Re: Proposed Pianolist Instructions Project: My two bits worth of advice

I noticed with great interest Roger Waring's proposal for a set of
instructions on how to pump player pianos with expression that seems
so simple when members of the real PPG do their thing on their pianolas
in England.

I have seen most of the books and instructional rolls that were done
years ago I feel that these are utterly useless and that someone should
start from scratch.  This means that you will have no problems getting
permission from people and companies that have been dead for decades!
I also feel that if a new booklet is done, keep it simple and skip
sections on the history of the players ,etc.  Leave this for others
to do and stick to the subject at hand.

I do not feel that a booklet is what is needed at all but a good video
tape of someone like Rex Lawson or Dan Wilson at a pianola.  These
pianolists can explain their controls and controls found on other typical
upright players and then move into a slow measure by measure playing and
explanation of a short composition put onto a roll cut by Mike Boyd.

Let Rex or Dan select the composition and work with short sections of
the composition on the roll and with a final cut of the composition at
the end of the roll after the videotape expert has concluded their
Master's Class.

Included with the roll and video tape should be a score of the piano
composition.  Now this would be terrific and could open the door to
future rolls part of a series.  This would be time consuming on the part
of Rex or Dan but could be done for a reasonable amount of money.  The
video would have to be produced in both a U. S. and European format but
this is not rocket science.

The real heart of the project would be in the hands of the pianolist and
the camera man (or woman).  Rex or Dan and Mike would have to have some
prepaid orders for such sets.  I figure $40 from about 50 people might be
the magic number to get Rex's juices up and Mike's perforators clicking.
I would be glad to help in the U.S. with delivery of these sets.

Okay, Dan, as they say in American Baseball (Rounders to you), "You're
the man!"  Let us hear from your pumping pals what they think of this
idea rather than a booklet on how to pump with expression.

Jim Edwards