ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER
May Meeting: (4th Monday)
Date: Monday, May 22, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Fields Piano
810 East Dyer Road, Santa Ana
Greetings to all Southern California piano technicians and readers of the PTG Southern California Newsletter.
Last month we had a small turnout for a very interesting and unusual meeting. Pamela Blanc, a Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique, was our guest speaker. The Alexander Technique was developed in the late 1800's by an actor named Frederick Alexander. The Australian born actor developed the technique to help in relaxing and stress relief. Much of the focus centers on the head and neck and the tension we carry throughout our daily lives. It does have to do with posture, but also how we carry our head and how it aligns with our bodies. If we are given the tools and training to relieve this stress we can perform better. This technique is used by musicians and actors and I'm sure in many other professions. It turned out that having a small group benefitted us all by allowing more individual assessment and hands-on evaluation of our posture while tuning. It was a lot of fun and very informative. Pamela explained a technique she called lengthening. I have been attempting to practice this technique while driving, at the computer, walking the dog. In just a few short days, and even the night of the meeting, my neck felt better. Now it's just a matter of developing the habit. If you missed the meeting, look it up. There is lots of information on the web, including a Facebook page.
On behalf of OC Chapter members I thank Fields Piano for hosting a great meeting, Pamela Blanc for her wonderful presentation, and Harry Bui for a five minute technical on speed tuning.
Next month our presenter will be South Bay's Bruce Stevens. Bruce will use a 1950's “quality grand action” to evaluate and create a road map for restoration. Often times you think you can just put some hammers and shanks on and all your problems will be solved. As we all know, you can be surprised by the problems that lurk in the darkness. Bruce will walk us through his process for determining what is wrong and what to do about it to achieve positive results.
Our very own Melissa Weidner, RPT is performing free outdoor concerts every Wednesday through the end of May at the Christ Cathedral in Orange. Besides being a brilliant technician, Melissa is an accomplished Carillonneur. Melissa will be performing from 12:40 pm until 1:00 pm every Wednesday unti the end of the month. It's a lot of fun on a beautiful property with a good lunch truck, too. If you have never heard a Carillon don't miss this rare opportunity. For more information visit Christ Cathedral on Facebook or visit www.ChristCathedralMusic.org.