[Trombone-l] Trombone is cool because it is simple

[Stan Brager]

Eric;

I didn't mean to besmirch the reputation of instrument repair people - all that I've come across in my brief musical life have had the dedication, concern and training which I long for in other fields.

Stan
Stan Brager
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Eric Edwards 
  To: Stan Brager ; Trombone-L 
  Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 11:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Trombone is cool because it is simple


  Stan & Chris & everyone,

  Regarding craftsmen & women.

  There are still a few of us around that really care about and truly love what we do.



  Thanks

  Eric 



  >-----Original Message-----
  >From: Stan Brager [mailto:sbrager at socal.rr.com]
  >Sent: Sunday, March 4, 2007 12:46 PM
  >To: 'Chris Tune', 'Trombone-L'
  >Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Trombone is cool because it is simple
  >
  >Chris;
  >
  >I truly sympathize with you. When I was growing up, if something broke or
  >needed some repairs, you took the item to a craftsman who either told you
  >that if was broken beyond repair or fixed what was wrong - I can't remember
  >taking anything back because it wasn't repaired correctly.
  >
  >Today, that concept of the craftsman has been largely lost and forgotten,
  >service technicians are poorly trained and paid, and companies are trying to
  >accomplish service on the cheap. To compound the problem even more, many
  >technicians who understand the technical aspect of the products they service
  >don't understand their products from the non-technical aspect of their
  >customers.
  >
  >I miss the craftsmen and women of earlier days.
  >
  >Stan
  >Stan Brager
  >----- Original Message ----- 
  >From: "Chris Tune" <crtune at adelphia.net>
  >To: "Stan Brager" <sbrager at socal.rr.com>; "Trombone-L"
  ><TROMBONE-L at server5.SAMFORD.EDU>
  >Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 12:46 PM
  >Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Trombone is cool because it is simple
  >
  >
  >> We don't know how lucky we are with our musical instrument purchases.
  >> Generally we know if something is included or missing from our "kit".
  >>
  >> I just got through a NIGHTMARE having gotten a port replicator (model
  >> xb2000) for my HP laptop. . . .the $150 port rep came without an adaptor
  >to
  >> match my model of laptop. . .. and that was just the BEGINNING of the hell
  >I
  >> had to face. . . .you see the HP website and literature makes it sound
  >like
  >> you can attach a model zv5000 laptop to this port replicator ("NO!" . .
  >.of
  >> course not. . .that would be too easy). But the reality is that you need
  >an
  >> adaptor. . .
  >>
  >> I spent a fourty five minute pleasant session with a guy from the area
  >> somewhere not far from India (yes, you can judge these things by the sound
  >> of people's voices). Nice guy. . .just didn't speak english (or American
  >> English for the academics) quite well enough to be doing customer service
  >> for a technical company.
  >>
  >> After almost ordering an $85 power supply order. . . .which, when he was
  >> nice enough to say "AC adapter" . . .I then cancelled, cancelled,
  >cancelled.
  >>
  >> Imagine if you bought a trombone and you only found out after you got the
  >> order sent to you that no MOUTHPIECE was included and that you needed to
  >> order one from the online "PARTS STORE".
  >>
  >> We don't do that in our world. In our world, we almost invariably are
  >able
  >> to simply disclose what is included and what is not included. That brings
  >> us to why the Trombone is one of the coolest musical instruments in the
  >> world -- it is SIMPLE.
  >>
  >> Simple doesn't make life easy, or make mastery easy, in fact it can make
  >> mastery very hard. But it makes dealing with the details, the maintenance
  >> the stucture much easier. We simpy need to be sure the tubes are not
  >> dented, and that they are parallel. We need to periodically clean our
  >axe.
  >> We need to practice. Basic stuff.
  >>
  >> LESSON
  >>
  >> Always keep things simple [repeat - the simpler way is the better -- it's
  >> the way the Internet was invented i.e. IP just works on getting packets
  >to
  >> the next point in the network]
  >>
  >> Always disclose everything totally, clearly and honestly. [if I knew
  >> another part was needed, I'd probably just order it. . .it's the
  >awkwardness
  >> of getting a runaround that is hateful] Sometimes it seems like disclosure
  >> is a burden, but in the end, it's the best policy.
  >>
  >> The things that keep businesses from growing beyond a certain size often
  >are
  >> hundreds and thousands of tiny ommissions, oversights and
  >miscommunications.
  >>
  >> Very large organizations are infinitely more bureaucratic than small
  >> organizations and this causes them to be massively more DISFUNCTIONAL in
  >> tiny ways that make working with them much more frustrating, and much less
  >> efficient. . . .this breeds a class of "experts" who know the "in's and
  >> outs" (e.g. your tax preparer)
  >>
  >> Anyway, I hope everybody is having a good weekend. I'm sitting here
  >trying
  >> to calm down.
  >>
  >> Chris
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >
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