About
ProPTN was started simply as a way to use time productively at home during the first wave of Covid-19, but it quickly developed into so much more: an opportunity to modernize accessibility to technician education. Recognizing the archaic nature of this craft, a small group of technicians set out to build an online resource for technicians of all skill levels, sizes, ages, and backgrounds to use in their daily work providing quality care for their pianos and themselves.
ProPTN is dedicated to removing barriers of access to piano technology. Our content exists because of our hardworking team members sacrificing countless hours to fulfill a desire to share knowledge with our community.
It is our intention to always keep membership affordable - especially for students who are already shouldering the cost of tools and educational materials, all while starting a new career. Membership fees support the content you see here and help us grow and develop more resources for technicians. We are already working hard to bring even more exciting features to the platform to continue pioneering a better future for the industry, and every dollar of membership subscriptions goes towards supporting that goal.
Thank you for being a part of our community!
- Hannah
Meet the Team
Guest Authors
Kate Redding
A registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, Redding earned her Master of Arts in Musical Arts with an emphasis on piano technology in 2012 from Florida State University, a Diploma in Piano Technology from Western Ontario University in 2006 and Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in 2003. She received her C.F. Theodore Steinway Technical Academy Certification in 2009 from the Steinway & Sons Piano Factory in Queens, New York.
Redding’s professional experience includes an internship with Aspen Music Festival, work with a Steinway & Sons piano dealership, and work preparing instruments for such pianists as Alexei Grynyuk, Joey Calderazzo, Julia Den Boer, Adam Neiman, Thomas Sauer, Robert McDonald, Peter Frankl, and Allyn Johnson, as well as other musicians including violinist Joshua Bell, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, multi-instrumentalist and composer Bobby McFerrin, jazz vocalist Maurice Hines and more.
Jim Busby
Jim currently lives in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and is the father of four children and 5 grandchildren. He regularly attends classes and improves his skills. He continually seeks for new and better ways to teach “The Art and Science of Piano Tuning and Technology” to others. His 48 years as a piano technician include 13 years of full-time concert work for Brigham Young University, 22 years as an adjunct college music teacher, 9 years as a full-time second education teacher, and multiple educational committee positions for the PTG and Master Piano Technicians organizations.
Jason Cassel
Jason Cassel currently serves as a Piano Technician for the Brigham Young University School of Music. He graduated with his MA in Piano Technology from Florida State University and earned his BM in Commercial Music from BYU. Jason has served as a Senior Piano Technician for the Aspen Music Festival and has received manufacturer training from Steinway & Sons, Yamaha, Mason & Hamlin, and Renner USA.
Jason is a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. He has received the Jack Greenfield Award in recognition of his publications, which include over two dozen articles, an eBook on harpsichord maintenance, and six instructional video courses on aural tuning.
The Acoustics of Voicing: Analyzing the Spectral Effects of the Voicing Process
Part 1: Measuring the "Unmeasurable"
Sofia de la Peña
Sofia de la Peña is a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) with the Piano Technicians Guild. She was professionally trained at North Bennet Street School (NBSS) in Boston, MA and graduated from their Piano Technology Program. Sofia started piano lessons when she was 8 years old and built a thriving studio before entering NBSS. She's now dedicated to servicing pianos in Northern Virginia and is the concert technician for George Mason University. Her studio includes private clients and institutions, and she enjoys working alongside the technical team at Levine School in Washington D.C.
Anne Garee
Anne Garee enjoyed her career as Head Piano Technician and as Faculty Director for Piano Technology at the Florida State University College of Music for 33 years. She designed and directed the Master of Arts in Piano Technology program mentoring piano technicians in one of the most comprehensive colleges of music in the nation. Graduates of the program now serve as piano technicians in communities and institutions worldwide. Anne is retired from FSU and now enjoys concert tuning for regional artist series as well as piano service and restoration projects for private clients. She welcomes technicians to her shop for individualized training in action analysis and rebalancing. In 2016, Anne joined the Piano Technology Board of Advisors at North Bennet Street School and has been delighted to work with students there both in person and remotely. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and completed the graduate level apprenticeship program for the Certificate in Piano Technology from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She has taken training at Steinway, Yamaha and Bosendorfer and is a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. She is an active clinician both in the U.S. and abroad.