I am a new subscriber to MMD.  I am currently carving music boxes
around musical themes.  I'm searching for ragtime movements, preferably
Scott Joplin.  A local black family wants a music box carved for their
restaurant, Grandpa's Bar-B-Q collection of "politically Incorrect"
ceramics, pictures, etc. scattered about, with either jazz or ragtime
by a black composer.

I have a collection of all of the old sheet music with the original
covers for the Scott Joplin's rags.  My idea is to use one of these
charming covers as the basis for a carving design for the tune, if I
can find any one of the 50+ tunes Joplin wrote on a musical movement or
have one made.

In searching the Archives, I found a note from Hauke Marxsen, Germany,
that mentioned the Swiss Company MAP S.A. which will apparently produce
a movement with a melody the customer wants.  I have written to them
for further information and a list of tunes they might already have.
Since I got the note from Hauke Marxsen dated June 2000 from the
Archives, it did not include his e-mail address.

I have checked both Reuge and Sankyo and have purchased Reuge movements
in the past for other boxes I've carved.  Neither lists any ragtime or
early piano jazz.  If anyone has any further information on either the
MAP S.A. company or other sources for ragtime or jazz musical movements,
I would appreciate this.

I have found the 36-note cylinder movements to be the minimum for
satisfactory tunes and 76 notes is of course even better, albeit a
great deal more expensive.  Reuge's 76-key movements are around $400,
while the 36-note movements are about $80.00.  I am willing to spend
$400.00 if I can find an appropriate tune.  The box and carving will
be a gift for these very special people.

I remember hearing "The Entertainer" on a musical movement once,
so perhaps this still popular piece might be around.  This and
"Maple Leaf Rag" are the ones most people are familiar with.  The best
carving designs would be for "The Chrysanthemum," (an Afro-intermezzo),
"Original Rags," which shows a ragpicker and a shack with a notice
"picked by Scott Joplin," and "Rosebud."  Rosebud was the
saloon-brothel where Joplin played piano at 14.

Because ragtime and jazz both depend a lot on rhythm, syncopation and
staccato, that a musical movement really can't do, I warned my friends
that a musical movement might be a little disappointing in this regard.
Jazz relies on a lot of chords, 9ths and blue notes, as well.  It's no
wonder musical movements for these are hard to find.

By the way, I'm enjoying the player piano notes.  I had one once, but
now I have 4 pianos: an ancient "honky tonk," a Baldwin electric with
different sounds and a new Baldwin.  The fourth is an upright I found
painted with Kemtone white, in a warehouse, stripped and refinished for
my grandson.  Underneath the hideous paint was a beautiful piano.  The
only way I can get a piano tuner to come 100 miles into the sticks of
Idaho is to make his day worthwhile by owning enough pianos to keep him
busy for a full day.

Patty Slayton
RRT 1 Box 115 A
Moore, ID 83255 USA

 [ Patty, you should install the "MusicBox 15" simulation program at
 [ your computer so that you can hear MIDI files of ragtime tunes as
 [ if they were playing on a fine large music box.  Visit
 [ http://www.gdae.com/  -- Robbie