Professional Resume

Brian L. Janey, RPT, AM

Accredited Appraiser – Personal Property, Designation: Pianos and Keyboard Instruments
Registered Piano Technician (RPT)

Fallbrook, California, United States

Professional Profile

Accredited Senior Appraiser specializing in pianos and keyboard instruments, with more than 25 years of combined experience in valuation, connoisseurship, restoration, and technical analysis of fine and historic pianos. Recognized nationally for subject‑matter expertise at the intersection of piano technology and USPAP‑compliant appraisal practice. Frequently consulted by private clients, estates, fiduciaries, CPAs, attorneys, insurance professionals, and restoration specialists for complex valuation assignments involving damage, loss, charitable contributions, and market analysis.

Distinctive background includes long‑standing leadership and instructional roles within the Piano Technicians Guild, national conference presentations on piano valuation, and applied experience evaluating instruments affected by fire, smoke, soot, water intrusion, and catastrophic loss events.

Professional Affiliations & Credentials

  • Accredited Member, American Society of Appraisers (ASA), 2019–Present

  • Registered Piano Technician (RPT), Piano Technicians Guild (PTG), 1998–Present

  • Member, National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), 2002–Present

  • President, San Diego County Chapter, Piano Technicians Guild, 2019–Present

Education

Bachelor of Arts, English
Bethany College, Scotts Valley, California, 1989

Diploma, Piano Technology
Randy Potter School of Piano Technology, Bend, Oregon, 1999

Appraisal Education & Continuing Professional Development

American Society of Appraisers (ASA)

  • Introduction to Personal Property Valuation, 2020

  • Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), 2020

  • COVID‑19: Practical Aspects of Personal Property Appraisal Practice, 2020

  • USPAP Update Courses, 2021, 2023, 2024

  • Fair Market Value: Appraising Personal Property for Non‑Cash Charitable Contributions and Estates, 2021

  • Development of a Personal Property Appraisal: Research and Analysis, 2022

  • Communication of a Personal Property Appraisal: Report Writing, 2022

  • Personal Property Valuation: Legal and Commercial Environments, 2022

ASA National Conferences & Symposia (Selected Coursework Summaries)

  • Expert Witness Testimony, Scope of Work Rules, Appraiser Liability, Appraisal Review, Online Auctions, and Litigation Case Studies, 2021

  • IRS Views of Appraisals, Forensic Authentication, Economic Outlook, Appraisals in the Courtroom, 2022

  • Pension Protection Act of 2006, IRS Publication 561, Non‑Fungible Tokens and Valuation, Art Auction Markets, 2023

  • Charitable Contribution Appraisals, Blockage Issues, Bankruptcy Valuation, Insurance and Inflation Risk, Historical Valuation Methodologies, 2023

  • AI Ethics and Valuation, Cost and Income Approaches, IRS Scrutiny Avoidance, Fine Art Market Trends, 2024

  • Valuation in Bankruptcy, Objectivity After Catastrophic Loss, IRS Panel on Valuation Issues, Fighting Fakes in an AI‑Driven Market, 2025

Professional Experience

Registered Piano Technician & Appraiser

Allegro Musical Ventures, Inc. – Fallbrook, California
1998–Present

  • Perform USPAP‑compliant appraisals of pianos and keyboard instruments for insurance scheduling, damage and loss claims, estates, trusts, charitable contributions, litigation support, and private sale advisory.

  • Provide valuation consulting for CPAs, fiduciaries, insurance adjusters, attorneys, and executors.

  • Conduct condition surveys and written reports on instruments damaged by fire, smoke, soot, flooding, environmental contamination, and improper handling or storage.

  • Apply advanced connoisseurship and technical analysis to distinguish legitimate market comparables from non‑comparable listings.

  • Execute and supervise shop‑level reconditioning, restoration, and mechanical regulation to professional performance standards.

  • Service pianos in concert halls, orchestral series, festivals, and professional venues, frequently working directly with touring and celebrity artists.

  • Restore and evaluate pianos affected by catastrophic events, including wildfire‑related smoke and ash exposure.

  • Diagnose, calibrate, repair, and replace electronic and robotic systems across all generations of Yamaha Disklavier reproducing player pianos.

  • Educate clients on piano history, manufacture, maintenance, depreciation, and replacement value for risk‑management and insurance purposes.

Teaching, Leadership & Publications

  • President, San Diego County Chapter, Piano Technicians Guild (2019–Present)

  • Instructor and host of technical and appraisal‑focused training sessions for piano technicians in shop and classroom settings

  • Presenter at Piano Technicians Guild National Conventions (2022, 2023, 2024) on piano valuation and appraisal methodology

  • Educational content creator and host, The Piano Appraiser (YouTube), focusing on consumer education, appraisal ethics, and valuation best practices

Areas of Specialization

  • Piano and Keyboard Instrument Valuation

  • Insurance Scheduling and Damage/Loss Appraisals

  • Charitable Contribution and Estate Appraisals

  • Fire, Smoke, Soot, and Water Damage Assessment

  • USPAP Compliance and Scope of Work Analysis

  • Connoisseurship and Market Analysis of New, Used, and Historic Pianos

  • Expert Advisory for Buyers, Sellers, Fiduciaries, and Insurers

Curriculum Vitae prepared for professional and informational use. Detailed appraisal engagement history and references available upon request.

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