In order to understand why the interest in mechanical musical
instruments appears to be declining, first you must understand why
people would collect it in the first place.

Collecting is driven by memories of the past, present, and future.
The first objects most individuals collect are those associated with
their childhood: their toys, the decorative motif of their parent's
home, something they wish they had owned but did not, and/or the
objects they purchased for their first house as young adults.

The strongest past memories are those experienced between second grade
and one's late twenties.  The further removed from this period, the
more nostalgic it becomes in the minds of collectors.  So first we must
stimulate memories in a new generation that may have never seen or
heard mechanical music.  We must offer them methods to learn and enjoy
these objects.

First off, we need to determine if we are a "sorority" or a "service
organization".  Do we exist to serve the collecting area our groups are
all about, and to inform and educate both our members and others who
may have an interest in our collecting area?

Or, are we an exclusive group of snobs, elitists, or 'good-old boys'
who really feel uneasy with newcomers (i.e. new collectors) and would
prefer to be left alone?

Bottom line, many of our collecting groups need to start thinking
differently and doing things differently.  As an important resource
to your collecting area are you fulfilling your role?  Are you truly
interested in reaching out to new audiences -- collectors who need
your help and expertise -- and not only bringing them in but serving
them in the ways they need to be served?  MMDigest is a great example
that reaches out to one and all and helps with any question that may
be asked.

It has been documented that every generation seeks out and uses
resources with which they feel most comfortable, and that these
resources are quite different from one generation to another.  If
the bulk of your group is in the age bracket of 50 or higher, chances
are that you are not providing information in either the correct
context or using the right vehicles for reaching younger generations.

There is little debate that the knowledge base for many collecting
areas rests within the memberships of those collecting groups servicing
those collecting areas.  If this is true -- and I believe it is true
-- then we have a major role to play, an obligation to play a major
leadership role within the collecting community.  This certainly does
not mean that clubs shouldn't have fun, nor foster lasting friendships,
but we as leaders must decide the balance between "sorority" and
"service".

First we must show that mechanical musical instruments are worthy of
being collected.  That they can stimulate the imagination; that they
are fun.  The uniqueness of these instruments must be presented in a
manner that shows the brilliant engineering that was accomplished
hundreds of years ago.

We need to move away from the "Do Not Touch" hands off attitude that
many organizations have and be more open to teaching and showing the
insides of how they work.  We need to encourage collecting of every
type, size, price range, not just the most rare, unique, or expense.

My favorite item is a little drummer boy revolving statue music box
I bought my mother when I was young even though I have many other
older, more expense, and rarer items.  We can not have the attitude
that only some things are worth collecting and every thing else is
junk.  One man's junk may be someone else's treasure.


The Musical Box Society International (MBSI), through the Southeast
Chapter, has partnered with the Orlando Science Center to present
"The World of Mechanical Music- Science- History- Craftsmanship- Art".

The younger generation needs to see, hear, touch, and play and have
their imaginations stimulated.  This exhibit hopes to accomplish all of
these by having hands on items to teach how gears, levers, pulleys, and
pneumatics operate.  Some mechanisms will be presented outside their
boxes to show the interaction of gears, bellows and levers.

It also will have hands on displays where the differences between noise
and music can be seen and heard.  It will allow people to try to play
four bellows (actually hand pumps) manually to play four pipes and let
them see how hard it is to coordinate timing and pressure.  Visitors
will also be able to write their own music and play it on a hand cranked
paper strip players.

Workshops will be held to "make your own music box" from kits for $5 that
were made containing a wooden box and a 18 note movement that will be
used to teach kids how they operate, why they need amplification and
how wood serves this need.  Participants can decorate the boxes and
insert the movements and keep or give them as a present at Christmas.

Parents, grandparents, and kids will be led through an exhibit of
instruments that have been generously loaned by members of MBSI for
display and sharing stories.  The exhibit will emphasize the unique
mechanical engineering and science that had to be achieved hundreds of
years ago in order to accomplish the establishment of this industry and
how many of these things have led to today's achievements.  This
exhibit's goal is to stimulate an interest to protect and preserve
these great items in the further by stimulating a better understanding
of the science and engineering that was achieved many years ago.  For
additional information please visit the MBSI Event Calendar at
http://www.mbsi.org/ 

Starting in the middle of October, Orlando Science Center's web site,
http://www.osc.org/  will be carrying pictures, facts and other
information regarding mechanical music as well as updates on their
Twitter and Facebook accounts.  The event will take place November 13,
2010, until January 9, 2011, in Orlando, Florida.  If this experiment
in finding a new way to stimulate an interest is successful, it is
hoped that other groups will host hands on exhibits or workshops in
their cities.

Paulette Smariga
Central Florida