Hi folks,  I've just spent part of last weekend at a cavernous
spend-a-thon called a "Hobby Show", which catered specially to those
whose hobby is spending money.  The "Ontario Conservatory of Music"
was there, promoting their services, and also promoting something they
called "music appreciation" with the aid of a new Story & Clark "Tall
Case Nickelodeon."  Well, that's what QRS calls it in their catalogue.

I confess that I thought this device to be less musical than the
broken-down, out of kilter, incomplete barrel orchestrion on display
at the Cliff House in San Francisco.  Both of these instruments make
sounds I find unmusical, but at least the latter has some obvious
potential.

The Story & Clark instrumentation appeared to be solely piano,
metallophone (yes, very strident and plinky-sounding aluminum bars),
and various drums.  I expect this bizarre selection was made on the
basis of cost.  This complement of mechanical instruments were
complemented by an assortment of syrupy-sounding synthesized
instruments.

I can't imagine it being a very fun instrument to use as a hand-played
piano, as the keybed seems to be really shallow and deep.  I guess the
preferred way to play this thing is to have both legs amputated.
Sustain pedal?  Use a brick -- it will sound better.

What I wonder is, are all "modern" mechanical instruments this
horrifying?

(And let's leave Wayne Stahnke's work out of this, please!!  I don't
have the Rachmaninoff CD yet, but I'm sure it's at least listenable.)

regards,

Colin Hinz

P.S.:  To the discredit of the "Ontario Conservatory of Music", they
failed to have the synthesizer, piano, and metallophone in tune with
each other!!  Yuck.