I have read with interest and some amusement the discussion about
"modern music on fair organs".  As someone who has been closely
involved with carousel band organ music and its listeners for almost
fifty years, I believe it is a mistake to blame the lack of modern
music for the decline of band organ interest in this country.

In my opinion, the decline is due to the cost and difficulty of
restoring and maintaining these organs in a world of easy substitutes,
such as recorded music.  I might add that even this recorded music is
often original band organ music, not current selections.

I suggest that people go to carousels and fairs for reasons other
than to listen to organ music.  Once there, however, they relate most
to music that matches what they are doing -- happy, upbeat, and (yes)
familiar.  But music doesn't have to be "modern" to be familiar.  The
current film, "Mamma Mia", for example, is "modern" in one sense, but
the music is over twenty years old.  I seriously doubt that "modern
music" on band organs would attract young listeners.  The popular music
they hear concentrates more on the vocalist or a strong beat rather
than on an instrumental melodic line.

A band organ simply cannot compete with or do justice to a performance
by Hanna Montana or the music of a rock band, in either beat or range.
Ralph Tussing proved this point with his rock and roll band organ rolls
in the 1950's.  Those rolls were unpopular even then because "they don't
sound right".  In other words, there were better forums for that music.
The same is true today for selections like "Phantom of the Opera".  As
the carousel riders would say, "This is not pony music!"

Regards,
Gary Watkins