My, how time flies!
It has been 30 years that I passed my German State Examinations to become certified and receive the diploma as a Journeyman Piano Maker.
A number of times during the 3 and 1/2 preceding years of my apprenticeship under an old Master Craftsman I thought the day would never come when I would finish the arduous training program.  But of course I survived. 

Once finished in 1984, I thought I had the world at my feet.  It took only a short while, however, to come to the understanding that my learning was far from over, indeed that I had only begun what would become a lifelong journey of more experience, broader knowledge and deeper understanding of the intricacies of the wondrous instrument that the piano is.

Even now, in 2014, I exchange ideas with local and international colleagues, I read technical articles, journals and books, I travel across the country yearly to attend technical conferences, expanding my knowledge.  I have also begun to teach classes at these conferences, sharing what I have learned with others in the piano technical community.

It is all in a cycle of living and growing and giving.