I continue to be dismayed by how many have had poor results
introducing mechanical music to young people.  I believe the reticence
of many young people to associate more than necessary with their family
may have something to do with those who have been unable to interest
children in their family.  Also, some young people don't want to
associate themselves with anything "old" because that is "un-cool."

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but I really believe that
it's our duty as enthusiasts to educate those people, young and old,
who express interest.  I have found a few methods that seem to be
particularly effective in interesting people of all ages.

First, people love to see the machinery.  When possible, show them
the roll frames, point out the bellows, and so on.  Especially when
they are told the age of the instrument, people are suddenly much more
interested.

Second, draw parallels to the tunes themselves.  Establish relatable
historical contexts for songs about wartime, immigrants, and so on.
Most don't realize that the music on old rolls is what was popular
then.  I keep photos of Gene Austin, Annette Hanshaw, Bing Crosby, and
a few others behind our organ.  It's extremely effective to pull one of
them out during a song they performed and say "she was as popular in
the 1950s as so-and-so is today."

Finally, it's helpful to make some kind of handout available with
some information about the instrument, its history, and links to a few
resources about mechanical music such as this web site, the COAA and
MBSI, and so on.  Then someone who is interested while listening to the
instrument will later be able to recall it later and perhaps learn more.

I have used these strategies to interest both adults and young people.
I owe my own sustained interest to established people in the field who
shared their knowledge with me.  It is important for all of us to try
to get as many people, especially young people, interested as possible,
and to disregard the discouragement that comes with those who are not
interested.  I'd be interested to hear of other strategies that are
useful for attracting young people.

TJ Fisher
Washington, District of Columbia
Lexington, Virginia