Rick Butler, RPT, CTE, TEC
Rick served as one of the Concert Artist Technicians for Steinway & Sons in Washington, D.C., for many years. His service as a concert technician includes many years with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center, Washington Performing Arts Society, and the White House. His piano rebuilding experience encompasses work on all components of the instrument, including re-stringing, bridge and soundboard repair/replacement, pin block replacement, keyframe, and key manufacture, as well as complete action, underlever, and trap work repair, replacement, and regulation.
Within the Piano Technicians Guild, he has served his chapter (Washington D.C.), as President, Vice President, and Secretary, as well as serving on various committees locally and nationally.
He has also lectured at local, regional, and national meetings on such subjects as tuning, voicing, regulation, and various aspects of Rebuilding. Rick is a Certified Tuning (CTE) and Technical (TEC) Examiner for the Piano Technicians Guild. As such, he participates in the administration of the Piano Technicians Guild written, tuning, and technical examinations.
Maggie Jusiel, RPT, CTE
While a student at Concord University, Maggie became very interested in acoustics and the physics involved with musical instruments and enthusiastically pursued information on the subject. Since pianos have inharmonicity problems not always found in other instruments, there were books specifically devoted to the physics and history of pianos. After reading these, she became fascinated with the history of temperaments and what was involved with setting temperaments in pianos and other instruments.
When she was fortunate enough to become a McNair Scholar, she used their resources further to pursue her interest in acoustics and music theory. She started a pre-graduate thesis on acoustics but eventually settled and completed one related to music theory. Although less directly related to piano tuning, this further helped her understand harmony and how important it is for certain overtones to line up to attain an aesthetically pleasing sound.
Her husband learned basic aural tuning from a piano technician at the Cincinnati Baldwin factory before completing his doctorate in music theory and composition at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He taught her what he knew in the late 90s and got her started in the field of piano tuning by 2002. She learned more about tuning, regulation, voicing, and repair from members of the Piano Technicians Guild, which she joined in 2004. She spent time at the Yamaha factory in California to gain Disklavier service certification in March of 2008 and piano regulation certification in May of 2010. She became a Certified Aural Tuner through the Butler School of Piano Technology and a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technician's Guild in August 2020.
In 2021, Maggie began working with the Butler School of Piano Technology as a teacher, tutor, or assistant. She is working on a YouTube series: Music Theory for Piano Technicians. Maggie, too, is a Certified Tuning Examiner for the Guild.
Her satisfied customers include The Ahn Trio, Leon Bates, Fran Bellin, Chris Brubeck, Freddy Cole, Lynn Mackey, Pianafiddle (Adam DeGraff), The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the Vienna Boys Choir.
Kate Therrien, RPT, TEC
Kate is a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) with the Piano Technicians Guild. She is also a Certified Technical Examiner for the Piano Technicians Guild.
We were extremely excited and fortunate when she agreed to join our staff. Her background working with students at the college and university level brings a fresh perspective to our faculty.
She completed her study at the Butler School of Piano Technology with an emphasis on aural tuning. With her background in mathematics, Kate applies her problem-solving skills to improve the condition of pianos by tuning, regulation, and repairs.
Having an aunt who graduated from a conservatory in piano performance and education, the piano has been in Kate’s life from early on. While she was keen on playing, what fascinated her was the process of piano tuning. As was the custom in Japan in the 80s, a piano technician would come to her home and tune the family piano aurally as he played various chords that sounded nothing like any musical piece. She has carried her interest throughout the years, and when the opportunity arose, she decided to pursue piano technology as a career.
Prior to it, Kate studied Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Science with Honors. Her exposure to the subject that combines conceptual theories and practical applications has translated well into piano technology. She has years of experience as a tutor at a college where she supports students of various ages, races, gender, background, and learning disabilities.
Since she joined the Piano Technicians Guild in 2020, she has been learning and volunteering with its members. She has completed her study in aural tuning and technical skills at the Butler School of Piano Technology and passed all the certification exams to become a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild in 2022. In 2023, Kate joined the Butler School of Piano Technology as an instructor. She is actively involved with the Piano Technicians Guild at the local and national level.