MMDer Jean Potteck will once again conduct a one-week summer course on
arranging music especially for small crank organs, to be held July 30
to August 5, 2001, in Le Fraysse, a restored old village situated at
800 meters (2600 feet) in the mountains of Ardeche, near Valence in
southeast France.  The price is 2000 FF (about 250 US$) which includes
the training course and all board and lodging (room and meals).

Last years course was attended by ten trainees who worked with eight
computers, printers, scanners, drilling machines, cardboard folding
machines, and computer music programs.

The instruction program is built around the MIDI editing software
"Harmony Assistant", for which Jean helped to develop the special
features for the street organ.  It is published by Myriad of Toulouse;
an English evaluation version can be downloaded at the web site
http://www.myriad-online.com/

The trainee learns to enter the melody into a MIDI file and to create
chords and accompaniment, assisted by the features of "Harmony
Assistant" which analyze the melody notes and suggest appropriate
chords, etc.

Then the target organ is defined so that the program knows which notes
can and cannot be played.  The program analyzes the song and displays
unavailable notes and offers suggestions, such as transposition.  When
all is okay the program prints a template so the student can punch the
holes in the book music cardboard or paper roll.

Jean says, "The people going to this training course are very satisfied
by the performance of "Harmony" for printing cards or rolls, and because
the eating, sleeping and working are all together in Le Fraysse, all the
day is used to work and exchange ideas and experiences about music for
street organs."

Two other related summer training courses will be held also in Le
Fraysse :

 - Building organ pipes of tin or wood, 16-22 July 2001, organized by
Andre Bouvier, a professional organ builder

 - Building pneumatic street organ, 23-29 July 2001, directed by
Patrice Lauvergeon for about ten years.

Many other summer training courses (stages d'ete) are held in the old
village, organized by Association Echanges Culturels et Artisanaux
(Cultural and Arts & Crafts Exchanges Association):

  Association ECA Le Fraysse, Stages d'ete,
  07570 Desaignes
  France
  Tel. +33 (0)4 75 06 55 47

To find Le Fraysee on a map: find the autoroute that goes south along
the Rhone river from Lyon to Marseille and Nimes.  At Valence, 90 km
south of Lyon, go west on road D533 about 30 km to Lamastre and
Desaignes; Le Fraysee is a bit north of these two towns, toward the
Doux river.

Pictures of Le Fraysee and of Jean playing the 'Orgue de Barbarie' will
be placed at the MMD Pictures site: http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/

For more information about the summer courses please write to
Jean Potteck <potteck@wanadoo.fr> .

Robbie Rhodes