This is my first messages on the MMD, after I asked to be included on
the mailing list.  I recently came across some of your messages and
found them interesting and right down my alley, at least most of them.

I have been a collector of musical boxes for many years and had always,
as far as I can remember back, an lively interest in mechanical musical
instrument.  It started when my father bought an old non-working street
organ, because he liked the facade and that was his only reason.  He
paid the princely sum of 25 Dutch guilders for the lot and I have wrung
my hands in agony ever since, after I did some growing up, over cutting
up the rest for firewood for my mother.  This was during the scarcity
of everything in Holland during WW2 (still not much of an excuse).

After receiving my technical education in Holland I have lived the
largest portion of my adult life in the US and earned my bread and then
some in the Aerospace Industry as an engineer and manager.  Presently I
am focused on learning whatever I can about MIDI and its applicability
and method of converting paper rolls to playable MIDI files to be
played back via whatever mechanism on the instrument they were
originally intended for without ruining (kindly referred to as
modifying) the musical instrument.  Several, very clever and inventive,
people have already done lots of work in that area with different
degrees of success.

I intend to learn and update myself with all that I can get a-hold of.
I do not intend to produce a product in that field so rest assured that
I am not picking anyone's brains for eventual monetary gain.  By the
way, does anyone know a supplier of, what is called, "cold fish glue"?

Albert de Boer

 [ Welcome, Albert; I think you are our first subscriber from Hawaii !
 [ I hope you will write about the MIDI and computer-controlled
 [ adaptations which you have seen and heard yourself.  There is much
 [ talk about this subject, and some ill-founded rumors, I fear.  Have
 [ you had the opportunity to admire the Yamaha Disklavier and competing
 [ products in the big piano stores?  -- Robbie