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        Fascination of Tracker Bars

I am not sure of the conditions when I discovered mechanical music --
was it an organ or a player piano, or maybe a fair organ?  I do not
remember; I was young.  What I remember was the fascination I had
in front of the books running, so it was probably a fair organ.

But, even now, I can still say I did not lose the fascination!  And
I bet I am not alone when I see youngsters discovering instruments,
and the correspondence between the eyes and the ears.  What might be
their thoughts at that moment?

"So, holes are music?"

"I got it!  These holes are the low notes, those are the high ones!"

"That line in the middle: they call it a tracker bar."

"So distance is time?"

"Let's have a look at what's coming next: is that the future?"

"How will that funny pattern of holes sound when it is played?"

"What will all those holes together do when they get to the tracker bar?"

"If this is the future, I can 'see' the future, present and past
  all at one time, at one point!"

But it is amazing to notice that watchers only glance downstream;
they always look upstream as if not interested in the past.  Everyone
is awaiting something from future, don't you think?

At those moments it seems that only the elders pay attention to the
music itself!

The punched paper roll flows over the tracker bar just like a river
does, and the magic is nearly the same.  People would rather look
upstream and follow that fallen leaf or this boat along the stream than
to look straight ahead at a fixed point, unless they are looking inside
themselves...

Time flies by!  Would organs also be musical sand-timers?

"Tempus fugit", as is often seen on clock dials, but the clock pendulum
swings one cycle and gives the impression of a permanent new start.

With punched music, what has gone has gone, but if the refrain comes,
of course!  Maybe this is why the magic is not the same with barrel
organs and musical box cylinders (which are also much slower and with
less contrast of pins).

This fascination of punched music is an important part of the feast.
Doesn't it look like a rain of confetti, providing that you can watch
it in a wide field, at 'wide angle'?  If you can look at the line of
tracker bar oly through a narrow window, you can't follow the holes
and the fascination disappears!

Personally, this is sufficient for me not to be attracted by MIDI
systems, as I feel that part of the feast is forgotten!  Never mind --
I am sure some one is going to outfit a computer screen to represent
paper running by!

At this very moment, while I am writing, snow begins to fall, and it
gives me the opportunity to go further...  Looking out at the slow
hazardous fall of a snowflake is an enjoyment, but looking straight
away through the flow might incur some sadness, couldn't it?

So, is that fascination some of the curiosity and freshness of a child
discovering life, or a predator's behaviour attracted by anything
moving and ready to jump?  I do not know.  Ask Freud and Darwin!

I beg your pardon; I did not intend to go so far with my tracker bar!
The whole thing came from the need to enlarge the window of the
busker organ, with pressure box I am just building now.  (See the
other article, "Thoughts on the John Smith Busker Organ".).

Happy New Year to all of you, and forget the tracker bar when watching
the snow falling!

Jean Nimal
France

 [ That's a beautiful essay, Jean!  Enjoy the snow!  :-)  -- Robbie