2020 NAMM Show – January 16-19, 2020
Anaheim Convention Center, Los Angeles, California
Each January Randi travels down to Anaheim for the NAMM* Show. Many in the music industry refer to this as “the Big Music Show”, but Randi says “It is just a small show, with exhibits from a few thousand exhibitors, showing products from over 7,000 manufacturers, to about 100,000 people attending, who come from over 100 countries.”
*The name NAMM stands for North American Musical Manufacturers, and was developed when most of the musical instruments sold in America were actually made here. The majority are now made elsewhere, and they have shortened the name to simply NAMM. While this is a Members Only event, PTG members may usually attend the show free of charge, provided they apply to PTG for a pass early enough (before a cut-off date the prior November), or by paying a fee if they apply late.
Randi generally goes several days early (as she is doing this year) in order to visit friends in the Los Angeles area, tune and service pianos from various manufacturers prior to the show opening, and get a chance to inspect and measure pianos from around the world “up close and personal”. This year she plans to gather the final information and specifications for a new edition of The Piano Action Handbook, which is published by the Piano Technicians Guild. She edited the Third Edition, and this new Fourth Edition is “an even bigger deal”, she says, because they are planning to also release it in iPhone and Android apps, which will make it available to technicians in every country around the world.
PTG Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference (MARC) – April 22-27, 2020
Crowne Plaza Wilmington North hotel, 630 Naamans Rd.
The MARC is generally the largest regional PTG conference, with the most instructors, most exhibitors, most classes and most and best food and entertainment events of any of the conferences.
Randi will be teaching two classes; Tuning Fundamentals: The Old and The New (which she will also be teaching at the PTG Annual Convention and Institute in Orlando in July), and a regulating class titled It Is ALL about the Jack.
The MARC web page is www.ptgmarc.org.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, March 23-28, 2020
Randi will be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania the week of March 23, on personal business, and would be happy to meet with students and others to talk pianos and tuning. Call the school to arrange an appointment, or email Randi at Randi@PianoTuning.com.
63rd Annual PTG Convention and Technical Institute, July 29 – August 2, 2020
Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, Orlando, FL
This convention really begins the prior Monday, July 27, when delegates to its annual Council of Delegates begin checking in. The first day of Council is Tuesday the 27th. Monday evening the Randy Potter School hosts an evening Reception for all in attendance.
Many will use Monday and/or Tuesday for sight-seeing, or going to DisneyWorld, EPCOT, Universal Pictures, or Cape Canaveral. My favorite thing in Orlando is The EPCOT Center’s international villages. When I took my children there when they were 10 and 12, we had dinner every night at EPCOT. One night was in France, another night in Germany, another in England, another in Morocco. The “cities”, and restaurants, are operated by nationals from each country, who come to work for six months and then return home to their country. It is a great experience for adults who have not traveled to these countries (and those who have), and an even greater experience for your children, as you share the world with them. I will be going several days early, in order to spend time “around the world” with friends (including you, whoever you are, if you are coming, too).
Tuesday evening is the Grand Opening, with a gathering celebrating states and countries attendees hail from, remembrance of those who has passed in the prior year, and an awards ceremony for various PTG awards. This is followed by a time of visiting with friends old and new, and great food.
Randi will be teaching two classes:
In Tuning Fundamentals: The Old and the New, she demonstrates how to perform stable tunings while caring for your best and most expensive tool – your body.
The Five Masters class includes favorite techniques from five RPTs; Kathy Smith, Debbie Cyr, Jack Stebbins, Lucy Urlacher and Randi.