On reading Tim Trager's suggestion that Jeanne Malone be considered
for the MBSI Trustees' Award, I said to myself, "Of course! Why hasn't
anyone thought of that before?"
The MBSI Trustees' Award is given for "Outstanding Contributions to
the Society and/or the Field of Automatic Music." As anyone can see
from the types of rolls listed by Tim (Mills Violano Rolls, G Rolls,
A Rolls, O Rolls, NOS Rolls, OS Rolls, Wurlitzer 125 Rolls, Wurlitzer
150 Rolls, Wurlitzer APP Rolls, Wurlitzer 165 Rolls, Popper Rolls,
Hupfeld Helios Rolls, Hupfeld Pan Rolls, Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina
Rolls, Weber Maesto Rolls, Weber Otero Rolls, Wurlitzer Pianino Rolls,
Wurlitzer Pian-Orchestra Rolls, Wurlitzer Paganini Rolls, Bursens
Rolls, Piano Rolls ...), Jeanne Malone has provided the fuel that
makes the engines of our pneumatic music machines run -- and she has
been doing it for more than three decades.
Anyone who dismisses her work as simply another business has never
visited her shop and watched Mrs. Malone work. If it were simply a
business, it wouldn't be the one-woman business that it is, because she
would hire help to do the work and then double or triple the price of
Play-Rite specialty rolls. Jeanne Malone won't let someone else do the
work, because they can't do it right. Her work has been a real labor
of love, and the MBSI should finally recognize it through this
well-deserved award.
Matthew Caulfield (Irondequoit, N.Y.)
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