It is great news that AMICA is considering producing some of the
Ampico player test rolls.  But, please remember that membership has
its privileges.  AMICA, like ATOS, Reed Organ Society, MBSI and any
of the other non-profit organizations, do produce periodicals, rolls,
books, etc., primarily for their members and sometimes they make them
available to the public at large.

Non-profit organizations are made up of members who donate their time,
their money, their knowledge, their efforts and themselves to promote
their hobby, or their ethnicity, or their social, or their fraternal
benefit organizations.

A lot of work, time and money goes into producing books, rolls,
pamphlets, etc., and it is primarily done for the benefit of the
members of an organization.  These items are usually done at cost.
In other words, AMICA or any other organization is not making these
for profit motive.

Sometimes some of the things produced actually lose money.  Sometimes
items are sold to the public to help defray the expense and cost and
also to benefit this knowledge or item to the public.

Should any organization be required or forced to provide a benefit to
the public?  The answer is _no!_  They may, and it is nice if they do,
but why should the fruits of labor of some hard working individuals or
groups benefit those who are not willing to pay for, or help out, in
those efforts and labors?

It takes a lot of work energy and money by a lot of individuals,
who unselfishly give their time and efforts to start and operate an
organization.  It is because they want to and enjoy it.  There is no
profit in it for them, but these people share their time and efforts.
It takes a lot of money, time and individuals to run any organization
and you have to charge something, no matter how small, to keep these
organizations in operation.  They are basically set up for the benefit
of their members.

If you want these items, and in particular these "American Piano
Company Player Test Rolls", why not simply join AMICA and be a member,
enjoy the benefits of membership and then get a set of rolls?  Joining
AMICA, MBSI, Reed Organ Society, ATOS, or any other organization you
will find has a lot of wonderful benefits.

I joined AMICA over 25 years ago and attended my first convention in
Pasadena, California.  The benefits that I have enjoyed over the past
25 years are priceless.  What benefits other than the wonderful
publications, brochures, books and rolls that I have been afforded the
opportunity to obtain?

Friendship is Number 1 on the list.  I have made friends since the
beginning and it is wonderful to share knowledge, fellowship, and
friendship over the years.  I am pleased to say that I have friends all
over the entire world that I never would have had if I had not become
a member.

The great sharing of knowledge of all of these wonderful AMICA members
-- if I want to know something I only have to ask.  Just like the MMD
is a great sharing of knowledge, we only have to ask.  If you were not
a reader of the MMD, would you have known about the test rolls being
produced by AMICA?  Probably not.  AMICA put the notice of the
potential of producing these test rolls in the MMD.  So, you are now
aware of them.  You can join and you can get a set.

Don't bad mouth AMICA if they want to produce some test rolls or any of
the other wonderful things they have produced over the years for their
members.  Did you get a copy of the AMICA-produced Leo Podolsky Ampico
rolls?  If you had been a member when they were produced by the Chicago
Chapter back in 1986, you would have had that opportunity.  They were
a lot of work by a lot of dedicated AMICA members.  Why not join and
get your set of Ampico test rolls?

One of the great joys of being a member of AMICA was, and is, the
opportunity of meeting in person many of the great pianists who
recorded rolls for various roll companies throughout the years.  Not
only was it thrilling to meet these great personalities, but they
played for us.  They autographed rolls and pamphlets for us.  They
talked to us and they had just as much fun as we did and do.

What a thrill it must have been to sit with Eubie Blake and talk with
him over the dinner table when he made the comment, "If I had known
I was going to live to be a hundred I would have taken better care of
myself!"  Or to listen to the great humor of Robert Armbruster when
an AMICA member knocked on the door at his home and said, "We have
been looking for you for years," and Robert replied, "I have been
living right here."  Or to talk with Ursula Dietrich Hollingshead when
she would say to any man who approached her, "My, what a handsome man
you are."

Did you know that Ruth Bingaman Smith married two husbands named Smith?
It was always a pleasure to meet her and even to visit her at her home
in Texas.  A remarkable lady who had a fantastic memory, she could
remember everyone in AMICA that she met and talked with and remember
what the conversation was.  She remembered what musical number she
played at every convention.

Did you know that she refused to play the same tune again at the
next or future convention?  She always wanted to play something new.
Sometimes it got her into trouble as she never used music and would
sometimes have a "senior moment" and forget where she was in the music.
Most people did not know classical music and had no idea, but those
of us who knew the piece knew when she forgot.  But we all loved her
anyway.  Did you know that she even wrote a piece of music just for
AMICA?  If you had been a member you would have known it.

Chatting with Abram Chasins was an enjoyable afternoon.  Who can forget
that one convention when, for part of the entertainment, Bill Flynt and
Robert Armbruster sat down and played the duet of Chopsticks.  Or the
big thrill when the concert was over, and we all found out that they
had made an Ampico version for the AMICA attendees and you could get it
autographed.  I could go on, but this is getting too lengthy; I think
you get the idea.

The socializing and meeting in other collectors homes and seeing what
they collect, even if it was not musical; the great food and snacks
that were there; learning about and seeing various musical machines
in action on a Sunday afternoon is great.  Listening to these machines
play, comparing how they play with your own instruments -- what a
wonderful time.

I already mentioned the friendship and fellowship, even sharing new
recipes or discovering some delightful tasty treat.  I always remember
the great key lime pie I sampled at a home in Florida.  I hope they
have some when I attend the February MBSI meeting in Fort Myers.  Are
you a member of MBSI?  It is not too late to join them either.

I always love the annual conventions.  I am always sorry when I have
missed some of them, but sometimes I have other commitments or do not
have time available to attend.  What a great time these conventions
are, because you can renew your friendships from the previous year.
A great time to socialize and talk about what you have all been doing
over the past year and what new treasures each of you may have found.
You get to attend some great workshops and learn a lot.  Great enjoyable
programs and lots of fun visiting the home tours.  The sightseeing is
wonderful and who can forget the great food at the banquets.  The great
programs that the local chapter puts on.  You almost hate it when the
convention is over.  But, next year...!

Did I forget to mention the fantastic instruments, some of which I had
never seen before in my life?  Until I joined AMICA, I never knew so
many fun and fantastic musical instruments existed.  Nor had I ever had
the opportunity to have heard them.  There is nothing like standing in
front of a musical machine with the doors open and watching all the
gizmos in operation or listening to it play.  What a thrill!  There is
nothing I can put into words to better describe it.  So join one of
these great organizations, that I mention above, today and have some of
the fun that you have been missing!

One of the big thrills at a convention is sitting down to dinner with
one of the authors of the great books that have been produced on our
great hobby.  Q. David Bowers, Art Reblitz, Charles Davis Smith, and
Richard Howe, to name a few, are wonderful people to talk with as you
are eating your dinner.  You learn a lot, even about things that they
have not yet written about.  It is great!

What a great time it is to sit and talk with producers of rolls, such
as L. Doug Henderson, or the Tonnesens who have their own perforator.
I think that AMICA, by putting the notice in the MMDigest, is saying
that they are offering you the opportunity to join and enjoy the
benefits of being a member.  Membership has its privileges.  AMICA is
a wonderful organization and you ought to join if only to get the
test rolls!

Still don't want to join and have all this fun and knowledge that you
have been missing?  Well, as a member, I will be willing to get you a
copy of the test rolls, when all the membership has had a chance to have
the opportunity to acquire their copies.   So, that is the best offer
that I can make.  Perhaps some other members who live closer will be
willing to do the same for you, but we still think you are missing out.

Musically,
Larry Norman, from the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains
of Virginia

P.S.: I need to send in my dues as well to support the benefits that
I enjoy of the MMD.

 [ Thanks for thinking of us, Larry, but MMD isn't an organization like
 [ AMICA and MBSI which requires annual dues from the members.  I know
 [ it seems just a small distinction, but to abide by the law we must
 [ remind our readers that Mechanical Music Digest is a commercial
 [ subscription business like a daily newspaper.  Instead of requiring
 [ a monthly subscription fee, we invite voluntary support to help to
 [ pay for the computers and communications expenses, but that's about
 [ all.  The Foxtail Group is a sole proprietorship commercial business
 [ so we can buy and sell goods and services occasionally, but Jody and
 [ I conduct MMDigest for the fun, not for profit.  More about financial
 [ support for MMD at http://mmd.foxtail.com/store.html  -- Robbie