This is in reply to two threads: Fair Organs Should Play More Modern
Music (080803 MMD) and Music and the Younger Generation 080805 MMD).

Eliyahu certainly made a mistake playing a modern tune for his
audience of three and five year olds, but he also explained why:
1) they heard the piano was "magic" and as such were expecting "the
ghost from yesteryear"; 2) they were dancing (I assume that the modern
tune was not a very danceable tune).

This goes to show that you have to take baby steps when trying to win
over someone new and that you have to do so according to each situation
you are thrown into.  Modern music is not to blame here!  Matter of
fact, street organs were in their day the means to bring the newest
hits onto the road and to the people.  To put modern music on these
machines is thus nothing more then keeping up with tradition!

Justin Senneff asks us to let people look behind the organs.  As a
veteran – at least for Europe -- in taking street organs to rallies, I
certainly can give you my point of view.

The traditional trailer that houses fair or band organs is not designed
in a way to let people look at the instrument from behind.  Owners of
such trailers will likely let people into the trailer only while the
instrument is not playing, due to motor, belt and flywheel hazards.
Dutch street organs traditionally do not have an enclosed trailer, just
a tarp.  Thus they are open from all sides, and I have yet to see a
owner of such an instrument chase away people who want to watch from
behind the organ, rather then the front.  We have personally gone a
step further by replacing part of the housing with a Plexiglas sheet,
so that the bellows, the relays, and all the hoses are visible.  Some
organs have even been built with the case entirely of Plexiglas.  So
far I have seen a Raffin and a Schlemmer, and I think Jaeger & Brommer
have built one as well.  Currently I have an Ariston on which I have
replaced the top with a Plexiglas sheet.  You can see sit on my webpage
( http://vilm.ca/ ).  Since it is not uncommon to have a larger group of
people behind our organ than in front, we take this into account when
setting up, allowing for enough space behind the trailer for people to
gather.

Clearly, there isn't any Holy Grail as to how to infect people with the
bacillus mechanicus.  Modern music will help, and so does an open and
enthusiastic attitude when presenting your cherished possessions to the
public.

I. Krause
Burnaby, BC

P.S. Less then one week until the rally in Leavenworth, Wash.