Many of us struggle with how to how to expose young people to
mechanical music and stimulate their appreciation and interest.  I have
a neat way which works in our neighborhood that I wanted to share with
MMD.

Our Weber Duo-Art grand piano is in the front living room and
conveniently has two large windows in front of it.  Every Halloween
I open the windows, pull back the curtains and play the piano
continuously while the "Trick or Treaters" come by.  My wife and I sit
on the front porch directly in front of the windows so everyone who
gets candy gets to see the piano and hear the music through the open
windows.

Our whole neighborhood get lots of kids every Halloween.  This year
we ran out of candy at about 400 kids.  It is interesting to see their
reactions.  About half the kids notice and show visually or say with
words that they think it is a neat piano.  Most of them have never seen
anything like it.  Maybe 10% of the kids will ask if a ghost is playing
it, or will want to know how it really works.  A couple of them come
back after a few minutes because they want to watch and listen some
more.

We have been doing this for several years.  Some of the kids remember
us as the house with the magic piano that plays itself.  They tell
their friends on the way up the walk that the piano has a ghost in it.

Any music seems to get their attention, but on Halloween I like to play
"Scherherazade" (DA-7001) and other long-playing rolls that sound a
little spooky.

It's hard to take something as big, heavy and delicate as a piano to
some place new to show it to people.  I am happy that one night a year
I can effortlessly show hundreds of people who wander by what a
reproducing player piano is and what fun it can be.

Wayne Finger