I have been visiting mechanical musical museums for about 15 years and
I would agree with the statement made yesterday about people relating
to music they have heard on TV or a film.  I was born in 1950's but
my interest in 1900-1930 music came from hearing it in old films:
biographies of old composers like George M. Cohan, Jerome Kern, etc.

I have heard it said here in England by someone trying to run a museum
that to get 'new' people interested as far as tunes on old instruments
go: "People don't know what they like, they like what they (already)
know".  I have always agreed with this, and while I have my own
favourite tunes or composers, when I go out to give talks to local
groups (I am giving three in the next month) I tailor the music played
to the age of the group.

So for young children under five I play Sesame Street tunes (available
on QRS 88 note rolls and Polyphon 11" discs from Renaissance at
Chichester, England).  For older children I play Disney tunes or those
from TV programmes.  You might not like this music much yourself, but
if from a group of 30 people you capture the imagination of just one of
them then you might have someone hooked for life.

Modern tunes are a nuisance when it comes to paying copyright fees to
the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (M.C.P.S.) here in England,
who will fine you 1,000 GBP ($1,500) and will take away any music made
which has not got a stamp on it to denote that they have been paid duty
for this modern tune -- less than 75 years since the composer died.
The easiest way round this is to use classical tunes which have been
featured in TV adverts, programmes or films which will be familiar,
but long past the copyright date.  What do others think?

Does anyone know of _new_ modern music being made for "A" nickelodeon
or Aeolian 58-note organ as I would like to find some.

Food for thought,

Kevin McElhone