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

Sun Mar 4 21:25:55 CST 2007

Amen; and we work to be better craftsmen every day...

J.c.S.
---- Eric Edwards <eric at elsjledwards.net> wrote: 
> 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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> >
> 
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