Once again our thoughts are elegantly expressed by this hobby's out-
standing intellectual and literary figure.

In his succinct statement David Bowers has encapsulated precisely a
world of positions and arguments.  Let us by all means make mechanical
music available using today's technology.

My grandson Josh, aged 19, is absorbed in the worlds of rap and beat-
boxing, and shows only a courteous tolerance of his aged grandparent's
tinkering with antique instruments.  Yet when just a few days ago I
mentioned a "classical" piece, his response was immediate.  "I love
classical music.  You can hear right away where today's composers got
their ideas."  And he went on to enumerate several instances in rock
guitar solos, previously unknown to me.  We were both learning, and
doing so together.  I think that is just great.

Two points on Dave's statement.  The term "mechanical music" covers
many fields of music.  Beethoven's symphonies were the pop tunes of
their day.  Hits from the musical comedies of the late nineteenth
century, played on orchestrions, were whistled in the street by
delivery boys.  And so were the early twentieth century rags.  The
constructors of mechanical music were recording the music of their
time.

Finally most mechanical instruments have a visual aspect: fascinating,
amusing, or beautiful.  We stand before them in wonder.  Electronic
items don't offer this.  However, many of them do permit the display of
pictures, moving or otherwise.  So let's program the visual as well as
audio.  That way we can share our hobby, our instruments and our music.

Thanks again, Dave.

Michael Woolf,
New Zealand