Hello to all my friends out there who are probably wondering where I have
been since I received my email address last August and to all of you
I haven't met yet.  I won't go into all my reasons for not introducing
myself sooner except to say I have been lurking as so many others.
Secretly, I was waiting for all the statistics on MMDers to go away so
I wouldn't have to produce mine.  Honestly, gentlemen, asking a lady her
age! (With this statement I have probably already given away my age!)
But what has finally pushed me into the limelight of MMD are my current
projects.

I am happy to announce to all that the First Laclede's Landing Ragtime
Festival will be held June 13 and 14 (Friday and Saturday) in St. Louis.
Some of you may remember that the historic Laclede's Landing area was
the site of the AMICA Convention Band Organ Rally last year in St. Louis.
This Ragtime Festival on the shores of the Mississppi will feature both
live performers performing authentic ragtime and ragtime piano rolls from
Trebor Tichenor's legendary collection in nine restaurants and night spots.

Much to our surprise as we have put this festival together is that
pianos are no longer available in most the restaurants and nightclubs
that provide music; keyboards have replaced them!  Because ragtime
requires good pianos, we are recruiting grands and uprights including
several player pianos to use.  The Festival will be feature the following
groups:  The St. Louis Ragtimers, The Elite Syncopators, Mary Ann Schulte
Trio, Et Cetera String Band, Jean Kittrell and the Jazz Incredibles.
Featured solo artists are David Thomas Roberts, Reggie Robinson,
Gail Foehner, Bob Ault, Jan Douglas (who entertained AMICAns at the
banquet as "The Old Professor"), and Richard Egan.  Rare rolls from
Trebor Tichenor's collection will be played between sets.  We are hoping
that this will be become an annual event.  For more information email me:

    Cynthia_Craig@chs.clayton.k12.mo.us

Because of my other project, I need help from those of you out there
who are willing.  I have become a frequent guest on a Public Radio
program here in St. Louis featuring Ragtime music.  This all started
with my effort to publicize the St. Louis AMICA Convention.   I went
on the air with recordings and CDs of mechanical musical instruments
playing ragtime.   Those I played were from the recordings of Paul Aikens
and a CD by Nancy Fratti of ragtime on musical boxes.  The music has
become so popular that I have been asked back as a regular.  What I need
now are resources for more LPs and CDs with recorded ragtime music
played on mechanical musical instruments.   HELP!

Running ragged in ragtime,

Cynthia Craig