I had several private responses to my post on MMD 180717 applauding
my collection of vintage sheet music, musical instruments and
performances.

In 2013 I completed building a Castlewood crank organ.  I was asked to
do a concert/lecture about this little organ at our retirement village.
They advertised it in the local newspapers, and opened it to the
public.  I had a large audience that evening from the community, and the
program lead to me doing more than 50 such shows that year and the
next.

After researching PA Senior Centers, banquet halls, and some other
venues, I set the price at $150 for a banquet show of 25 minutes, or a
Senior Center show of 40 minutes.  My research showed this to be what
these venues expect to pay without getting special authorization.

The Castlewood organ plays from punched rolls and is almost
bullet-proof for hauling, and I converted a small baby carriage frame
to carry it.

A year or so later I built a 31/86 crank carousel type organ.  It is
heavier than the Castlewood and operates on a MIDI system holding 100
tunes on an SD card.  Bill Klinger of AR (a pipe organ builder and
manufacturer of MIDI systems) built a SD card reader that I can use to
play any MIDI equipped digital piano.  Wally Venable of WV University,
Morgantown WV, scanned a nice collection of early Rag Time and Stride
music from authentic piano rolls to MIDI for me to use in my shows.

I have to charge quite a bit more for these shows which are booked as
50-60 minutes.  These are educational shows where I tell the stories of
organ grinders, the beginning of Rag Time, and its influence on music
through the years to present.

I could not have built the 31/86 without the good advice and tutoring
from Craig Smith who is on this list.

I am in the midst of building a much larger carousel organ that will be
displayed and played at a local Cumberland Valley Antique Engine and
Machinery Show Grounds.  It will use an "A" roll frame and play rolls
punched for the calliope.  The organization hosts two shows per year that
is attended by about 10,000 people each.

I am a member of COAA and this is my contribution to the hobby.

Al Good
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania