Hello again,  Also on the subject of the future of mechanical music:
I think that interest in mechanical musical items such as disc and
cylinder music boxes has never really waned that much.  (After all,
have _you_ ever heard of hundreds of thousands of music boxes being
scrapped decades ago?)

One reason I can think of is that there is really nothing that sounds
quite like them in terms of "regular" musical instruments.  Also,
they were never intended to simulate an orchestra or the efforts of
a virtuoso pianist or organist, so no one bothers critically comparing
them to that while they listen; they just listen and enjoy the music.
Nostalgia and beauty of sound factor prominently into this, also.

It is really the pneumatic instruments that really lost favor,
especially the player piano.  Currently, it seems that band and
fairground organs have a fairly good popularity, at least in Europe.
The Dutch street organ is now considered a national treasure by the
government of the Netherlands, and selling or removing an antique
one is a crime, though new ones are allowed to be shipped elsewhere.
The dance organ, too, is relatively popular, though I bet things like
guitars would make a new one more adapted to play currently popular
music such as rock n' roll!  (This is one explanation for why RAM
instruments sell so well).

While clubs such as MBSI and AMICA use rare, shiny, interesting and
hard-to-find instruments such as orchestrions and organs to lure people
in (and don't get me wrong -- I'm a big fan of these instruments as
well), they do not put enough emphasis on the ordinary 88-note player
piano that anyone can find (often for the price of hauling it away).

I challenge anyone to tell me where in the U.S. one can get an old
band organ, orchestrion or disc music box for the hauling away.
Anyone.  I know I would like one, I'm sure most members of the MMD
would, too.

The question is not so much "how can we help promote band organs,
music boxes, orchestrions, etc.", The question is mostly: "How can
we help promote interest of the ordinary home player piano, as well
as expression and reproducing pianos?"

How can we insure that we can promote the most easily-available
automatic musical instrument (besides toys and musical jewelry boxes)
and one of the most basic?  It has an incomparable repertoire, literally
tens of thousands of tunes in all musical styles, available at a small
cost.

While I agree with the statement made by several people that the
regular 88-note player piano has been underestimated as far as its
musical and expressive capability is concerned, I do not agree with
the statement made by a few people that the reproducing piano has
been sorely overestimated.  I think that they are both really great
instruments; it's just that one is manual, and the other is automatic.
One is not necessarily better than the other, so get both.  Nowadays
one may find reproducing pianos for a fraction of what they would have
cost 10 years ago, so obtaining one should be no problem.

One shouldn't worry too much about how much it costs to restore one.
If you want it restored badly enough, you will find the money
somewhere.  Or, if you are like me and have no influx of money (I have
no job), you may choose to do it yourself.

As far as materials and techniques go, I suggest you listen to the many
really fine restorers on the MMD, the ones with good reputations and
fine restored instruments as a testament to their work.  Some of the
restorers I respect a great deal are: Art Reblitz, D.L. Bullock, Craig
Brougher, John Tuttle, etc. etc.  You may have a different opinion.

Get the respected and up-to-date books on how to do it, such as "Piano
Servicing, Tuning, and Rebuilding" and "Player Piano Servicing and
Rebuilding".  Both are by Mr. Reblitz and both are essential books.
More advanced rebuilders and those interested in building from the
ground up would be interested in "The Orchestrion Builder's Handbook",
by Mr. Brougher.

If you are not sure someone in your area is a good rebuilder, ask to
hear an example of their work, and judge for yourself! Especially try
to hear something they restored 2-5 years ago; if they did a shoddy job
the instrument is more likely to show it now than right after it was
finished.  If they did a great job, it should be holding up really
well, with little or no problem!  But don't listen to me; listen to the
instruments!

People have said some things about the products of Ragtime Automated
Music (RAM) that are rather inflammatory.  If their instruments played
really, really poorly, then they wouldn't still be in business!  I still
have yet to hear one of their products live, so I could not tell you
how they really perform.  I have not even seen a picture of an
instrument made by Ragola (of Las Vegas), so I cannot comment on them.
Nor have I seen one of the modern Kimball or Aeolian players, or heard
a recording of one.  I haven't heard a Disklavier, a piano with a
PianoDisc system, or a Marantz Pianocorder!

The only modern generally-available automatic pianos I've heard of any
consequence are a few of those "Universal Nickelodeon" orchestrions
that were made in the 1970's or 80's, and they didn't sound too bad!
I have a recording of a Boesendorfer reproducing piano, and I think it
is the most realistic sounding instrument I have ever heard!

Recently, I heard a recording of a mostly-electronic modern Decap dance
organ (playing a march), and I thought it sounded too syrupy.  But
then, a few minutes later, I listened to a recording of a similar
electronic Decap (playing dance music), and I really liked it!
Sometimes, it's not the instrument that's at fault; it's the
arrangement it's playing.  Other times, it's neither the arrangement
nor the instrument, but the poor restoration it got prior to the
recording.

I think that the future of mechanical music could be helped by more
publicity, especially on television and in magazine articles.  On the
History channel (http://www.historychannel.com/) , there is an ongoing
series called "Modern Marvels".  Someone should write to them about
doing a show on band organs or orchestrions.  Also, do-it-yourself
shows are really popular now.  Someone qualified should do a short
series on rebuilding a player piano.

Third, the magazine "The American Heritage of Science and Technology,
(http://www.inventionandtechnology.com/) recently did an article on
a large Skinner pipe organ located in Massachusetts, focusing on the
organs original pneumatic relay and combination action and how they
have not been scrapped or replaced with electronics.  I think that this
magazine would be ripe for an in-depth article on the player piano.

I think that most of all, some people just need to show some enthusiasm
when they are showing things, and show off their collection every
chance they get!  But they should also try to be reasonably modest and
don't go overboard.

Sincerely,
Andrew Barrett