How I Got Into Piano Tuning and Repair

My journey started with buying used trombone, repairing them and reselling them. Then after my local piano tuner retired, my parents and I thought since I had some knowledge of trombone repair I could work on our in poor shape home piano. I started out by going with my Papa to my recently retired local piano tuner's house and learning from him for an afternoon. He showed me his first ever piano he worked on and taught me the basics of piano tuning. He also showed me and demonstrated some of the player pianos he had rebuilt/fixed up which I found that really interesting. After that I worked on my home piano off and on. After high school I decided to go to Wartburg College for Music Education, mostly because I liked teaching people how to play instruments and thought it would be a safe career. I did 2 1/2 years there, then moved to Dubuque, Iowa and started working at Menards(Home Improvement Store), while working there I got a console piano and started to get back into the piano tuning and repair. I was also using the Piano Technician's Academy's- Piano Tuning and Repair Course to learn and get better. Currently I am still working at Menards and on my piano tuning and repair skills with the course. My journey may have been a rocky one, but I hope this helps people realize that it may be a long winding road to find what you really want to do in life, but defintely don't settle for something that doesn't make you happy. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't work a job while also focusing on your goals and dreams in life. To accomplish your goals and dreams may take time, so be patient and put in the work.