Hello MMD readers,  Recently, there have been a series of postings
about the problems and solutions of taking a player instrument,
usually an upright, out of one's residence and bringing it to a
public event.

I do believe that I've had more experience in this activity than most
people, especially since there was a time when Danilo Konvalinka and
I transported an Aeolian upright to antique shows back in the early
'Sixties.  In those days, we used his '58 Buick station wagon, pulling
a U-Haul trailer.  Advance planning, plus the assistance of his father,
Anton, and the careful placement of plywood, made the operation a
relatively easy one, considering that piano moving is a major
undertaking, in the first place.

Our 'Twenties Aeolian (Stroud) upright used to be in the Georgetown,
DC, store (Old Salzburg Music Boxes), for musical entertainment
purposes.  Among the visitors to the shop was Jerry Bock, who played
some of his latest show tunes on the keyboard, since, in those days,
many Bock-Harnick musicals were performed at The National Theater,
prior to a Broadway opening.

In the mid-Sixties, we often used our J. C. Fischer Baby Ampico for
outdoor purposes.  The late Ed Linotti, one of the founders of AMICA,
presided over it, when visiting our Maine museum, during his Summer
vacations.  Typically, the piano would be playing bouncy numbers,
during local events, such as the 'Open House' days in Wiscasset,
historic hours tours no longer given, but which originated in the late
'Thirties.  In order to accommodate snappier 88-Note rolls, beyond the
typical Ampico fare, I'd perforate a few intensity holes, in the leader
- and elsewhere, to raise the performance levels to a more exciting
plateau.  (There were no hand controls on this bungalow upright.)

My dedication to public playing took hold many years ago.  Previously,
I often used an instrument which was "provided" (as in the case of
Peter Neilson's Brewster: an '89 AMICA convention and also a Boston
concert with the Dinosaux Annex -- or an Ivers & Pond, which pianist
Mark Lutton rented for Boston's 'First Night').  The acquisition of our
Story & Clark Reprotone, discovered and rebuilt by Robin Pratt, in
Sandusky, Ohio, made the player commitment complete.  You can see an
illustration of our piano-loading setup on this page, which also
describes the versatile and late player action, as well --
http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/fotopg1.htm

(Note: that antique wooden porch just got recarved and repainted, this
Fall, while the same '81 VW Camper is still pulling the '29 instrument,
to concert locations.  The picture, scanned from a 35 mm slide, was
taken about '90, when the Haulmark trailer and the winch/ramp equipment
were purchased.  At this date, we are preparing to move the piano from
Searsport Shores to Boothbay, Maine, where our roll storage building is
located ... and where the trailer and Reprotone are housed, for the
Winter months.)

When we switched from U-Hauls, plywood and extra helpers to the
Haulmark trailer, the whole operation involved only myself, with Lois
Konvalinka giving visual assistance and operating the remote control
for the electric winch, since the tricky part is guiding the rubber
wheels on to the "track" which just fits the piano tray.  To make the
trailer more suitable for delivering a piano, we had the following
modifications done: an on-board battery for times when the Haulmark is
not connected to a towing vehicle, a ceiling fan and interior light,
special length straps to hold the piano against the left side wall of
the trailer, plus the ramp and its custom-made fittings to secure it
against the wall on the opposite side.  Last year we had a rock guard
installed on the front of the Haulmark, and also had the spare tire
mounted outside, since it competed with the piano bench, for the
limited space, in this 5x8 foot trailer.

Once you have made the commitment and investment for transporting the
piano, easily, then next question is, "What kind of rolls to you play,"
keeping in mind that a seated concert audience is quite different from
an outdoors fair or show, where passersby can linger, when attracted to
the music.

On the occasions when I was using somebody else's piano, in a public
situation, it didn't take long to discover that effervescent rolls,
especially those with sparkling treble riffs, were what 'held' the
audience.  Frequently, the piano's owner would pull out some commercial
rolls (usually QRS rolls by J. Lawrence Cook), and the crowd would
disperse, after a chorus or less.

During my '89 Boston concert appearance, which was covered by Richard
Dyer of The Boston Globe, there was an unscheduled reception, following
the concert, which opened with a 1/2-hour "prelude" of my Pianola
music.  The piano's owner decided to play his commercial rolls, and the
group around the instrument thinned immediately.  I had distanced
myself, wanting nothing to do with cocktail lounge arrangements, but
was summoned, from the other side of the hall, to "play more of your
rolls, since the people are leaving".  I did, but the damage had been
done, so only a fraction of the people remained.

On another occasion, just as Max Morath's "One For Norma" was due to be
released, I played my master roll on a 'sidewalk' player, by request.
A group formed, but when the old Cook fare followed, what had been
about 25 people dwindled to around 2 or 3, who were interested in a
particular song title, and not the music roll, in its own right.

Outside of my own arrangements (some of which were played successfully
in Searsport, last month, going back to the 'Fifties!), I recommend
Supertone/Capitol rolls, Paramount and Atlas Rolls (if you can find
them on paper which hasn't disintegrated), Autopiano arrangements of
the 'Teens, select Aeolian Mel-O-Dee rolls, plus some of the
lesser-known brands, such as Mono or Mel-O-Art.

Any brown box 'dance' roll for the Welte-Licensee is a pretty good bet,
from the Howard Lutter period; these Welte rolls operate well on a
pedal player, requiring only tape on the tracker bar for the top/bottom
4 notes, though my Reprotone can handle these with a built-in cutout
switch.

Avoid rolls which have overlap staccato (as in QRS Bluebird Ballads and
many Ampico Fox Trots of the 'Twenties or 'Thirties).  These might be
fine in a home, but in a spacious auditorium or out of doors they are
deadly bores.  Staccato sparkle is the attracting element here, along
with your own impulses to bring out the rhythm and melody.  The more
you keep the vacuum levels in motion, with character of the music, the
better will be the results.

It takes time, effort and money to equip one's household piano for
public performances, but the rewards are worth it, if you take the long
view.  My Moxie Festival and Arcady Music Society tours are still being
discussed, and any number of people bought a player, later on, once
they discovered the musical potential, at these public events.

When people tell you after the performance that "our family player
never sounded like that", you know that you are on the right track!
Boring rolls and/or minimal involvement with the musical presentations
were what finally led to the demise of their household instrument, in
almost every case.

Remember, if you "go public", that the musical performance is the most
important thing, on your tuned and regulated player piano.  Personal
fun might be fine for the operator, but it doesn't translate to
pleasure, for the assembled listeners.  On the other hand, if you can
isolate surprise notes, accent within triplets or maintain a fast,
exciting crescendo/diminuendo aura to your interpretation, your reward
will be hearty applause, every time.

We hope more people invest in the proper equipment and bring their
pianola to the public.  Educating both the aesthetically naive and the
musically astute is necessary, in our age of canned background music.
This is what keeps the instrument going, for another generation, after
all.

In case you didn't see my "road sign" for the second season at
Searsport, here's the illustrated web site for that page:
http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/pianolas.htm

Good luck, and best wishes for exposing _your_ player to a wider
audience!

Regards,
Douglas Henderson - Artcraft Music Rolls
Wiscasset, ME 04578
http://www.wiscasset.net/artcraft/