a page to the website showcasing our graduates. The main link to that page can also be found on the main menu of each page. Unless otherwise indicated, all of our graduates are open to being contacted by interested applicants to CSPT as references for the school and to speak of their experiences here and after graduating.
- For anyone interested in the Advanced Curriculum, Rebuilding option, we currently have one client piano available for restoration by a student. Consider the advantages! For more information on that course structure, go to Advanced Curriculum.
- Yes! We are on Facebook! Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chicago-School-for-Piano-Technology/118110598222092 to see us.
