Some ideas for improving the presentations and programs on the
Internet.  Having viewed quite a few items on YouTube it is my opinion
that the vast majority of those relating to automatic or mechanical
music are sub par.  Some suggestions:

1. When seeing videos of instruments it would be nice if some
printed information concerning the maker, model, location, provenance,
etc., might be included.  Also information about the owner (if he/she
wishes) and the amount of restoration, if any.  The time of recording
would be useful as well.

It would also be useful to refer viewers to other sites with
excellent information, such as MMD's site, Terry Hathaway's beyond
superb treatment of Wurlitzer PianOrchestras, and others.  This would
be in good contrast to amateur panning shots of instruments, including
those in museums, with the camera running back and forth, up and down,
people walking in front of the lens, and generally poor sound recording
combined with a sentence or two of often non-useful information.

2. When an instrument is recorded, the camera should either be still,
or it should be mounted on a tripod and moved smoothly.  It should be
in tune.  The sound recording part should be of high quality.  The
sound should be balanced and, for example, in an orchestrion include
the tones of violin and flute pipes not overwhelmed by drums, etc.  If
the instrument has expression or swell shades, record it with the case
closed.

The clip can start with an open view, some printed text or dialogue as
to its salient features, and general information, briefly given.  Then
at the end there could be more information for those who wish to keep
watching and listening.

3. The listing of clips on YouTube should be such that one does not
have to wade through ten junk clips to find a good one, as is often
done with just about all music on YouTube, mechanical or human.

4. The idea of building a musical Wikipedia might be useful for
everyone.  For starters, one might consider Seeburg coin pianos and
orchestrions.  Perhaps a catalogue illustration, then an inside view,
then a complete tune played on a well regulated instrument.  In that
way someone wanting to know about a Seeburg KT with xylophone can spend
perhaps four minutes learning about it -- two minutes of explanation,
inside views, etc., and a two-minute tune.

5. In our hobby, many people do not know what they want until they hear
an instrument play.  As examples, I have never heard a Pierre Eich
Solophone or a Fratihymnia orchestrion, and I have no idea if I would
want to spend an afternoon listing to tunes, or whether one melody
would be quite enough.

6. All clips should end with information on where to learn more --
perhaps pointing the viewer to a directory of clubs, societies,
upcoming events, and more.

Some food for thought.

Dave Bowers