Hello MMDers,  My name is Jurgen Goering, and I just recently "discov-
ered" the MMD.  My main interest is self-playing pianos and the music
they play.  Besides that, I am intrigued by orchestrions and antique or
early pianos

In the early 1980s, I served a three and one-half year apprenticeship
under a master craftsman piano builder in Germany.  I am now self-
employed as a tuner-technician here on the Canadian west coast, where
we grow record-sized Sitka spruce trees (94m = 300' or so).  After we
(they) cut them down, they are made mostly into telephone directories
and the like.  But I digress...  I am a member of the MBSI and somewhat
of a computer neophyte, so I am just starting to find my way around to
some interesting www sites.

I tune and restore pianos in my region and travel further afield to
work on mechanical musical instruments.  One of my recent challenges
was to restore to life the piano in a Philipps Paganini orchestrion,
identical to the one pictured in Bowers' Encyclopedia.  These rare
instruments are valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The owners
and I were overjoyed to hear the instrument performing again like it
hadn't been heard in decades.  (Anyone else with a tired Paganini out
there?)

I have been enjoying the recent submissions on piano quality lately.
Apropos Baldwin, a customer has a new Baldwin which has the music
stand designed in such a way that the music constantly slides off!
Her husband had to jury-rig a contraption for her to play the piano.
It sure makes you wonder...

Regards, Jurgen Goering

 [ Welcome aboard MMD, Jurgen, and I hope you'll tell us someday
 [ about your experiences as an apprentice.  I visited an old-time
 [ knifemakers shop in Germany and talked with the young apprentice.
 [ The lad explained that he spends several hours each week at the
 [ technical school, learning how to manage a business, and how
 [ to use a computer, of course.  Whereupon the master commented,
 [ "Yeah, he's even teaching me!"   -- Robbie