For those that think that the piano is destined to become the dinosaur
of a bygone age, take heart.  My four grandchildren, when they come to
stay, want to hear my small collection of mechanical music.  Alexandra
is thirteen and can reach the pedals.  She plays several rolls in suc-
cession, and she likes Chopin and jazz equally.  Sadly her parents
don't have room for a piano in their house; so Alexandra has a keyboard
and she is getting lessons.

I live in France, and whenever I get the chance I demonstrate the
instruments.  My French piano tuner, who was about to retire and who,
incidentally, did a superb job on tuning my Steck PEDA and my Ampico
grand, had never before been asked to tune a pianola.  He had seen only
one, and that was defunct.  Most French people have never heard of a
pianola, let alone seen one.

When we arrived here, I had to have a summer house built in the garden
to house my collection.  The young man that I employed to do the job
cocked a quizzical eye at the Ampico, still on its side in the garage.
I explained what it was, but he seemed none the wiser, probably due to
my limited command of French.

However, once the building was completed and the instruments were in-
stalled and working, I invited him in to hear them.  I explained to
Jerome that the reproducing pianos can perfectly well be described as
early computers.  It was then that I got his attention.  I explained
about the "control holes" down each edge of the paper, what they did,
and how the machine worked.  Then I played a Chopin waltz that really
demonstrates the sophistication of the reproducing action.  His eyes
nearly popped out of his head as the machine started to play, and by
the time the roll finished, he had his handkerchief out and was dabbing
his eyes.  That roll gets me like that, too.

Later he brought his family around for a demonstration.  He is now
saving up for a pianola, and his eldest daughter is taking piano les-
sons!  He is taking a real interest in the band organ I am building.
My youngest grandson, Finlay, who is four, always likes to play the
musical boxes and loves to hear the pianos going.  He plays the piano
thoughtfully, with one finger.

So take heart!  There are still young ones who are interested in these
magical machines.  But we have to make the effort to take them to the
masses.

Just as an aside, and in reference to Andy Taylor's description of
driving in the U.S., the roads here in rural France are virtually empty
of traffic.  It is an absolute joy to drive.  I even drove into Paris
one day.  It was admittedly outside the rush hour, but it was manage-
able.  Here, if we see a half-dozen cars in the twelve miles to the
large market town where the bigger shops are, we feel that the road is
busy.  However, you still have to have your wits about you, as the
lorry drivers think that they have priority and take up two thirds of
the road.

Nigel Perry