Hello to all,  I sat here a little dismayed as I read some of
the previous posts about this issue which, on the face of all the
sad stories of pianos going to the dump, was a little depressing.
I am sure most all will agree on that point.

Then I read the posts from the people who thought the reason the
future of player pianos was in high jeopardy was the general bad
quality of music produced for them over the last fifty years or so.

I then watched as insults were hurled at some of the very people
whose musical talents and releases kept a good number of the pianos
from going to scrap a lot earlier in their lifetime or not at all.

These same talented and often dedicated people helped bring about
a resurgence of interest in the 1950's and 60's.  This caused a few
piano makers to offer new pianos, albeit somewhat less in quality of
manufacture than the pianos of the teens and early twenty's, but roll
playing pianos they were, none the less.

To hear some tell it, because the music did not meet their musical
standards, the works of the so called "hacks" and "tweedlers" are to
be considered trash to the populace.  I find this attitude proven wrong
daily when one views the number of newer rolls bought and sold in the
on-line marketplace.  I am sure some on this board may also counter this
statement by inferring that the people (who are buying these rolls that
you or I may not be interested in) lack some basic musical taste.

Who are any of us to sit here and judge?  Some of us still believe that
"fun" (not necessarily our version of it) is also an element involved
in the appreciation of this medium, not just "musical correctness".
It is interesting to see that they are still selling a lot of karaoke
machines to this day.  If we had not turned the family over to the TV
set, more of us would still be gathered around a piano today singing.

I strongly believe that one of the reasons this musical medium is not
appreciated more than it is stems from that very stiff attitude.

It is also my opinion that another reason we are loosing the younger
listeners is that, until real music appreciation is once again taught
and nurtured to our young, there is no hope of getting most of them to
enjoy anything more than rap and other discordant material that neither
lifts one up or offers any gateway into the finer human musical
abilities.  In that light, most music as we know it may be in jeopardy.

My silence on this issue had to be broken tonight when I read John
Tuttle's wonderful input to this thread.  To you I say, "Right On,
John!"

Regards,

Dave Haibach
Hillsboro, Tennessee