REPR

ODUC

ING P

IANOS

♦

W

ELTE

-MIGN

ON ♦

AM

PICO

♦

DUO-

ART

♦

ORCH

ESTR

IONS

♦

BA

ND O

RGAN

S ♦

VIO

LIN PL

AYER

S REPRODUCING PIANOS ♦ WELTE-MIGNON ♦ AMPICO ♦ DUO-ART ♦ ORCHESTRIONS ♦ BAND ORGANS ♦ VIOLIN PLAYERS

P L A Y E R P I A N O S ♦ N I C K E L O D E O N S ♦ P I A N O R O L L S

P L A Y E R P I A N O S ♦ N I C K E L O D E O N S ♦ P I A N O R O L L S

AMICAwww.amica.orgT H E

B U L L E T I N

Volume 44, Number 5

October/November 2007

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTCOLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION

Scriabin recording for the Welte-Mignon - Moscow 1910(Note recording cabinet to Scriabin’s left, and sensor below the keybed.)

Count Leo Tolstoi Listening to the Welte-Mignon Autograph Piano

Entire contents © 2007 AMICA International Printed by Engler Printing Co., Fremont, OH • englerprinting@ezworks.net 173

VOLUME 44, Number 5 October/November 2007

FEATURESDiagnosing Genius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Franois Martin Mai . . . .177Exiled Czech Pianist Firkusny’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Kukral . . . .178Judith Sidorsky, Winner of Detroit . . . . . . . . .Music Trade Indicator . . . .179For Packer Mansion Owner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Fulton . . . .181Are Bell Tower Chimes Musical Malfeasance . . . . . . . .Sarah Fulton . . . .182Let’s Play Two: Singular Piano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .James Barron . . . .183The German / Holland Convention 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shirley Nix . . . .187AMICA Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marlene Beckman . . . .191Ernest Hutcheson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Rattle . . . .214Debussy’s Ghost is Playing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bernard Holland . . . .215Leo Ornstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Doug McGee . . . .216

DEPARTMENTSAMICA International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174-175President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176Publisher’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176Letters to Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178In Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218New Piano Rolls & Recuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219Chapter News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

Front Cover: Feist Dance Folio No. 8 Magazine Cover. Submitted by Mike Kukral

Inside Front: Photos submitted by Ken Caswell.

Back Cover: 1900 to 1971 Recording Artists. Submitted by Mike Kukral.

Inside Back Cover: Live Jokes for Live People, circa 1921. Submitted by Willard S. Albert.

THE AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION

Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distributionand enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963.

PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. KUKRAL, PUBLISHER, 216 MADISON BLVD., TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803-1912 -- Phone 812-238-9656, E-mail: Kukral@Rose-Hulman.eduVisit the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org

Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens • Editor Emeritus: Robin Pratt

AMICA BULLETINDisplay and Classified AdsArticles for PublicationLetters to the PublisherChapter News

UPCOMING PUBLICATIONDEADLINESThe ads and articles must be receivedby the Publisher on the 1st of theOdd number months:

January JulyMarch SeptemberMay November

Bulletins will be mailed on the 2nd weekof the even months.

Dr. Michael A. Kukral, Publisher216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, Indiana 47803-1912Phone: 812-238-9656e-mail: kukral@rose-hulman.edu

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

New Memberships . . . . . . . . . . $47.00

Renewals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $47.00Additional $5.00 due if renewed

past the Jan. 31 deadline

Address changes and corrections

Directory information updates

Additional copies ofMember Directory . . . . $25.00

Single copies of back issues($10.00 per issue - basedupon availability)

William Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida BermudasLa Quinta, CA 92253-3586(760) 564-2951e-mail: shazam32@earthlink.net

To ensure timely delivery of yourBULLETIN, please allow 6-weeksadvance notice of address changes.

AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising. While the AMICA Bulletin offers accurate and historic information to its members, the bulletin, its publisher and the AMICA Board cannot be held responsible for

contributions that may be considered by some as inaccurate, speculative, or of an OP/ED Format

ISSN #1533-9726

174

AMICA INTERNATIONAL

– INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS –

PRESIDENTJohn Motto-Ros110 Allen Ranch RoadSutter Creek, CA 95685209-267-9252e-mail: mottoros@sbcglobal.net

PAST PRESIDENTMike Walter65 Running Brook Dr.Lancaster, NY 14086-3314716-656-9583e-mail: amicapresident@yahoo.com

VICE PRESIDENTTim Baxter939 Briarcliff Rd. NEAlanta, GA 30306-4664404-377-1220e-mail: baxdig@mindspring.com

PUBLISHERDr. Michael A. Kukral216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, IN 47803-1912812-238-9656e-mail: Kukral@Rose-Hulman.edu

SECRETARYMarlene Beckman4046 SE 53rd StreetBerryton, KS 66409-9714785-862-0128e-mail: hcbeckman@cox.net

TREASURERRobbie Tubbs7405 WillowRaytown, MO 64133816-313-1075e-mail:robbiet317@hotmail.com

AMICA ARCHIVESTom Hutchinson15361 Hopper Rd. Sturgeon, MO 65284e-mail: hutweb@tranquility.net

CONVENTION COORDINATORFrank Nix6030 Oakdale Ave.Woodland Hills, CA 91367818-884-6849

AMICA MEMORIAL FUNDHalie Dodrill4488 W. Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA 98040-3934 206-236-0067e-mail: halie@dodrill.net

HONORARY MEMBERS

AUDIO-VISUAL & TECHNICALHarold Malakinian2345 Forest Trail Dr.Troy, MI 48098

WEBSITE MANAGERKarl B. Ellison6 Lions LaneSalem, MA 01970-1784e-mail: ellison1@localnet.com

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARYWilliam Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida BermudasLa Quinta, CA 92253-3586Phone & Fax: 760-564-2951e-mail: shazam32@earthlink.net

– COMMITTEES –

175

AMICA INTERNATIONAL

BOSTON AREAPres: John VanOpdorpVice Pres: Bob HuntSec: Ken VolkTreas: Dorothy BromageReporter: Don BrownBoard Rep: Bob Hunt - optimist@gwi.netCHICAGO AREAPres:Vice Pres: Richard Van MetreSec: Carol Veome - 773-338-1042

veomec@sbcglobal.netTreas: Joe PekarekReporter: Curt CliffordBoard Rep:FOUNDING CHAPTERPres: John Ulrich - 510-223-9587Vice Pres: Karen SimonsSec: Jack and Dianne Edwards -

butano18@sbcglobal.netTreas/Bd Rep: Richard ReutlingerReporter: Bonnie and Bob GonzalezGATEWAY CHAPTERPres: Yousuf Wilson - 636-665-5187Vice Pres: Gary Craig - 314-771-1244Sec: Mary WilsonTreas: Cynthia CraigReporter/Bd.Rep: Gary Craig -

pocoloco@greaterbaynet.comHEART OF AMERICAPres: Robbie TubbsVice Pres: Charles TylerSec: Rick McDowell - 816-781-1965Treas: Mike Schoeppner - 816-767-9766Reporter: H.C. and Marlene BeckmanBoard Rep: Gary Craig

LADY LIBERTYPres: Bill MaguireVice Pres: John DousmanisRecording Sec: Bill MaguireCorresponding Sec: Richard KarlssonReporter: Buzz RosaBoard Reps: Marvin & Dianne Polan

631-673-0388Newsletter Editor: Bill MaguireMIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY)Pres: Don Johnson - 248-650-1840Vice Pres: Liz BarnhartSec: Hilda MerchantTreas: Alvin WulfekuhlReporter: Christy CountermanBoard Rep: Liz BarnhartNORTHERN LIGHTSPres: Phillip Baird - plb28622@aol.comVice Pres: Paul WatkinsSec: Jason E. Beyer - 507-454-3124Treas: Barbara WatkinsReporter: Don BartonBoard Rep: Phillip BairdPACIFIC CAN-AMPres: Carl Dodrill - carl@dodrill.netVice Pres: Halie Dodrill - halie@dodrill.netSec:Treas: Jack & Mary Lou BecvarReporter: Ron Babb Bd. Rep: Carl Dodrill - 206-236-0067ROCKY MOUNTAINPres: Jere DeBacker - jere@totalspeed.comVice Pres: Jere DeBackerSec: Louise LuceroTreas: Fred WilsonReporter: Jere DeBacker

SIERRA NEVADAPres: John Motto-Ros - 209-267-9252Vice Pres: Doug & Vicki MahrSec: Sonja LemonTreas: Doug & Vicki MahrReporter: Nadine Motto-RosBoard Rep: Chip LusbySOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western NewYork)Pres: Mike Walter - 716-656-9583Vice Pres: Daniel TenerowiczSec: Garry LemonTreas: Holly Walter

bballmomma99@yahoo.comReporter: Garry & Anne LemonBoard Rep: Audrey CannizzaroPhotographer: Nancy Group & Anne LemmonSOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPres: Jerry Pell - 760-249-6380Vice Pres: Leslie HoffmanSec./Reporter: Shirley NixTreas: Lloyd A. OsmundsonBoard Rep: Frank NixTEXASPres: Jerry Bacon - 214-328-9369Vice Pres: Bill BoruffTreas: Vicki BradySec./Reporter:Maureen BarisonekBoard Rep: John & Suzanne McCall

AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONSAmerican Theatre Organ Society (ATOS)President - Ken Double1201 McDuffie St. #173Houston, TX 77019Phone: 713-520-1911E-Mail: double@atos.orgTheatre Organ Editor - Jeff Weiler1845 South Michigan Avenue #1905Chicago, IL 60616Phone: 312-842-7475E-Mail: weiler@atos.org

ASSOCIATION ITALIANA MUSICA MECCANICAVia Comte le Monticino No. 48547020 Cesena, ItalyPhone: 39-547-346-046

AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS OF MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS19 Waipori StreetSt. Ives NSW 2075, Australia

DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC.Nederlandse Pianola VerenigingEikendreef 245342 HR Oss, Netherlands

FRIENDS OF SCOTT JOPLIN1217 St. Croix Ct.Kirkwood, MO 63122-2326website: http//stlouis.missouri.org/fsjoplinfsjoplin@stlouis.missouri.org

INTERNATIONAL PIANO ARCHIVES AT MARYLANDPerforming Arts Library,University of Maryland2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts CenterCollege Park, MD 20742Phone: 301-405-9224Fax: 301-314-7170E-Mail: dm137@umail.umd.edu

INTERNATIONAL VINTAGE PHONO &MECHANICAL MUSIC SOCIETYC.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General19 Mackaylaan5631 NM Eindhoven, Netherlands

MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY OF GREATBRITAINAlan Pratt, EditorP. O. Box 299Waterbeach, Cambridge CB4 4PJEngland

MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONALRosanna Harris, Editor5815 West 52nd AvenueDenver, CO 80212Phone: 303-431-9033 Fax: 303-431-6978E-Mail: mbsi@estreet.com

NETHERLANDS MECHANICALORGAN SOCIETY - KDVA. T. MeijerWilgenstraat 24NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands

NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANO ASSOCIATIONEverson Whittle, Secretary11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever,Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, EnglandHome Phone: 01204 529939Business Phone: 01772 208003

PIANOLA INSTITUTEClair Cavanagh, Secretary43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RAEngland

PLAYER PIANO GROUPJulian Dyer, Bulletin Editor5 Richmond Rise, Wokingham,Berkshire RG41 3XH, United KingdomPhone: 0118 977 1057Email: editor@playerpianogroup.org.uk

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONDivision of Musical HistoryWashington, D.C. 20560

SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYINGMUSICAL INSTRUMENTSGesellschaft für Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V.Ralf SmolneEmmastr. 56D-45130 Essen, GermanyPhone:**49-201-784927Fax:**49-201-7266240Email: president@musica-mechanica.de

CHAPTER OFFICERS

Dear Friends of Music,I hope that everyone enjoys the full color photos from the recent AMICA convention in Germany

and Holland. Next summer the convention will take place in beautiful southern California during thefirst week of July 2008 and promises loads of fun in the sun. Please call Frank Nix at 818-884-6849 formore information about the ‘08 convention (or wait until the next Bulletin).

Once in a while I have to remind myself and our members that AMICA is a non-profit collectors’club for people interested in all sorts of historic automatic self-playing musical instruments. We publisharticles from a great variety of sources on a great variety of topics. These articles come from other publications, earlier AMICA Bulletins, members and non-members, including “experts,” novices, hobbyists, music lovers, and just about everyone else. There is often a shortage of new articles available to publish, especially on technical subjects and I welcome your submissions. Please remember our stated policy, that, “AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit anyand all submitted articles and advertising.” AMICA and its officers neither endorse nor promote the ideas, research, conclusions,methods, or techniques of individual persons submitting original or reprinted articles, especially regarding instrument rebuilding. Weleave the comments and analysis for our readers to interpret as valid or not.

AMICA is made up of many volunteers working hard to provide a quality publication, convention, website, regional chapter meetings, educational events, and technical workshops and services. Please remember to thank your local and international officersand yourself for generating and promoting positive interest in these amazing instruments that we all admire.

Happy Halloween,Mike KukralPublisher

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

176

Now that our 2007 Convention has come and gone, I am sure all those who attended agree we visited the best of the organ builders and some wonderful museums and private collections with various automatic musicalinstruments—everything from music boxes to large dance hall organs. I don’twant to go into all of the details as a full convention report will be published.Many thanks to our Convention Coordinators, Shirley and Frank Nix and Lizand Mike Barnhart. They looked at the hotels, towns, and museums more thana year prior to our visit to insure that we would be comfortable and happy withall the places we visited.

The MBSI Annual Meeting was in St. Paul this year, and many of ourAMICA members will have attended. I am sure everyone will enjoy that areaas much as AMICA did in 2005.

Organ rallies are big in the Midwest. Many of our members have outdoororgans and provide “The happiest music on earth.” We live in Northern California, and there are not many street organs in our area.To get an organ music fix, I have invited anyone in California with an outside organ to come to Sutter Creek October 13/14 for thefirst organ rally here.

Please host a chapter meeting. Do a show and tell of your most treasured instrument, no matter how small or large. Everyone isinterested, and you can say how you acquired it, how long it took to restore, etc. It is all part of collecting. Again, I want to ask eachmember to invite someone new to a meeting and share your interest with them. It is rewarding, and that new person may get bit by thebug that bit most AMICA members. Spread the word about automatic musical instruments.

As I mentioned in my previous message, AMICA is now on YouTube, and is getting great reviews.John Motto-Rosmottoros@sbcglobal.net

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

177

DIAGNOSING GENIUS: THE LIFE AND

DEATH OF BEETHOVEN

— By Franois Martin Mai. 270 pp.,illustrated. Montreal, McGill–Queen’sUniversity Press, 2007. $29.95. ISBN978-0-7735-3190-1.

Franois Martin Mai is a psychiatristwho has written an excellent bookdescribing Ludwig van Beethoven’s life,his health problems, and how his illnessesmay have influenced his creativity. Maiexamines Beethoven’s inauspicious childhood and lifelong chronic illnesses. By the time he was 28 years old, Beethoven had already become profoundly deaf, a circumstance that damaged his self-esteem and jeopardizedhis professional and artistic future. His life was also made miserable by chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, chronicrespiratory illness, depression, and alcoholabuse. However, he made all these detrimental personal matters subservientto the composition of beautiful music.

Deafness was the most infamous ofBeethoven’s illnesses, but its cause is stillcontroversial. Mai speculates that it wascaused by otosclerosis, which is the mostcommon cause of deafness in young men.However, the high-frequency lossdescribed by Beethoven is not typical ofthe condition, and for this reason Mai’sdiagnosis is doubtful.

The cause of Beethoven’s death wasliver failure due to alcohol abuse. Theautopsy was performed by Dr. JohannWagner, who was assisted by Dr. Karl vonRokitansky. Rokitansky was a resident inpathology, and Beethoven’s autopsy was the first one he performed. He subse-

quently performed 59,786 autopsies in hisoutstanding career as a pathologist andbecame famous for his observations on thegross features of pathologic abnormalitiesof organs.

At Beethoven’s autopsy, Wagner andRokitansky found — besides cirrhosis ofthe liver due to alcohol abuse — ascites,splenomegaly, pancreatitis, and thickenedbones of the skull. The eighth cranialnerves were wrinkled and shriveledbecause they had been compressed by thethick skull bones, a finding consistentwith Paget’s disease of bone, which cancause deafness. Other conditions that havebeen put forth as the cause of Beethoven’sdeafness — including head trauma inflicted by his alcoholic father, syphilis,and otosclerosis — lack credibility. Thereis also some question of whether lead poisoning caused Beethoven’s illnesses. In 1996, a lock of his hair was found to contain high levels of lead. Lead poi-soning was common in Europe duringBeethoven’s time because wine containedlead that had leached from its containers.

Beethoven is an icon of classicalmusic. His music has the power to ennoble the human spirit and to evoke aheroic spirit in the struggle against adversity and oppression. At the time ofhis death, Beethoven was at the height ofhis powers as a composer. Mai believesthat Beethoven had bipolar depression; at times he was suicidal, and he was hypomanic — he could compose severaldifferent works simultaneously. In hisSymphony no. 3 in E-flat Major, Eroica,

there is a sudden change of musical moodthat is consistent with a hypomanic tem-perament. And despite his depression,Beethoven had the drive and energy thatare characteristic of a person with bipolardisorder. Mai thoughtfully analyzes the ways in which Beethoven’s chronic illnesses and psychopathology may havecontributed to his creativity. But it is alsoimportant to acknowledge that Beethovenhad an inner impulse that demandedexpression — even in the face of manyobstacles.

Paul Wolf, M.D. University of California Medical Center

Undated Lithograph of Beethoven composing the Missa Solemnis.

By Franois Martin Mai.

Submitted by Robin Pratt

My wife Dianne and I once had a dear friend in foundingmember Mel Luchetti. Mel got us our first piano, an uprightpumper that still holds a place of honor in our home. Some time after Mel passed away, his beloved Mason Hamlin took up residence in our living room. It was wonderful receiving thetechnicalities CD with the latest AMICA bulletin. Seeing hisname on the first page brought back a ton of memories from

watching him play Richard Reutlinger’s photoplayer at theFounding Chapter’s annual Christmas party to his two successivefiftieth birthday parties to his three funerals. Mel always said, ifit’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing. If I never replace a pieceof tubing or pump out the tracker bar again, this CD has alreadyserved a purpose. It has reminded me again of somebody special.

REMINISCING By Jack Edwards

Mike:Enclosed cartoon made me think of the Chicago

Convention-2006 table favor. Was in the “Tooneville Times.

Bill DeanBethlehem PA

LE T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

178

E XILED CZECH PIANIST FIRKUSNY’S

ASHES REBURIED IN HOMELAND

A mourner lays a flower on the tombof renowned Czech born US pianistRudolf Firkusny and his wife TatianaNevolova Firkusny at the Centralcemetery in Brno-Herspice after the ashes of Firkusny, who died in the United States after fleeing his homeland, were officially reburiedMonday near his birthplace.

BRNO, Czech Republic (AFP) —The ashes of famed Czech pianistRudolf Firkusny, who died in the United States after fleeing his homeland, were officially reburiedMonday near his birthplace.

“The children have fulfilled the wishes of relatives 13 years after thedeath of the musician,” a spokesman forthe Brno municipality told AFP after anurn containing the ashes was buried atthe main cemetry in the city of Brno.

Firkusny, hailed as one of the greatestpianists of the 20th century, studied withthe composers Leos Janacek and JosefSuk. He began performing acrossEurope in the 1920s and made hisdebuts in London in 1933 and NewYork in 1938.

He escaped the Nazis, settled in NewYork and became a US citizen and

taught music at the Juilliard School inNew York.

Born in 1912 near Brno, Firkusnystarted studying music under Janacekfrom the age of five and three years later played at a concert with the CzechPhilharmonic.

He returned to his motherland afterthe non-violent “Velvet Revolution” of1989 which led to the overthrow of the Socialist government for a visit.He had then said that “as a man whobelieves in democracy, I could notreturn to a country at a period when atotalitarian regime was in place.”

Submitted By Mike Kukral

179

Having two world-famous reproducingpiano companies bid for the services of afourteen year old girl is a most unusualoccurrence. But that is the honor that hasbeen bestowed upon Judith Sidorsky, whorecently won the title, “Musical MissDetroit”.

Judith and her mother leave on Sunday,Oct. 3 for New York City, where, as theguests of the Welte-Mignon Organization,the young pianist will make several “De Luxe Reproducing Rolls.” The Duo-Art Reproducing Company also invited little Miss Sidorsky to record, but,under the terms of her three year contractwith Welte-Mignon, she is to play for the latter exclusively.

Both Judith and her mother are thrilledand palpitant over the coming journey. NewYork, the Mecca of the world’s finestartists! There one can receive criticism, aidand inspiration. For some day Judith hopesto study in New York, to devote her wholetime, her days and her nights, her heart and her soul to her music. But at present,there is school work to be done. And when classes must be attended and lessons prepared regularly, there is all too little time left for practicing. Judith is lucky ifshe manages to do two hours a day, and shewould like to do five. During vacation shedid devote five hours each day.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons shewas unanimously chosen as the winner of

From Music Trade Indicator, September 11, 1926

Submitted by David Bonner

JUDITH SIDORSKY, WINNER OF DETROITHIGH SCHOOL PIANO CONTEST, RECORDS FOR WELTE-MIGNON LICENSEE

New York, Sept. 7—A thirteen year oldDetroit miss is just recovering from thethrill of being presented with a grandpiano, a trip to New York, and a placeamong the immortals with the title of Miss Musical Detroit. This brilliant littlestudent of music was the victor in an open contest held by the Detroit MusicTrades Association in the ballroom of theBook-Cadillac Hotel. There were sevenother contestants and the committee offive distinguished judges chosen from different cities throughout the countrywere unanimous in awarding the prize tothe smiling young lady pictured herewith.

Miss Sidorsky, though young, is a veteran performer, having taken part in anumber of competitions of a musicalnature. She is the champion of the publichigh school division in her city. When she took her place before the piano, it wasevident that even at this early age she hadacquired a considerable amount of poiseand stage presence, for she smoothed herattractive pink frock carefully, wiped her

hands on her handkerchief, ran her fingersover the keys and then started to play withconfidence and verve.

The selection which was played by thewinner was the C Sharp Minor Scherzo by Chopin. And so well was it executed,that President W. C. Heaton of the Auto Pneumatic Action Company, manufacturers of the Welte-MignonLicensee reproducing actions, arranged to have Miss Sidorsky and a chaperonecome to New York at his company’sexpense for the purpose of recording thisnumber for the De Luxe Reproducing RollCorporation.

Much of the credit for the excellentplaying of this thirteen year old girl must be given to her teacher, BendetsonNetzorg, well-known pianist and instructor, who records exclusively for theWelte-Mignon Licensee. The master maywell be proud of his pupil.

Without a doubt such wonderfulrecords as have come to this little girl are well worth the many hours of practice

and careful concentration which she musthave devoted to perfecting herself in her chosen field. Other young peoplethroughout the country should be givensimilar opportunities—music and thetrades allied with it would surely benefit.

Judith Sidorsky at Piano She Won in Contest

YOUTHFUL JEWISH VIRTUOSO RECORDS FOR PLAYER PIANOSubmitted by David Bonner

From Michigan Tribune, October 1, 1926 - By G. B. Sarasohn

180

continued. . .

the contest given this summer by theMichigan Music Dealers Association.Detroit Jews watched with breathlessinterest this young virtuoso, first beingselected as the musical representative ofNorthern High School, which she attends;then, becoming the champion pianist of allthe high schools in the city, and finallyacclaimed and applauded by the greataudience which crowded the ball-room atthe Book-Cadillac Hotel on August 17.

The trip to New York was not the onlyreward reaped by the young artist as theresult of her work and ability. Standing inthe living room at the Sidorsky residence,502 Hague Avenue, is a Steinway BabyGrand, all new and shiny, the gift of theMusic Dealer’s Association. The gleaming

ivory keys seem to smile as Judith’sexpert fingers lovingly caress them. Littlesister and mother flick an imaginary speckof dust off the polished surface. It hasbecome the heart of the household.

A $500 scholarship with Dr. MarkGunzburg, teacher of note, is also included. And Judith is taking advantageof it. Dr. Gunzburg has expressed thedesire to take his pupil to the maestro,Emil Sauer, in Berlin.

Studying piano for the short period offour and one half years, Judith believesthat much of her rapid progress has been due to her fortunate selection ofinstructors. After her notes were learnedJudith acquired the fundamentals of music from Gladys Hyde, assistant to

Bendetson Netzorg. Her technique andgeneral musical knowledge advancing,she studied with Mr. Netzorg, himself. It was he who advised her to enter thepiano-playing contest, and he who gaveher the courage to play before artists andcritics. Stage fright is a thing of whichMiss Sidorsky has never heard.

It was with the difficult and dramaticChopin Scherzo in C sharp minor, thatJudith enthralled her audience at the Book-Cadillac. She plays it with a verve, a style and a technical perfection that would do credit to a maestro. This, and the Chopin Rondo in E flat are two of the selections to berecorded by Welte-Mignon.

Winner of the Naumburg Fund Award Heard in Program

Non-Coventional

Old Irish Airs Are Given

Five Arranged by Denis Breen andProbably Heard Here First Time

a Pleasing Feature.

Judith Sidorsky, a winner of the WalterW. Naumburg Foundation Award, madeher debut as pianist yesterday afternoon inTown Hall. She has an excellent technicalequipment in the form of good wrists,resounding octaves, fleet fingers, a fulltone when she does not ask too much of afortissimo chord.

She has, too, the enthusiasm of a youngwoman who is genuinely a musician, whoknows, as an interpreter, what she wants to do, and why. She had arranged a program which departed in some interesting ways from convention.

The Bach “Aria variata alla manieraItaliana” very advisedly took the place ofthe thundering Bach organ transcription towhich so many pianists, young and old,resort. It was followed by the same composer’s D major toccata as edited byHarold Bauer. The performance suggested

that Miss Sidorsky had listened to Mr.Bauer and had profited by a study of hisstyle.

The interpretation was authoritative,varied in color and in the treatment ofcontrasting passages. The playing was freeof mannerisms or of calculated artifice.Effects were planned only as vehicle ofthe music. It was straightforward playingof a communicative glow, and withoutaffectation.

At this time Miss Sidorsky is an enthusiastic and effective rather than poetical player, and the lyrical side of her art is not fully developed. This wasshown when she played the Schumann“Carneval,” which had few of the lightsand shadows intended by the composer.Schumann would have said that she putmore Florestan than Eusibius into it, andlittle of the delicious grace and inwardnessof his own melodic thought. Much thesame thing may be said of the playing ofthe Chopin F minor ballade.

Miss Sidorsky played, probably for thefirst time here, arrangements by DenisBreen of four airs of the great TurloughO’Carolan, the Irish minstrel of the lateseventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He was one of the last of hiskind, known throughout his land. Ten of

his melodies were adapted by Tom Moore.It is said that O’Carolan was held in highesteem outside his native land. In 1792 a harper at Belfast knew one hundred ofhis tunes.

The air played yesterday and calledunder its original title, “The PrincessRoyal,” was appropriated by WilliamShield, the theatre musician and composer, and called “The Arethusa,” sothat in past times many believed the tune to be of English origin. Many editions of O’Carolan’s melodies wereissued with acknowledgment of theirauthorship.

The ones played yesterday were called on the program “Concerto,”“Princess Royal,” “Nancy McDermott”and “Planksty O’Donnell.” A fifth air of unknown authorship was equallyengaging. These melodies are gay, melancholy, whimsical, as the case maybe, finely Irish, one would say, in idiomand feeling. They have been arranged with taste and discretion. They made awelcome feature of the concert.

Miss Sidorsky pleased the audience.The reality of her talent is manifest andalso results of thorough study.

JUDITH SIDORSKY, PIANIST, IN DEBUT Submitted by David Bonner

From New York Times, February 11, 1936 • By Olin Downes

181

Judith Sidorsky (1912-2003)

in later years

From The Morning Call - Friday, August 3, 2007 • By Sarah Fulton

Sent in by Bill Dean

FOR PACKER MANSION OWNER,

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME.

BOB HANDWERK OFFERS

TO BUY MORE TAPES,

THREATENS COURT ACTION.

The owner of a Jim Thorpe bed-and-breakfast who has complained about bell music played in the Carbon CountyCourthouse tower offered Thursday to buymore audiotapes so the tower provides alarger variety of tunes – and threatened tofile a criminal complaint if the “nuisance”music being played isn’t addressed.

Bob Handwerk, owner of the HarryPacker Mansion a few hundred feet abovethe borough’s downtown, thanked countycommissioners for lowering the musicalclock tower’s volume and altering itsschedule of playing the chimes five timesa day, which Handwerk had said was driving him “stir-crazy.”

But just two weeks after the changeswere made to appease Handwerk, he said

he’s still unhappy with the selection ofmusic the tower plays.

He asked commissioners to form acommittee to select new tunes, offered to donate money for new music, andthreatened to file a complaint at the district judge’s office if the issue is notaddressed.

The clock tower now is playing showtunes and movie music, among the fewselections in its limited repertoire. Handwerk said some of the songs, such as the theme from the movie “Star Wars,”are not appropriate bell music.

“I heard ‘Star Wars’ yesterday fourtimes,” Handwerk said. “I think the way itstands now it is a nuisance.”

From mid-May to early July, the county played patriotic music, includingthe songs representing each branch of themilitary and others such as “You’re aGrand Old Flag.” Handwerk complainedabout the frequency of the music and

the volume – his inn is on a hill level withthe bell tower – and commissioners madeadjustments.

County workers turned off the speakerpointing at Handwerk’s 1874 Victorianmansion and reduced the number of timesthe songs play, which had been eight timesa day on Thursdays.

The tower carillon, which contains acomputerized music system, can play 120selections, but county workers have saidmost of the selections are unplayable orcome out sounding warbled, leaving themfew options.

Commissioners agreed there should bemore of a selection of music and said theywould look into buying more variety, butbalked at Handwerk’s suggestion that acitizens committee should be formed toselect the music.

“We’ll be going around and around forever,” said Commissioner CharlesGetz.

182

From The Morning Call, Friday - August 17,2007 • By Sarah Fulton

Sent in by Bill Dean

A RE BELL TOWER CHIMES

MUSICAL MALFEASANCE?

It’s a crime the way the chimes in theCarbon County Courthouse clock towerring the same tunes over and over and over again, says the owner of a JimThorpe bed-and-breakfast.

So Bob Handwerk filed a criminal complaint against the county commissionersin district court Wednesday, saying the bell music constitutes harassment and disorderly conduct.

“I felt it was the only recourse that Ihad,” he said. “They wouldn’t meet withme. I was waiting for them to call.Nobody called.”

Handwerk, owner of the historic HarryPacker Mansion overlooking the downtown, has publicly complained to the commissioners for weeks that the music from the tower’s computerizedcarillon, which plays a series of tunes fivetimes a day, is driving him crazy.

He says Commissioners WilliamO’Gurek, Charles Getz and Wayne Nothstein have committed two summaryoffenses under the state criminal code.

One is harassment, because the commissioners have engaged in a courseof conduct or repeatedly committed actsthat serve no purpose, Handwerk says inhis complaint. The other is disorderly conduct, because the commissioners, whocontrol the chiming clock tower, makeunreasonable noise, he says.

A hearing is set for Sept. 25 before District Judge Edward Lewis of Jim Thorpe.

Handwerk’s home, an 1874 mansion he runs as an inn, is atop Packer Hill, afew hundred feet behind and level with thecourthouse clock tower.

After hearing Handwerk’s complaints,the commissioners lowered the volume ofthe bells, cut down the number of timesthey play in a day, and changed the farefrom patriotic songs to pop, movie andshow tunes such as “Feelings,” “Close toYou,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” the“Star Wars’ theme and “New York, NewYork.”

But Handwerk – a fan of Bach – is stillunhappy with the selection.

O’Gurek called the criminal complaintfrivolous. “We’ve acted in a manner to tryto compromise to satisfy Mr. Handwerk’sconcerns,” he said.

Handwerk said he met with Nothsteinto discuss the bells and thought a compromise had been reached on thequality of music played, but no action was taken.

“It became very apparent to me that I met with the minority commissioner,”Handwerk wrote in a letter to The Morning Call.

Nothstein is a Republican, and Getzand O’Gurek are Democrats.

Handwerk said he was surprised hiscriminal complaint wasn’t thrown out. “Ithought it would’ve gotten lost in the trashcan up there” at the district judge’s office,he said.

Getz said he is looking forward to the hearing because it will bring the discussion to a close.

The Bell Tower at the Carbon County Courthouse in Jim Thorpe has played different songs and played them less often since Bob Handwerk, owner of the Harry Packer Mansion, complained tocounty commissioners. But Handwerk says the changes haven’t been sufficient.

LIFE CHAT ABOUT GEOGRAPHY & INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION“A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering

their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering

deeply in spirit and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt.... If the game

runs sometimes against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity

of winning back the principles we have lost; for this is a game where principles are at stake.”

- Thomas Jefferson, 1798

183

From The New York Times - Sunday, July 15, 2007 • By James Barron

Submitted by Doug McGee

LET’S PLAY TWO:

SINGULAR PIANO

The instrument could stump contestants on “Jeopardy!”: It has 164keys and four pedals. Oh, and two keyboards.

The correct response is neither “Whatis an organ?” nor “What is a harpsichord?” No, the answer involves an almost one-of-a-kind piano from the late 1920’s, which Christopher Taylorwill play this afternoon at the CaramoorInternational Music Festival in Katonah,N.Y. It is the only two-keyboard instrument Steinway ever made, and Mr.Taylor considers it the perfect piano forthe piece he will perform there, Bach’s“Goldberg” Variations.

Bach, after all, specified that the“Goldbergs” were to be played on a harpsichord with two manuals, or keyboards, a surprising command from acomposer who was seldom so preciseabout what instruments he wanted hisworks played on. But Mr. Taylor does not really base his case for using thispiano on historical authenticity, for thesecond keyboard here will not do what a second manual on an organ or a harpsichord would do.

It does not add a new sonority. Thedouble-keyboard piano sounds like a piano, but with fuller chords and denser harmonies. Unlike an organ withadditional stops and pipes or a harpsichordwith separate strings for the second manual, the double-keyboard piano stillhas only one set of hammers and strings.And Mr. Taylor still has only 10 fingers.

But the two keyboard, one with theusual 88 notes, the other with only 76, letshim try some intriguing moves. The shorter keyboard plays notes an octaveabove the ones on the longer keyboard.Pressing a key on the shorter keyboardactivates a mechanism inside the pianothat pulls down the corresponding key on the lower keyboard, but an octavehigher. So, if he keeps both hands on the upper keyboard, the lower one can

look like the keyboardof a player piano, withthe keys going down bythemselves.

And because of theway the keyboards arelaid out, one above theother, like a staircasewith only two steps, hecan extend his reachbeyond what is possibleon a conventional keyboard. He can covera two-octave intervalby playing, say, a C onthe lower keyboardwith his thumb and a Con the upper keyboard with his fifth finger. Other big intervals, like twelfths,are not much of a stretch either.

By filling in some notes in the middle, he can get, as he puts it, “a really massive sound, one-handed.” Andwith help from the fourth pedal, whichfunctions as a coupler that makes it possible to play on the lower keyboardand have the upper keyboard play thesame notes an octave higher, he can zipthrough fast passages with octaves by playing only single notes on one keyboard. The coupler does the rest.

Having explained all that, Mr. Taylormakes his case for playing Bach on thisparticular piano that has mostly to do withthe visual element of the performance. Hewants his “Goldbergs” to be watched aswell as listened to.

“This is more like what a contemporaryof Bach might have seen,” he said,“whereas the stuff that a modern concertgoer sees when the ‘Goldbergs’are played on a typical piano is very entertaining, seeing all this tangling of thepianist’s hands. But that’s not somethingthat Bach envisioned, and you can’t discount the importance of that visualeffect. I think when you see the hands onseparate manuals and see them crossingeach other that way, it’s easier to perceivewhat the voices are.” Of course this benefits fewer than half the people in theaudience: only those who can actually seethe keyboards.

He got his hands on this piano in 2005. It is a tinkerer’s dream, built tospecifications worked out by an obscureHungarian composer turned inventor,

Christopher Taylor, right and below, playing a rare kind

of piano, the only two-keyboard instrument Steinway ever made. He

will play this double-keyboard piano today at the Caramoor International Music Festival

In Katonah, N.Y.

184

continued. . .

Emanuel Moor. He figured out the riot of rods and platforms just behind the keyboards that looks a bit like a sluicegate in a water treatment plant. But the mechanism inside is not the only thing that is different from a conventionalpiano. Even the keys are different. On Moor’s lower keyboard they have“hummocks”: little cubes that rise fromthe back of the keys. Moor designed themto make it easier to play on both keyboards at the same time, using thesame hand and playing way in, close tothe end of the lower-keyboard key. Thekeys on the upper manual are ordinary flativories.

Only about 60 of Moor’s double-keyboard pianos were made, mostly byBosendorfer. Chickering, Bechstein andothers made a few. Mr. Taylor’s piano wasmade in Steinway’s factory in Hamburg,Germany, for the industrialist Werner vonSiemens, who wanted it for a 450-seat“recital salon” he had built in Berlin.

But Moor had other fans. Alfred Cortotperformed on Moor’s double-keyboardpianos, and Ravel was quoted as saying,“I am now hearing my composition for the first time as I intended it shouldsound.” The influential critic and editorDonald Tovey gave Moor’s design hisblessing in 1922 and was still raving about it when he wrote the entry on thepiano in the Encyclopedia Britannica a few years later.

Initially, every piano manufacturer inthe United States and Europe rejectedMoor’s double-keyboard design, saying that it would be impossible to manufacture. So Moor made a prototypeon his own, with help from a carpenter or two. The major piano companies eventually made Moor’s piano, but only invery limited numbers.

That — and Moor’s widow, WinifredChristie Moor, who continued to play the two-manual pianos long after Moor’sdeath in 1931 — was enough to make the design popular among pianists likeGunnar Johansen, who became an artist in residence at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1939. The Moor bug bit Johansen hard: he had two double-keyboard instruments, aBosendorfer and the Steinway.

But when Mr. Taylor tried the piano in2005, 14 years after Johansen’s death, hehad to figure out which keyboard to playwith which hand. This was complicated by

coordination problems:the top keyboard isstiffer than the lowerone.

“It took me a whileto realize that the default would be to havethe left hand on the upper keyboard andthe right hand on the lower,” he said, “so Iexperimented. I wasn’t sure what wasgoing to work. Because the upper keyboard is so much stiffer, it seemed tome it might be a good strategy to use my right hand up there. As it turns out, I do make use of that option once in Variation 20 in the ‘Goldberg’ Variations,where there’s this particularly nasty passagework in the left hand. I bring the left hand down, and to avoid tangles I take the right hand up.”

The Wisconsin piano was unusual for Steinway in that the sluice-gate mechanism was the work of an outsider,Moor. But Steinway had had a push from another of Moor’s fans, WilhelmBackhaus, who wrote Moor in 1928 thathe had talked up “the epoch-makingimportance” of Moor’s invention when hemet a Steinway executive in Cologne.

Still, Steinway made only the onepiano. Herbert A. Shead, a Moor disciple,reported in his book about Moor thatSteinway had asked about making two more but Moor never answered Steinway’s letter.

Bosendorfer made more Moor pianos.The Metropolitan Museum of Art has onethat was a favorite of Emanuel Winternitz,the curator of musical instruments from1949 to 1973. J. Kenneth Moore, a studentof Winternitz’s who has the job now,remembers when the Bosendorfer hadpride of place in Winternitz’s office. It hassince been relegated to a warehouse on theUpper East Side. “I saw where Winternitzsaid: ‘I don’t understand why this technology didn’t catch on. It expands thetonality of the instrument,’” Mr. Mooresaid.

The Wisconsin piano survived WorldWar II in Europe and was then shipped to New York, where it languished at Steinway’s factory until Johansen heardabout it. Then, in 2005, officials at the university called Steinway to discusshaving Moor’s sluice-gate mechanismrebuilt. Eventually they sent the “actionstack” — the keys and hammers, whichslide out of a piano as a single unit — toSteinway’s factory in Astoria, Queens.

There is prompted the same questionsthat dogged Moor: Why? “Everyone hasenough problems with 88 keys,” saidMichael Megaloudis, a manager at Steinway.

Rebuilding the piano was a challengebecause Steinway had made only the oneMoor piano. Any schematic drawingswere presumably lost when Steinway’sHamburg plants were bombed in WorldWar II.

The job of figuring out how the Mooraction functioned fell to Edward Carrasco,a worker at the factory in Queens. “Wehad to start from scratch,” he said. “WhenI took this thing apart, I took pictures, andI made sure I saved everything. I put thesprings in plastic bags.”

Some of the springs were broken, andhe could not simply reach into the partsbin. “We had to order special wire to makenew springs,” he said. He also had toinstall custom-made pins for the keys tobounce up and down.

Wisconsin sent the rest of the Moorpiano — the long black case with the cast-iron plate, the soundboard and thestrings — east a few months ago. It filledthe space beside Mr. Carrasco’s workbench as he made more adjustments.

Then, in anticipation of the Caramoorconcert, Mr. Taylor and the director of themusic school at Wisconsin, John Wm.Schaffer, flew to New York in April to seehow Mr. Carrasco was doing. Mr. Taylorplunged into the “Goldbergs” and seemedpleased.

“This piano,” he said, “is one of thoseideas someone had to think of eventually.”

The Double-keyboard piano has one set of hammers

and strings

185

Fro

m th

e E

ncyc

lope

dia

of A

utom

atic

Mus

ical

Ins

trum

ents

- b

y Q

. Dav

id B

ower

s,pa

ge 3

41

186

A large orchestrion from the late 1920’s (Weber Maesto in the collection of the author.)

From the Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments - by Q. David Bowers, page 344

187

One always looks for good signs at thebeginning of any Convention, and lateplanes, nearly missed connections andmisdirected luggage are not particularlyauspicious beginnings, but they didn’tdampen the spirits of the AMICAN’s whojourneyed to Munich and from there toErding, Germany to begin the trip.

Our trip started in Erding at the HotelKastenienhof, which is a wonderful place to start any trip. The hotel itself isbeautiful, with modern rooms and all theamenities. When we arrived there wastime to walk around Erding and thenreturn to the hotel for a German buffetdinner. The food was wonderful, with awide variety of choices.

After dinner John Rogers, our tourguide, said we all needed to take anotherwalk around town. It was an easy thing todo, since the City was hosting a street fair,with lots to see and do. This was only afew blocks from the hotel, and was reallyan enjoyable experience.

Saturday morning, after a good night’ssleep and a leisurely breakfast at the Hotelwe boarded our buses for a tour aroundMunich. We were dropped off in Munichfor a walking tour of this lovely, historicalcity with English-speaking guides. Therewas so much to see and do that many ofour group opted to skip the bus back toErding for a train ride instead. The trainstation was only about a half-block fromthe hotel, so this was an easy choice.

Some of the choices to visit were theOlympic Stadium, the Clock Tower for theautomated display on the Glockenspiel,the Deutsches Museum, the NymphenburgPalace, the Hofbrau House, and severalother smaller museums and places ofinterest. It was hard to fit it all in, but wetried!

Sunday morning we had breakfast and left Erding on our assigned bus andproceeded to “Mad” King Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle, where we had an excellent English-speaking tour through

the Castle to view the interior, which wasbeautiful, if extremely lavish. Ludwignearly bankrupted the whole country withhis love of extreme luxury and opulence,and this Castle showed his taste for the“money is no object” beauty.

After the tour we started UP the hill tothe Grotto with its wonderful lake andswan boat inside. The setting reflected hislove of Wagnerian opera, and is really anamazing spot.

We did lose a few people on the uphill.They tended to find benches in lovely settings and decided to sit this particulartour out. For those of us who braved thesteep uphill when we left the Grotto it wason to the Peacock Throne, which defiesdescription. Nothing in this Castle andgrounds was in any way subtle. Even thehunting lodge was something to see, witha very large artificial tree in the center ofthe main room.

Finally we left Linderhof by bus and itwas on to Oberammergau, a town famousfor its production of a passion play everyten years since 1634.

Out hotel was the Hotel Bold. Whenour buses pulled up a very loud clap ofthunder and a shower, which I guess was asign of things to come, greeted us. Whenwe finished checking in it was off to townto hunt for carvings, souvenirs and icecream. We walked around town, enjoyingthe painted buildings and lovely old city.AMICA President John Motto-Ros founda carving of a mountain climber he liked,and it was on its way to Sutter Creek in notime.

As we started the walk back we heard sirens, and when we reached thehotel we were surprised to see the entireOberammergau fire department at ourhotel, with smoke pouring out of the upper floor.

We stood in the rain and watched Oberammergau’s finest pump water fromthe nearby river into upstairs rooms. Ittook them quite a while to finish the job,

and some of our people had to be moved to another hotel for the evening. It was quite exciting, and thankfully noone was hurt.

On Monday after our buffet breakfastwe again boarded the buses for a scenicdrive along the “Romantic Street” (a beautiful ride through forests with tall,stately trees, meadows of bright greengrass, and small villages along theway…truly a wonderful drive) to theNeuschwanstein and HohenschwangauCastles with free time to visit the Castles and have lunch at the nearbyrestaurants. I was possible to walk up to Neuschwanstein and take a horse drawncart back down.

Neuschwanstein was never finished,but Ludwig grew up in Hohenschwangau,and it was here he became enamored ofswans.

After our visit to the castles we ventured on to Friedrichshafen on LakeConstance (Bodensee). This town washome to the Zeppelin Airship Companyfactory, where Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin originally built his airships in a floating assembly hall on the lake, which could be aligned with the winds tosupport the difficult starting procedure.There is a fascinating Zeppelin Museumthere, which most of us visited andenjoyed thoroughly.

One of the displays is a full size modelof the Hindenburg which you could walkthrough. This was a real eye-opener as towhat was envisioned for passenger airflight back then, and the seating areas and bedrooms were amazing.

There were also actual newspaperscovering the tragedy of the Hindenburg’sfinal flight, and a part of the remains ofthis part of history. This was very personalhere.

Tuesday began again with a buffetbreakfast and then onto the buses for atour of the Raffin Organ Factory. We weretaken through the workshops and display

By Shirley Nix

THE GERMANY/HOLLAND

CONVENTION 2007 • JULY 5-20TH

188

continued. . .

areas and were treated to a concert on the Raffin organs by Herr Raffin, hisdaughter and son-in-law playing in tandem (this was not midi generated, itwas by hand cranking paper rolls), whichtook a lot of talent. Herr Raffin is in his70’s, and fairly beamed while taking usthrough his factory with his son-in-lawRafael as our translator. John Rogers wasalso translating for us, and he got so into it he began translating English into English.

The Raffin organs range from small 20-note organs up to large organs on carts. It was a fascinating visit, and wehated to leave, but the time had come to get back on the buses for a trip to theRheinfall.

The Rheinfalls are the largest waterfalls in Europe, and are really amazing. Some of the hardier types took the 300 steps down to the bottom of the falls to the overhangingobservation deck, where you really got the feel of the power and huge amount of water falling constantly. It’s a marvelous way to view the falls, but you can also enjoy them from points along the stairway without going all theway down. There are viewpoints at various points, many of them quite scenic and fantastic.

Some went back to the bus, otherswalked over to the other side along a train bridge with a pedestrian walkwayalong the side. The walk went through the beautiful forest and over to the other side of the river, every step of itscenic and lovely.

We had lunch and enjoyed the ambience of the falls and beautiful area.Then it was off again to Triberg in theBlack Forest and the historic old ParkHotel.

Triberg is another lovely old town, andthere is the highest waterfall (not nearly of the size of the Rheinfalls) in Germanyat the end of town. A few hearty soulshiked to the top, while most at least wentto view the falls from one of the lowerviewpoints. Either way the views are spectacular, and the area, heavily wooded,is wonderful to see.

Restaurants abound in Triberg, so dinner was no problem.

Wednesday it was off to Freiburg to the Welte Museum and a concert onEdwin Welte’s own piano. Lots of

wonderful red rolls were played, and I heard some people say “My piano doesn’t sound that good.”

The Welte firm entered into an epoch-making development when they substituted perforated rolls for the wooden pinned cylinders. In 1883 EmilWelte patented this paper roll method.They introduced the Welte-Mignon reproducing piano in 1905, making it possible to reproduce music played by a pianists as true to original as possible.

The Welte firm was hard hit by the loss of the American market during WWI, and further losses ensued from the invention of phonographs, radio andother technologies. Bankruptcy wasavoided only by exclusively buildingchurch organs.

Edwin Welte’s last project was an electronic organ, but in 1936 productionwas halted because Edwin Welte had a Jewish wife. The business complex inFreiburg was bombed and completelydestroyed in 1944.

Across the square was the Munster,which is under restoration and had scaffolding clear up to the top of the verytall spires of this magnificent Cathedralwhich was built between 1200 and 1530.The city was heavily bombed duringWWII, but the Munsterplatz was leftintact.

Waldkirch was our next stop, for anextraordinary English-speaking tour of the Elztal Museum, beginning with thehistory of the Bruder family and organsplayed from different eras, from oldest to latest. These instruments tended to be rare and wonderful. Our guide wasenthusiastic about our visit, and whileFrank and I have been there before we have never had such a wonderful tour.

When we left the museum it was off to the Jaeger and Brommer Organ Factory, where we were treated to a nice program starting with a great movie about Waldkirch and its history. Waldkirch was the center of orchestrionsand fairground organ building in the heyday of the industry, and some of theold factories are still visible around town.(Some of us found headstones in a localchurch grounds for several of the Bruderfamily, along with other organ builders of note.)

There was a short history of the Bruderfamily, which was really interesting,accompanied by the proper organ music.

Dinner was a buffet with more andmore dishes, and everyone ate too muchagain. The food during the trip was alwayswonderful. Dinner was followed by moreorgan music, including a special organmade by Jaeger and Brommer for theorgan rallies to encourage audience participation. It had a bunch of tubes withbulbs on the end. When the bulbs weresqueezed something happened on theorgan, be it automata, wood block action,bells playing, castanets, or other funthings. The trick was to get into the songand do your thing in time with the music.Our group was anxious to give it a try, andsome of us even got it almost right.

Finally, after a long day we went backto our hotel in Triberg for a good nights’sleep.

On Thursday we had free time to shop(there were five cuckoo clocks bought on our bus alone, and a few Drindles, too), explore the town, climb to the top ofthe waterfall, or visit the SchwarzwaldMuseum.

The Museum is another fascinatingplace, with all kinds of history of the area,including mechanical music, clocks,trains, and other facets of local lore. It wasa highlight of Triberg, a close second toshopping.

We met the bus at 3:00 and left for Bruschal and the lovely Hotel Scheffelhohe at the top of a hill overlooking the town. (It was an excitingbus trip up a steep, narrow street with cars parked illegally in our way. This was when we found out exactly how good our bus drivers really were, and they rated a 10+.)

On Friday it was off to the SpeyerTechnical Museum, where we started with a guided tour of the MechanicalMusic section. We could request to hear any of the machines we wished,including a Vorsetzer playing a Steinwaypiano. This was amazing. There were two Vorsetzers in the Museum.

From there we went across the street to the Technical Museum to hear a HUGE Mortier fairground organ and see a double carousel, which a few of us were lucky enough to ride…something not allowed for the generalpublic.

189

continued. . .

This Museum is a treasure trove oftechnical displays, with just about anything you were interested in, includingtrains, planes, or automobiles or a widerange of other fields.

Then came a big decision…whether tostay longer at the Museum and go back to the Hotel in a couple of hours or to go back to the bus and take the trip toRothenburg, with a late evening return.

Rothenburg is an ancient walled city,full of history. It is also full of shops andrestaurants and great streets to wander.You can walk the entire wall around thecity for great views of the countryside. It’sa very interesting, picturesque spot.

Well, those of us who went to thewalled city came, shopped, ate, enjoyedthe views and then left for the bus rideback to the hotel.

Saturday morning was free to visit the town market or go to a flea marketcovering a few blocks over by the Schloss.A few treasures were found, some ofwhich even fit into our suitcases. Therewas probably more browsing than buying,since the suitcase problem definitely put adamper on some of the purchases,although a few boxes were seen being putinto the luggage compartment of the bus.

A local festival group marched into themarket in old, authentic costumes andplaying old instruments, including an original hurdy gurdy. The leader of thegroup sang old folk songs and a group ofladies danced the old dances. It was reallyfun to watch.

We met later at the Schloss for a guidedtour in English, and it was spectacular.The museum has some really fine instruments, and many were demonstratedfor us (and sometimes by us). Everyonereally enjoyed the tour.

At 4:00 we went upstairs for thepumper contest, which was done on Konrad Adenauer’s piano. This was likeno pumper contest before, with five contestants, some of whom had NEVERpumped a piano in their lives.

This made for quite a contest, and weeven found out how many AMICANs ittakes to put a roll on a piano, but that’sanother story.

Leading off the talent search was Mike Barnhart, playing “Organ GrinderSwing”. When he finished the roll heplayed a tape of the same song played onhis organ at home.

The next victim. . . .No, I mean contestant, was John Rogers, who probably never even saw a pumper pianobefore, let alone play one. His choice was“Railroad Man Blues”.

Don Johnson followed with his rendition of “The Johnson Rag”…quiteapropos, right?

Paul Mayer was next with the “MoyerMalulla”, and my apologies in advance if I got it wrong.

Ron Hartwell then played a piececalled “Warsaw Concerto”.

Our old standard pumper contestantJulian Dyer played “Scherzo from Trioby Mendelsohn”.

The audience did the judging this time,since we had no qualified judges, and thewinner was Ron Hartwell, although itwasn’t announced until the banquet.

We walked back into town for our banquet at the Quint Essenz Restaurant,where we had another amazing buffet dinner. We were joined by members of theGerman Music Club.

The award ceremony started off with Frank Nix receiving a special International Award. Bill Chapman wasmost deservedly given the President’sAward. Julian Dyer received the LiteraryAward. These folks all deserve the recognition and thanks for all they do forAMICA. The time and work they put inon a volunteer basis is amazing, and wereally owe them a vote of thanks.

After dinner we walked back to ourHotel.

Sunday found us on our way toRudesheim by way of the Heidelburg Castle. Unfortunately our buses were notallowed to stop anywhere along the road, so we viewed the Castle and thelovely old bridges as we passed, but were unable to get much in the way of pictures.

We went directly to Siefried Wendel’sMuseum for tours of his fabulous oldhouse and collection. The building datesfrom 1200, and his collection dates “a little later than that”.

We saw a wonderful Bruder organ decorated in Mid-Eastern style whichSiegfried found in Budapest. It’s in earlystages of restoration so we couldn’t hearit, but he played another Bruder for us andthen we went from room to room, eachone filled with absolute gems.

There are several instruments in his

collection which are the only knownexamples in existence. One room hadthree Hupfeld Phonolists (one made bySiegfried), a double Mills Violano, and the only known Phillips containing a realviolin. It was truly a wonderful visit, andSiegfried is such a personable host youcan’t help enjoying yourself.

There was then free time to explore thetown, eat lunch or souvenir shop. Severalof our group took the cable car up to themonument on the hill overlooking thetown. It’s a huge monument to Kaiser Wilhelm. The weather was very warm, so the ice cream shops did a landslidebusiness. (As if we needed an excuse)

We had to be at the Hotel Traube-Aumuller at 4:00 to meet the buses andclaim our luggage. This was one time welonged for air-conditioning, but thisEurope, so we had to do what we could tokeep cool.

At 8:00 p.m. it was back to Siegfried’sfor a German wine-tasting party in theunderground wine cellar, where we weretold anyone leaving had to fight the manat the door who carried a large hammer.Lo and behold, there he was when someone left for a rest break. He didn’tuse the hammer, though, luckily for us. I think the wine softened him up….

John Motto-Ros presented Siegfriedwith the plaque for the AMICAInternational award. He was chosen for his ambassadorship where automaticmusic is concerned. He had a real interestin the instruments, and in getting the public to enjoy and appreciate them. HisMuseum is a natural tourist attraction, and many, many people go through, bysome estimates over 125,000 per year.

Table favors were handed out, made by Siegfried and Jens, his son. They were organ grinders looking much like Siegfried himself, playing “The Loreley”…a fitting memento of this convention.

Siegfried then made a surpriseannouncement that he would open theMuseum for anyone who wanted to comeback, and he would play anything we wanted to hear. This was a truly generous thing for him to do, and wemuch appreciated it.

Monday we rose early, loaded our luggage on the bus and walked to the boat dock to board our ship for the RhineRiver Cruise.

190

continued. . .

The cruise was beautiful every nauticalstep of the way, with castles everywhere,small towns, vineyards and various lovelyand historic sites. There were so manyKodak moments one had to wish we hadthought to buy stock in a camera or filmcompany before we left home. I think weboosted their stock a few points in justtwo hours.

We docked at St. Goarshausen, disembarked and met our buses for whatcould have been a long ride to Utrecht, butwith a stop to visit the Koln Cathedral andeat lunch to break up the trip, making eachleg shorter.

We checked into the Best WesternHotel, which proved to be a chore, gettingall 67 of us taken care of, and we were justin time to miss a cloudburst complete withloud thunder, lightning and very hard rain.Luckily, we were all inside the lobby withour luggage when it hit, and by the timewe all checked in there was only a lightmist falling.

Tuesday we started again with a greatbuffet breakfast and then off to explore the city’s many memorable sights andmuseums on our own. A good number ofus took a canal ride, which gave a goodoverview of the city, making it easier tofind things later. It was a pleasant way tospend an hour.

The Damkerk was a lovely spot to visitin town. This church was started in 630 asa small church, with the foundation for thecurrent Gothic Saint Martin’s started in1254.

The church has an interesting history,with a tornado destroying part of it in 1674, ninety-three years after theProtestants took it over from theCatholics. It’s a beautiful edifice, wellworth a visit.

There are several museums in the city,and the shopping is wonderful, be it forsouvenirs, antiques, clothing or variousother sundries.

We had a private tour of the NationalMuseum von Speelklok tot Pierement inthe late afternoon, and what a wonder thatwas. This museum is a treasure trove forlovers of mechanical music, clocks,automata, and other things, all in perfectorder.

This collection contains more fairgroundorgans (many of them giant-size) than wehad seen previously, and is not lacking inclocks, pianos, music boxes, automata, and

every facet of the mechanical music field.Bob van Wely, who took over when Jan

Jaap Haspels retired, was our host andguide, and his enthusiasm and knowledgemade it a wonderful time. He has had a career as a Carillonneur for cities in Holland, and obviously loves his work atthe Museum.

There are so many wonderful instruments in Europe, not surprising,since they were developed and built here. It’s a thrill to visit the Museums andprivate collections and see instruments notto be seen anywhere else in the world.

Would these museums be as wellappreciated and attended in the UnitedStates? It’s really hard to say, because thisis the national heritage in this part of theworld, and a source of great pride andenthusiasm.

On Wednesday we were joined byMaarten Van der Vlugt, who was to be ourguide for the Holland part of our journey,starting at the Haarlem Museum for morewonderful fairground organs from makerslike Mortier, Perlee, Hooguys, Carl Freiand others.

This museum is very much into preserving these wonderful organs, and hasrestored the ones they have to perfection.They are lovely to look at and just wonderful to hear, and can be seen fromtime to time on the streets during organ rallies. Their collection includes a theaterorgan, which they played for us, completewith songs sung by some of their docents.

We had lunch at the museum, took pictures and shopped (both talents honedto perfection on this trip). Too soon it wastime to board the bus again for the ride tovisit Hilvarenbeek at the home of WiesSchwagten, who graciously opened hiscollection for us to enjoy.

Holland, of course, is the home of streetorgans, and this collection is a fine onewith great large organs playing beautifully.We enjoyed the music and grounds andafter a too short visit we left and went tothe Museum Dansant, which is newlyopened and features a dance floor and bar.It’s a lovely place, and we had a great dinner there while enjoying the sound ofmusic from the many great instruments.(When we were in Holland last the museum was really more in the planningstages, and it was good to see it finishedand open for business. They host parties,weddings, and all sorts of festivities there.)

After dinner we were able to go downstairs to the workshop to visit. Wesaw a couple of organs which had beencustom made for collectors in the UnitedStates. They were beautiful, and the soundwas such that it made us want to dance orsing, which some of us did.

I had to wonder if we wouldn’t miss allthe great food when we got back home. It would be especially hard to go back to fixing our own breakfast. Of course,probably a good many of us will go backand get on the scale and realize we had agood thing going, buts it’s time to getback to normal.

We took our buses back to the hotel,said goodbye and many thanks toMaarten, who was such a good tour guidefor this latter part of the trip. Maartenlined up the collections, made all thearrangements and saw that things wentsmoothly. It is a pleasure to have suchgood friends.

Thursday we had breakfast, and thenhad to choose whether to go to Amsterdamfor the day or visit Efterling Park.

Efterling Park opened in 1952 whenthe Fairy Tale Forest, designed by thefamous Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck, wasdeclared open. It was home to some tendifferent fairy tales, and the life-sizedfairy tales displayed in an atmosphericforest, using original sketches by Pieck,proved to be an enormous success.

The Park houses the Giezen and Vermolen Carousel, considered to be thefinest in the Netherlands, built around1865. It features a warm, colorful atmosphere, with horses by Hubner, gondolas by Heyn, extravagant use ofhanging drapes, and an organ with original music books by Carl Frei andHenk Molhman. This, of course, would bea favorite with our group, although thewhole Park is a wonderful place.

There is also a steam carousel with aglorious past. The façade came from atraveling cinema with pictures of angelsand muses painted on it. Anton Pieckinsisted that Efteling buy the carousel. Itwas in poor condition when it arrived, andwas completely refurbished to its’ currentglory. It is accompanied by the Pelikaanorgan, originally a genuine Amsterdamstreet organ.

For those who chose to visit Amsterdam, thought to be one of the mostbeautiful and romantic cities in Europe,

191

continued. . .

there was a broad spectrum of things tosee and do. You can take a boat ride on thecanals to get acclimated if you wish, orjust wander the narrow streets.

There are eight stunning windmills inthe heart of the city, another Kodakmoment.

Many of the group chose to take thetrain back to our hotel at the airport,allowing them so stay late and make themost out of the last day.

Friday was for departure back to the

States and the end of a wonderful trip.There are so many people who deserve

thanks for making this trip so special, butI have to start with Liz Barnhart and Frank Nix, who planned the whole thing,with quite a bit of help from Mike Barnhart and Shirley Nix. John Rogers,our tour guide, was great, the bus drivers,the tour guides in the various museumsand attractions, Maarten van der Vlugt,who made the whole Holland part of the trip possible, and the German Music

Club, who worked with us all the way.This kind of trip can’t be done without alot of work and planning, but it came offbeautifully.

One note—If you received a tablefavor without the AMICA sticker let meknow and I’ll send you a sticker. (It’s along story)

How do you follow something likethis? With a trip to Southern Californianext year for the 2008 Convention, whichwill be super, too. See you then.

A MICA OFFICER, COMMITTEE &

CHAPTER REPORTS

PRESIDENT’S REPORTThroughout the year I have received

meeting notices from many chapters. Thevariety of activities and efforts some chapters make to reach out and spread theword about our collecting interests is great, but I know other chapters can do this, too.

In April, I received a signed petitionfrom members of the Gateway and Heart ofAmerica Chapters requesting a merger ofthese two chapters. Since there is not a sufficient number of officers/board members attending the 2007 Germany/Holland convention to hold a Board Meeting, the merger was approved utilizingthe AMICA Board Member’s website.

The restored Wurlitzer DX orchestrion,AMICA’S Adopt-A-Piano, was dedicatedat a gala celebration June 30, 2007, inNevada City, Montana. Thanks to Founding Member, Richard Reutlinger,for suggesting AMICA take on this project, Art Reblitz, who was in charge of the restoration, and the AMICAchapters who contributed funds for therestoration work. There were many otherswho made this project a success, includingthe Montana Heritage Commission andthe Montana History Foundation.

AMICA is now on YouTube. Severalyears ago, the Sierra Nevada chapter madea video of automatic musical instruments

narrated by chapter vice president, DougMahr. I sent the video to website manager,Karl Ellison, and he edited and made itinto a YouTube presentation with a leaderand follower screen plugging AMICA.The information is now posted on theAMICA Board Member’s site and shouldalso be listed on the amica.org site soon.Karl has also volunteered to do the same ifothers send VHS tapes of AMICA events.

This first year as President has given me the opportunity to meet and correspond with many AMICA members,as well as individuals outside of the organization.

Respectfully submitted, JOHN A. MOTTO-ROS, President

AMICA International

PAST PRESIDENT’S REPORTMy duties as Past President have been

minimal so far this term. I have given thePresident feedback and other advice asrequested. Fortunately, there have beenfew major concerns. I have noticed theincreasing presence of AMICA on theinternet, specifically from the expansionof our Web Site, and I feel that this can only bring more attention to our organization. Many thanks to Karl Ellisonfor a job very well done!

The test roll project has been goingvery well in the past 12 months. Since the

last convention, there have been 37 testrolls sent out to our members. There willsoon be a Welte test roll (and manual?)available as well. Stay tuned!

Sincerely,Mike Walter

Past President

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORTIt has been a privilege to serve as

your Vice President for 2006-2007. Theoffice of the Vice President has two principal duties: (1) Chapter Liaison and(2) Chairing the awards committee for the award of the AMICA InternationalAward and the Leo Ornstein LiteraryAward.

(1) CHAPTER LIAISONThis area could use some improvement.

Several chapters are sending me invitations and notices about chapter activities (and this is very much appreciated), but many are not. I wouldask that each chapter place me on its mailing and/or e-mail list for chapter functions. My address:

Tim Baxter939 Briarcliff Rd., NE

Atlanta, GA 30306-4664

In addition, my efforts to reach out tochapters (in the context of seeking awards

Sent in by Marlene Beckman

192

continued. . .

nominations) met with only mixed success, in spite of “snail” mailings andrepeated e-mails. Less than half of thechapters responded with nominations, andeven then, many were delayed.

(2) AWARDSTwo separate committees, each chaired

by the Vice President, were formed toconsider nominations for the AMICAInternational Award and the Leo OrnsteinLiterary Award.

The AMICA International Award Committee consisted of Rob Deland andBob Taylor; each of these gentlemen hasgiven long and distinguished service toAMICA. This service continued with thiscommittee assignment. After careful consideration, the decision was made topresent Siegfried Wendel of Germanywith the International Award for this year.

The Leo Ornstein Literary Award committee consisted of some of our hobby’s most gifted writers and technicians: Art Reblitz, Dave Saul, andRichard Tonnesen. Based on the volumeand excellence of his written output, thedecision to present Julian Dyer of GreatBritain with the Leo Ornstein LiteraryAward was easily reached. Many thanks to Art, Dave, and Richard for their hard work in reviewing copious amountsof written material while serving on thiscommittee.

(3) 92nd STREET Y GALAIn April of 2007, I was contacted by

the 92nd Street Y, (a venerable New YorkCity cultural institution), to assist it inlocating an “old time player piano” for usein a Gala Benefit on May 21, 2007. Thescript called for the show to open with anupright player piano “self playing” (i.e.,no pumping) one of the Gershwin Duo-Art rolls. With the help of the LadyLiberty chapter, and more specifically,Barry Dennis and Randolph Herr, a nice-sounding upright Stroud Duo-Artwas located, refurbished somewhat, andthen transported to the upper West Sidefor a successful (and highly musical) rendition of “Swanee” to open the show.Meliora Music Rolls and Custom MusicRolls donated a specially edited version of the “Swanee” roll for use at the Gala.AMICA and the Lady Liberty chapterwere given credit in the Gala’s program,and a special web link for Gala

participants (providing context aboutGeorge Gershwin and his piano rolls) may still be viewed on our web site at:

http://www.amica.org/92Y.htm

It should be noted that the Gala’s themewas “Technology and Music,” and ourStroud Duo-Art shared the stage with suchnotables as Neil Sedaka, The Shirelles,and DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow.

Very Special thanks are due:Barry DennisRandolph HerrThe Lady Liberty ChapterJanet and Richard TonnesenMeliora Music Rolls

Your officers are committed to increasing thevisibility of AMICA and of mechanical musicalinstruments. Members are asked to think of unique ways in which the general public can be made more aware of our wonderfulinstruments.

In closing, let me say what a pleasure it has been to work with my fellow officers and chapter reps, and most especially, with our exuberant President,John Motto-Ros.

Timothy A. BaxterVice President, AMICA International

SECRETARY’S REPORTDuring the past year I have monitored

the Yahoo group messages and respondedas necessary.

I am currently collecting chapter, officer, and committee reports. Thesereports will be shared at the July convention in Germany. They will also be typed in similar format and included ina future issue of the AMICA BULLETIN.

Respectfully submitted,Marlene Beckman, secretary

CONVENTION CHAIRMAN’SREPORT

We have some fine conventionsplanned over the next several years. 2006 found us in Chicago, always afavorite with great collections to see. The attendance was high, and we thankthe convention committee under the capable hands of Mel Septon.

2007 This year will find us in Germanyand Holland, with approximately 65

members who should find it extremelyenjoyable.

2008 We will be hosted by the Southern California Chapter, alwaysanother favorite destination, with goodcollections and lots of exciting things to do and see. Some of the things we’reworking on: The Ronald Reagan Library,the Gene Autry Museum, and the Fourthof July concert at the Hollywood Bowl.We will be at the Marriott in WoodlandHills, with a rate of $99 plus parking. Call Frank Nix for further information.818-884-6849. July 1-5

2009 We will be in Covington, Kentucky, close to Cincinnati, Ohio. TheMidwest Chapter will be our hosts, andwe haven’t been in this area for a while. It will be a fine convention under the leadership of Bob Andersen, Chairman.July 21-27

2010 We will be in Buffalo, New York,with the S.O.W.N.Y. Chapter as hosts. Ourhotel will be the Hyatt Regency, a newlyrenovated hotel, and it will be $105 forvery nice rooms with free parking. MikeWalter is the chairman. July 7-11

2011 This year is openThink about your chapter hosting

a convention. It’s a great way to workwith and get to know more about yourmembers and your area. It really is a rewarding experience. Every chapter has a duty to host a convention.

Also, we are always interested in inputfrom you, the members.

• What do you want from your conventions?

• What kind of workshops do you prefer?

• Subjects for lectures?

• Where do you want to go? We have considered a cruise on the Mississisppi. Would that be of interest?

Please talk to me about these things.Submitted by:

Frank Nix Convention Chairman

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’SREPORT Report period: June 1, 2006, to June l,2007

New applications have been numerousduring 2006, and appear to be on a very

193

A B C D E F G H

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1 0

1 1

1 2

1 3

1 4

1 5

1 6

1 7

1 8

1 9

2 0

2 1

2 2

2 3

2 4

2 5

2 6

2 7

2 8

2 9

3 0

3 1

3 2

3 3

3 4

3 5

National Memorial Convention Adopt-a-Piano Fund Bulletin & Directory Chapters Total

Income

Adopt-a-Piano 4,147.29 4,147.29

Advertising 3,184.00 3,184.00

Convention Income 5,899.32 83,035.00 88,934.32

Interest Received 668.47 668.91 1,337.38

Membership Dues 76,971.95 5,629.00 82,600.95

Memorial Fund 2,585.00 2,585.00

Miscellaneous 504.80 5,248.13 5,752.93

Test Roll Project 955.00 955.00

Total 79,100.22 2,585.00 5,899.32 4,147.29 3,184.00 94,581.04 189,496.87

Expenses

Awards 390.68 47.00 437.68

Bank Charges 611.62 611.62

Convention Expenses 5,540.00 85,353.36 90,893.36

Adopt-a-Piano 12,093.30 12,093.30

Handling Expenses 2,950.95 2,950.95

Internet 413.37 413.37

Insurance 1,511.00 1,511.00

Legal & Professional Fees 60.00 60.00

Non Sufficient Fund Checks 114.00 114.00

Miscellaneous 57.00 7,804.16 7,861.16

Office Supplies 1,658.09 326.24 1,984.33

Postage 11,468.24 946.34 12,414.58

Printing 41,396.78 486.04 41,882.82

Publisher Fees 11,500.00 11,500.00

Telephone 42.00 42.00

Test Roll Project 1,408.25 1,408.25

Total 6,266.01 0.00 5,540.00 12,093.30 67,315.97 94,963.14 186,178.42

Net 72,834.21 2,585.00 359.32 (7,946.01) (64,131.97) (382.10) 3,318.45

Balance - Checking $16,461.53 $43,362.33 $59,823.86

Balance - Savings $60,011.90 $20,236.48 $80,248.38

76,473.43 63,598.81 140,072.24

TREASURER S REPORT

194

continued. . .

positive uptrend. Applications were inresponse to the Chicago convention and tothe Gift Memberships.

Membership Statistics:July 31, 1999.........1551 membersJune 1, 2000........1494 membersJune 1, 2001........1459 membersJune 1, 2002........1375 membersJuly 15, 2003.......1354 membersJune 1, 2004........1341 membersJune 1, 2005.........1315 membersJune 1, 2006.........1233 membersJune 1, 2007.........1279 members*

*This total includes: Affiliates, FoundingMembers, Honorary, Utility, and “Dual House-holds” which are nonpaying members. Theadjusted total for paid memberships is 1200.

Applications approved during thereporting period equal 76 (1 year). Netloss of memberships is 57, as compared to 82 the previous year. The Chicago convention drew many new applications.It also promoted renewals of memberswho had fallen off in previous years. Theconvention did not seem to affect the totalnumber of non-renewals (133), which israther high.

American Theatre Organ Society negotiations were continued and finallyresulted in reciprocal advertisements inBulletin and the ATOS publication. Adswere written to promote interest and applications. Once agreements werereached, the matter was turned over to the respective publishers to decide uponthe size of the ads.

Other advertising possibilities arebeing explored. The plan is to secure more members by tapping into the interests of car collectors, vintage phonograph, and vintage radio collectors.Also explored was the possibility forentering the Bulletin into a publicationshow/convention. However, excessivecosts prohibited entry of the Bulletin. Itwas not cost-effective, and the Bulletinwould be viewed along with a thousandother publications.

Gift subscriptions were offered to themembers again this year and 21 wereprocessed. It appears that this featureshould probably be continued, although it is extra work and extra cost to the organization. Two letters must be writtenfor each gift, one for the award, and theother to the donor.

Postal rates have increased. This mayaffect AMICA in that Surface Mail hasbeen eliminated. Surface mail was thecheapest rate for AMICA’S overseas subscribers, of which there are 32. Verypreliminary estimates for replacement ofSurface mail indicate the new rate willincrease by about $4 per mailing. Thisamounts to approximately a $768 increasein cost above what was paid for Surfacemail.

First Class rates have also increasedand the new costs will be requested fromEngler Printing after mail has gone out at the new rate. These new costs will bereported to the board-of-directors.

Misdelivered Mail problems are significantly improved after formal complaints were filed by me with theregional post office. New subcontractswere made and old carriers were eliminated.

Credit card payments continue to grow.Nearly all of the overseas members usecredit cards to pay dues and conventionfees. This is probably the main reason that“foreign” members continue to enjoy thebenefits of the Bulletin and conventions.However, the credit card processing feesare around 5%.

Future planning for the board shouldprobably include developing action plansfor the organization with regard to membership numbers and budgets. As membership declines, the operatingbudget will also decline. This can be ameliorated by outreach to new potentialmembers.

Submitted by:Bill Chapman

MEMORIAL FUND REPORTJune 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007

It has been a pleasure to serve as Chairperson of the AMICA InternationalMemorial Fund. During the period of time listed above, we have received$1,675 in Memory of individuals whowere honored by our chapters and we have received contributions from 9 families when they renewed their yearlymembership. The amounts that each ofthese households contributed were notgiven to me, so I don’t have a monetarytotal to report from these contributions.

Respectfully submitted,Halie Dodrill,

Memorial Fund Chairperson

195

continued. . .

TECHNICALITIES REPORTSince 1969, technical articles relative

to restoration, tools, techniques, and supplies appearing in the AMICA Bulletinhave been extracted and reprinted in bound volumes. To date, Volumes Ithrough to VI have been published inprinted form.

At the 2006, AMICA Board Meeting in Chicago, I gifted to AMICA a CD containing the whole of Technicalities,including Volume VII, not previouslyreleased. That CD has been replicated and is to be included within the May/June, 2007, issue of the AMICA Bulletinwithin the same spirit as reprints of original literature appearing in past issues.

Surplus copies of the CD will be sentto our Membership Secretary for gifting toall new members. This initiative willhopefully encourage new memberships.

Funding for this initiative was foundwithin AMICA’S Memorial Fund, basedon revenue emerging from the proceeds ofa bequest to AMICA by Sandy Libmanwho passed away in May, 2005. Sandy,with his background in computers anddedication to AMICA, would be pleasedwith this application of the fund.

In prior years, I had recommended tothe Board that I be authorized to accessour Commercial printer’s files to simplifyprogressive preparation of future issues of Technicalities. In recent months, I havefound a way to achieve this withoutintruding into our printer’s workload,using my personal copy of the AMICAbulletin. I have developed a process ofOCR scanning my copy and capturingtechnical articles in a suitable format tofacilitate progressive assembly of futureissues.

Up to now, two additional copies of theAMICA Bulletin have been mailed to meto facilitate labor intensive cut-and-pasteto assemble Technicalities. By convertingto this new process, I can now recommendthat the two additional copies of theAMICA Bulletin be terminated, resultingin a modest cost saving to AMICA.

Board members are encouraged to consider ways in which contemporarytechnology can be applied to enhance benefits to existing and new members.

Regards,Terry Smythe

THE BILLING’S ROLLOGRAPHYREPORT

At the AMICA 2006 Board meeting inChicago, it was announced that Bob andGinny Billings had graciously gifted toAMICA their entire master volumes oftheir monumental research effort-TheBilling’s Rollography.

In the interest of being helpful, Ioffered to convert these masters into a CD to be gifted to all AMICA members.Subsequently, the masters arrived at myhome, and as I reviewed the magnitude of the project, I made contact with Bob Billings. By chance, Bob still had hisoriginal 1990 WordPerfect 5.1 computerfiles, and he kindly shared them with me.

The 1990 WP5.1 (DOS) files did notcontain any graphics, so I converted thesefiles into WordPerfect 2007 format, thenscanned the graphics in the masters, merging them into the updated files. Thefinal result is a CD containing the wholeof The Billing’s Rollography.

That CD has been replicated and is tobe included within the Christmas 2007issue of the AMICA Bulletin within thesame spirit as reprints of original literatureappearing in past issues. Surplus copies ofthe CD will be sent to our MembershipSecretary for gifting to all new members.This initiative will hopefully encouragenew memberships.

Funding for this initiative was foundwithin AMICA’S Memorial Fund, basedon revenue emerging from the proceeds ofa bequest to AMICA by Sandy Libmanwho passed away in May, 2005. Sandy,with his background in computers anddedication to AMICA, would be pleasedwith this application of the fund.

Board members are encouraged to consider ways in which contemporarytechnology can be applied to enhance benefits to existing and new members.

Regards,Terry Smythe

WEBSITE MANAGER’S REPORTThe www.amica.org website has

clocked 38,500 visitors to date (14,000this past year, or about 40 visits/day).

Something unfortunate happened with our Canadian service provider. Theybegan to have “down days,” issues withconnectivity, and were unresponsive to e-mails and phone calls to correct the

issues. And this turned out to be a blessingin disguise. In a search for a new provider,I found that the ubiquitous company,YAHOO, offered internet service for lessmoney, provided more space, and had anaward-winning support staff available24/7. They’re a behemoth with massiveresources and infrastructure that (are you sitting down?) are responsive to theircustomers! With the choice now clear,AMICA moved to the YAHOO servicelate in 2006, and we’ve not looked backsince. We’re very pleased; more servicesfor less money-you can’t beat that with astick!

Mid 2007, will also see the introductionof a “Members Only” area. This will belocked with a password yet accessible toall AMICA members in good standing.Initially, it will contain on-line reportsfrom the Annual meeting, and have thefull versions of the AMICA Technicalities,and the Billing’s Rollographies all on-line.Shortly after the introduction (watch for it in an upcoming Bulletin) there will be more features added to these specialpages that will add value to your AMICAmembership-features not available to thegeneral public.

The website’s front page now has live music. At least every two months I feature an interesting mechanical instrument and its music on the front page.These are moderate quality streamingmusic files that play when you enter the site. It is supported by the majority ofthe mainstream browsers, but not by some of the more obscure (and non-windows compatible). I’m researchingwhat can be done about this shortfall, but 95% of the visitors will have noissues.

The major addition to the site is thenow completed “Adopt-A-Piano” in a linkthat is found in the masthead of the site.Championed by Richard Reutlinger, aWurlitzer DX was chosen to be restoredby Art Reblitz. And you guessed it—thereis a recording of the instrument that playswhen you enter that part of the site-16tunes altogether. Thanks to Art Reblitz forthe compilation of this terrific addition.

Submitted by:Karl Ellison

AMICA Website Manager

196

continued. . .

BOSTON AREA CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: John VanOpdorpVice President: Robert HuntSecretary: Ken VolkTreasurer: Dorothy BromageBoard Representative: Robert HuntReporter: Don Brown

Since the last report, the Boston Chapter met at the following locations:

February 10, 2006Home of Joe and Pat Lavacchia in Woburn, MA.Auction held for items in the Libman estate.

May 7, 2006Business of Ed O’Brien in Lincoln, NH

September 10, 2006Auction house of Bill Johnson in Wells, ME

November 5, 2006Home of Phil and Phyllis Konop in Harvard, MA.Accompaniment roll concert.

January 12, 2007Waltham, MA joint meeting with East CoastChapter MBSI

May 6, 2007Home of Dick and Eileen DeVito in Weston, MA

In addition to taking care of officialbusiness, each meeting features a Mini-Mart, a Show-and-Tell Session, a talk by the host about the home and collections, and time devoted to questionsand answers.

The chapter has $2364.59 in the bank, with 52 households as members for 2007. All six New England states are represented.

Members are pursuing an ongoing project to provide a player piano to theCharles River Museum of Industry inWaltham, Massachusetts.

CHICAGO AREA CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: VacantVice President: Richard VanMetreSecretary: Carol VeomeTreasurer: Joe Pekarek

Board Representative: VacantReporter: Curt Clifford

Following the July, 2006, national convention hosted by our chapter, we had an October meeting in the home of James Huffer and Michael Hubbard.We enjoyed their Coinola, pumper piano,Baldwin baby grand piano, upright phonograph, and pinball machine. Ourhosts had completed a full restoration ontheir Arts and Crafts style home, formerlya parsonage, which is now filled withantique furniture. Members were able tobask in the glow of our fun and successfulsummer national convention. The 300 registrant list filled up rapidly and all who were placed on a waiting list wereable to attend. We had many first timers.The tours included a successful first time ever tour of the Schaff Piano supplyfacility. We voted to send a donation in memory of Dave Ramey to a publicattraction in Virginia City, Montana,where Art Reblitz is helping to restore a collection of automatic musical instruments now owned by the state ofMontana.

Our December holiday meeting washeld in the home of Carol Veome. We allenjoyed her Steinway Duo-Art, SeeburgG, many phonographs, musical boxes, and 1950’s hi-fi equipment. In response to Carol’s request that members bring holiday items for Show and Tell, we heard holiday piano rolls, a Regina disc, and a CD of organ music playingChristmas tunes. Debbie Hollick brought a childhood record of Santa Claus chatting with her and her siblings atLloyd’s Department Store in Evanston.

In May, the group traveled to the home of Doug and Pam McGee in Sturgeon Bay, WI, overlooking LakeMichigan. The hosts have a remarkable 7’ Mason and Hamlin Ampico “A” piano,several more pianos, and a memorablyneat basement workshop. Guests weretreated to a lovely dinner in town at a lakefront restaurant, then homemadedesserts were served back at the house. A high point of the gathering was meeting Edith Ornstein, the daughter ofAmpico recording artist Leo Ornstein.Several of her father’s rolls were played.Because many stayed in Door Countyovernight, an open house was arranged

in the Milwaukee area on Sunday, hostedby Paul Woelbing. In addition to an architecturally interesting home, Paul hasseveral Ampico and Duo-Art pianos, anamazing roll collection, a Mills ViolinoVirtuoso, and several antique motorcycles.

Respectfully submitted,Carol Veome

Chapter Secretary

FOUNDING CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: John UlrichVice President: Karen SimonsSecretary: Jack and Dianne EdwardsTreasurer: Richard ReutlingerBoard Representative: Richard ReutlingerReporter: Bonnie and Bob Gonzalez

The Founding Chapter has 49 paidmemberships this year. We have had a busy year with a number of chaptermeetings. The Christmas party was held at Richard Reutlinger’s home inDecember, and our most recent meetingwas a tour of the Musee Mechanique, a local collection housed at Pier 45 in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Wehad a good turnout and lots of fun listening to these vintage pianos andorchestrions. The Founding Chapter was a major contributor to the Adopt-a-Pianocampaign to restore an instrument in the collection at the Nevada City MusicHall in Montana. A Wurlitzer Model DXOrchestrion was financed for restorationby Art Reblitz of Colorado Springs. Thework was completed late last fall and theinstrument was returned to Nevada City.Richard Reutlinger, who had started thecampaign, is flying to Montana to attendthe dedication of the instrument on June30. AMICA’S interest in this collection,one of the last open to the public, hascaused another donor to send $125,000 for restoration of the rest of the collection...So finally this collection willbe a serious one for the public to enjoy.

Respectfully submitted,Richard Reutlinger

Board Representative

HEART OF AMERICA CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Robbie TubbsVice President: Charles Tyler

197

continued. . .

Secretary: Rick McDowellTreasurer: Mike SchoeppnerBoard Representative: Gary CraigReporter: H. C. and Marlene Beckman

Our chapter had several membersattend the 2006 convention in Chicago.

In July, 2006, a rally was held in St.Joseph, Missouri, hosted by Greg Filardo.We enjoyed the history of the area and alive play of “The Music Man.”

In October, we were in Omaha,Nebraska, at the beautiful LauritzenBotanical Gardens. Bob and Joyce Markworth entertained us in their home with a meal and concert on the largest theater organ in Nebraska.Jerry and Betty Golmanavich hosted theweekend and everyone had a great time.

Our December activities were canceleddue to the health of several members.

Ron and Mary Jo Bopp hosted “APicnic in the Park” at the LendonwoodGardens in Grove, Oklahoma, in April.Despite the cold weather, grinders fromnine states enjoyed playing for the visitors at the botanical gardens.

Ron entertained the group at the Saturday evening dinner with“Mechanical Music in the Movies.” Abusiness meeting was held and the mergerof Heart of America and Gateway chapterswas discussed. The merger has now been completed. Mary Jo Bopp prepared adelicious breakfast for the group in their home on Sunday morning.

On July 14, we will travel to theKansas City Zoo for a rally hosted byRobbie Tubbs. After a Saturday eveningrestaurant meal, we will meet at Robbie’shome on Sunday morning for a breakfastbusiness meeting.

Cynthia and Gary Craig are planninganother rally in St. Charles, Missouri, thelast weekend in September.

Submitted by:Marlene Beckman

for Ron Connor

LADY LIBERTY CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Bill MaguireVice President: John DousmanisCorresponding Secretary:

Richard KarlssonRecording Secretary: Bill Maguire

Treasurer: VacantBoard Representative:

Marvin and Dianne PolanReporter: Buzz RosaNewsletter Editor: Bill Maguire

In early April, Gary and Cynthia Craigperformed at several events throughoutNew York City in which our chapter participated.

From February to May several LadyLiberty members met bi weekly in BillMaguire’s shop to work on projectstogether and share our knowledge. Randolph Herr performed at CarnegieHall with his foot pedaled Steinway Duo-Art grand.

On April 1, the Lady Liberty Chapterco-sponsored our second annual ConeyIsland band organ rally with Coney IslandUSA. The rain, prior commitments, andhealth problems prevented many whowould have brought instruments, including large band organs, from beingwith us. We did just fine with severalstreet organs, a couple of player pianos,and a trained live monkey. The Craigsgave a professional performance as well.

On April 4, we had a fun “get together”at the home of Marvin and Dianne Polanwith special guest, Hi Babbit. Hi Babbitentertained us, signed rolls, and told us hiswonderful stories and life experiences.

Dianne and Marvin Polan hosted ourholiday party on December 2. We touredthe Polan’s extensive collection of musicboxes, phonographs, music novelties, and miscellaneous automata. We hadfriendly competition foot pedaling theOrchestrelle. We also played the Masonand Hamlin AMPICO B and street organ.

Bob and Laura Yorburg of YorktownHeights, New York, hosted a Lady Libertychapter meeting on October 29. The Yorburg’s collection includes band organsand circus memorabilia. The Yorburg’shave train tracks throughout their largeproperty. Several members took rides onsmall coal and diesel powered trains.

We accomplished a lot this past year.We accepted Keith Bigger ’s offer to volunteer as our membership secretary.Keith was able to get renewals which wehad trouble doing ourselves and betterinsure our chapter members had also paidtheir national dues. Our chapter now has alogo drawn by professional graphic artistand Lady Liberty member, Bob Stuhmer.

The logo appears on a large banner wehad made and will appear on our stationery and elsewhere. We have put alot of energy into working with schools, museums, historical societies, arts organizations, and the NYC Parks Department.

Submitted by:Bill Maguire

MIDWEST CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Don JohnsonVice President: Liz BarnhartSecretary: Hilda MerchantTreasurer: Alvin WulfekuhlBoard Representative: Liz BarnhartReporter: Christy Counterman

AMICA Midwest Chapter has 67 members. We had many members of ourchapter at the Chicago Convention, so we held a business meeting. Our main topic to discuss was the AMICAConvention to be held in the Cincinnatiarea on July 22-26, 2009. Bob Andersenwill be the convention chairman. Manyvolunteered to work on committees.

In September, Bob Andersen, DonJohnson, Liz Barnhart, Gary Rasmussen,and Tom Cruise met in Cincinnati andtoured several hotel sites. We finallyselected the Radisson Hotel in Covington,Kentucky, as our convention facility. It ison #75, south of the Ohio River and haseasy access to the Cincy Airport, which isin Kentucky. Our first official committeemeeting was held in December at Wes andSherri Neff’s in Findlay.

Our fall chapter meeting was in Kalamazoo, Michigan, planned by Dennisand Patti Burchett. On Saturday we visitedthe Gilmore Car Museum with 8 historicbarns containing over 200 vehicles. Afterwards, we had a choice of going tothe Air Zoo or several antique stores. Thecatered dinner and mart were held in the school where Dennis teaches. In hisclassroom we saw the Cable upright thatis being rebuilt as a school project to teachstudents about the piano and automaticmusical instruments. After dinner we went to the Burchett home where we really enjoyed the Steinway AR and theScopitone, among their other collectibles.Sunday morning we had our businessmeeting and tour of Henderson Castle, a

198

continued. . .

Victorian home overlooking the city ofKalamazoo. In the afternoon we saw thehuge record collection at Randy Stehle’s,along with his pianos and rolls.

We were “Back Home in Indiana” forour May meeting. Tim Needler had anopen house in Indianapolis to play for us his Ampico, Duo-Art, and Weltepianos, Mills Double Violano, and electronic organ. Later, we departed forthe Boggstown Inn Cabaret, where we had dinner and a terrific show with manyof us dressed in vintage costumes. Our breakfast and chapter meeting was held with Miriam Hanscom and Jody Trittipo at Miriam’s home. We hadfurther discussion about our 2009 CincyConvention. It was also reported that ourchapter had sold 600 Shire Books,“Mechanical Music,” by Kevin McElhone. Our profit was $152.28. Thesewere not sold for a money making profit,but as a service to members and friends.

Our August 11-12 meeting will be inDayton hosted by Mike and Liz Barnhartand Bob Gasper.

Submitted by:Liz Barnhart

Board Representative

NORTHERN LIGHTS CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Phillip L. BairdVice President: Paul WatkinsSecretary: Jason BeyerTreasurer: Barb WatkinsBoard Representative: Phillip BairdReporter:

Eleven members of Northern LightsChapter attended the 2006 ChicagoAMICA convention. During the conventiona breakfast business meeting was convenedto address and set a tentative meetingschedule for the coming season. RandyHammond agreed to host the annualChristmas party.

A December 3, Christmas party andmeeting was hosted at the home of Randy Hammond. Sales of the remainingWatkins products in the amount of$120.00 was added to the chapter treasury.A report of the 2006 Chicago AMICAboard meeting was presented by boardmember, Phillip Baird. Election of officersfor 2007 was completed.

Our newest member, Michael LuBrand,

was the host for our summer picnic on June 10. Mr. LuBrand presented aninformative lecture on the Kimball PipeOrgan Company of Chicago. He hasrecently restored and installed a residenceKimball organ in his home in Hastings.An official chapter meeting was conducted by Phillip Baird. Additionalsummer events were discussed. Paul and Barb Watkins will be hosting a latersummer picnic and river cruise at theirhome in Champlin. A tentative fall meeting will be scheduled and Ron Olsenhas agreed to host the annual Christmasparty.

The Northern Lights chapter treasurystands at $4,403.78. It was agreed that theincome from the 2005 convention wouldremain in the chapter treasury for one yearand then to entertain the possibilities of gifting a portion to a project deemedworthy.

Respectfully submitted,Phillip L. Baird

PACIFIC CAN-AM CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Carl and Halie DodrillVice President: Carl and Halie DodrillSecretary: VacantTreasurers: Jack and Mary Lou BecvarBoard Representative: Carl DodrillReporter: Ron Babb

Membership:As of June 16, 2007, the Pacific

Can-Am Chapter membership consisted of 25 individuals who come from 15households. Although these figures are down from the previous year, the number of members who are actuallyinvolved in the chapter has remained relatively constant.

Treasury:On June 16, 2007, we had $1,134

in our checking account, $2,164 in a certificate of deposit, and a savingsaccount with a balance of $2,733. Thechapter is sound fiscally, with relativelyfew expenditures and a small but steadyincome.

Chapter Activities:Each year we have four meetings with

25 to 40 people typically in attendance.Our meetings occur on Saturday or

Sunday afternoons. Members and visitorscome to the hosting home around 2:00PM, and there is approximately two hoursof visiting with other members while theinstruments in the home are viewed andplayed. This considerable period of time for interaction with other AMICANShas proved to be one of the most valuablefeatures of our meetings, and peoplebecome well acquainted with others during this time. At approximately 4:00PM, we have our business meeting andshow and tell time. At roughly 5:00 PM,we share our potluck meal together. Thisschedule works very well for us. Peoplecome from considerable distances to the meetings, including from BritishColumbia.

In addition to our quarterly meetings,we typically have had several other activities of interest during the year. RonBabb and Kurt Morrison continue to ablyrepresent AMICA in their work at theParamount Theatre in Seattle. When thetheatre opened in 1928, it had not only a large Wurlitzer pipe organ with a piano in the organ, but also a Knabe grandpiano with an Ampico player in it. Neither one of these pianos has playedvery well in many years. Kurt and Ronspent the hours that it took to get both of them up and going, and both are now inregular use, with full credit to AMICA.For example, the Knabe is played routinely during the regular tours of thetheatre and also before and after selectedevents at the theatre, including their twiceyearly silent film series.

Our chapter has agreed to organize andsupport the cost of a band organ rallywhich is tentatively targeted to occur the third weekend in August, 2008, inLeavenworth, Washington. This Bavariantown is an excellent place for such anevent, and we have good support from the town itself for this activity. Bill Mote and Rob Wilson will co-chair thisevent.

Exactly as was previously indicated,the greatest problem our chapter has faced is filling the officer positions. Somemembers are in declining health and do not feel that they can take on theseresponsibilities. Others seem reluctant torespond generally, as is true in similarorganizations. Nevertheless, we do have some new people coming to ourmeetings, and we do see officer

199

continued. . .

potential in several of these. We willattempt to groom these people towardspositions of responsibility with the objective of keeping our chapter a viable resource for the advancement and dissemination of automatic music.

Submitted by:Carl Dodrill

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Jere DeBackerVice President:Secretary: Lois LuceroTreasurer: Fred WilsonBoard Representative: Jere DeBackerReporter: Jere DeBacker

Rocky Mountain has held the followingmeetings the past year:

April 1, 2006 . . . . . . . .Board meetingApril 17, 2006 . . . . . . . .Club meetingAugust 18, 2006 . . . . . .Club meetingOctober 27, 2006 . . . . .Club meetingDecember 2, 2006 . . . . .Club meetingFebruary 12, 2007 . . . .Board meetingMarch 24, 2007 . . . . . . .Club meeting

Proposed future meeting are as follows:Train trip to Grand Junction for

group meetingZimmerman houseBurlington CO at county fair carouselRallies at public fairs or eventsDoughty collection in LongmontHelsber home in Elizabeth

The chapter currently has $981.66 inthe treasury plus $10 in cash.

Submitted by:Louise Lucero

S.O.W.N.Y. CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Mike WalterVice President: Daniel TenerowiczSecretary: Garry LemonTreasurer: Holly WalterBoard Representative: Audrey CannizzaroReporter: Garry and Anne Lemon

The SOWNY Chapter of AMICAcontinues to be a vibrant group with anenthusiastic core of individuals. We are continuing our efforts to recruit newmembers and are fortunate to have two

new couples interested in joining ourorganization.

During the past year we have had fourseparate meetings at different venues.Each meeting has had approximately 18people in attendance. This year we have aschedule of four meetings with a fifthmeeting a possibility.

One activity that has encouraged interest in our chapter is the forthcomingAMICA Convention in 2010. TheSOWNY chapter will host the conventionat the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtownBuffalo. The Regency, probably the nicesthotel in the city, carries the Hyatt tradition of great hospitality, convenience,and comfort. The Regency will be undergoing a $15 Million renovation starting late this summer and will be completed by 2009. The Convention program, which is still in its planningstages, promises to be filled with the bestof everything from our area.

Our chapter and our support groups are looking forward to making your stayin 2010 enjoyable and memorable in everyway.

Submitted by:Mike Walter

President

SIERRA-NEVADA CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: John Motto-RosVice President: Doug and Vickie MarrSecretary: Sonja LemonTreasurer: Doug and Vickie MarrBoard Representative:

Arlo “Chip” Lusby IIReporter: Nadine Motto-Ros

Our current membership consists of about two dozen plus paid households. We try to hold six meetingseach year, with varying degrees of success, on the third Saturday of everyother month. Following the wonderfulChicago convention of 2006, we held the following meetings:

August 19, 2006, we met at Doug and Vickie Marr ’s lovely home. We were treated to fine food provided by the attendees and the hosts while we listened to the terrific selection of reproducing pianos and other fine instruments. Doug also updated us on his various newly acquired instruments

that are in the process of being rebuilt.October 21, 2006, we were at John and

Nadine Motto-Ros’s spacious home in historic Sutter Creek. It goes without saying that the wonderful food and marvelous variety of player and reproducing pianos, orchestrions, andother unique musical instruments madethis an event not to be missed.

April 22, 2007, we had a joint meetingwith the Founding Chapter at the charming home of Lyle Merithew andSandy Swirsky, where once again the food provided by the hosts and attendeeswas enjoyed by all while listening to thefine collection of reproducing pianos,music boxes, and juke boxes.

June 16, 2007, we met at the Musee’Mecanique in San Francisco’s Fisherman’sWharf. The visit was coordinated by FredDeal. This is one of the world’s largest privately owned collections of mechanically operated musical instruments and antique arcade machines.We had a very nice turnout for this meeting which included the FoundingChapter. Everyone enjoyed a day in thebeautiful City by the Bay.

For the second consecutive year, ourchapter has been invited to take the Wurlitzer Pianino to the West Coast Ragtime Festival at the Red Lion Inn inSacramento in November. It will be in themain lobby of the hotel playing ragtimemusic and will serve to showcase theinstrument in its fully restored conditionas well as promote AMICA membershipto the thousands of attendees during theevent. Chapter members will be present to distribute membership applications and hand out copies of old bulletins.

Respectfully submitted,Arlo “Chip” Lusby IIBoard Representative

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Jerry PellVice President: Leslie HoffmanSecretary: Shirley NixTreasurer: Lloyd OsmundsonBoard Representative: Frank NixReporter: Shirley Nix

The Southern California Chapter isalive and well, with meetings every

200

continued. . .

other month, usually in the even numbered months.

We had a barbecue in July, 2006, at theNix home, and another one in May of2007. We found out that May is better,since in July it was 109 degrees!

We met at the home of Jack Conway in October, 2006, and had the fun ofenjoying his great collection. We had aChristmas party arranged by and sharedwith the local MBSI chapter at the wonderful home of Dana Bashor.

February found us at the NethercuttCollection at San Sylmar, always afavorite destination, made even more sothis time by a lunch and then a visit to the home of our Vice President, LeslieHoffman.

We have no meeting scheduled forJune, since the trip to Germany and Holland starts so early in July.

We have also had organ rallies at LosRios Ranch, the South Coast BotanicalGardens, and we will be in Sierra Madreon July 1, to start off their Holiday weekend.

We have been busy planning the 2008Convention and making table favors. It’sbeen a lot of fun, and we look forward tohaving you all here.

Submitted by:Frank Nix

Board Representative

TEXAS CHAPTER2007 Officers:

President: Jerry BaconVice President: Bill BoruffSecretary: Maureen BarisonekTreasurer: Vicki BradyBoard Representative:

Suzanne and John McCallReporter: Maureen Barisonek

The Texas Chapter has 58 membershipsrepresenting 90 persons. Since last year ’s report, we have added eleven

new memberships and lost nine memberships for a net gain of two. We have had three meetings which were exceptional, both in content and attendance.

In October, 2006, the chapter celebrated a combined meeting with the Sunbelt Chapter of MBSI in San Antonio. This meeting was choreographedby Ken Long and Bill Boruff. The weekend was magical for 60 memberswho attended.

The weekend activities began Saturdayat the gorgeous home (mansion) of Ken Long. Ken has filled a 6500 squarefoot home with a collection of pianos, automatic musical instruments, and art worthy of a museum. He made a wonderful presentation, including a walk-through of the home and demos of other instruments.

Ken owns a 1930 Knabe Ampico B inan elaborately carved walnut ItalianRenaissance case. He also owns a 1931Knabe 9’ Ampico B concert grand. It isalso equipped with a Midi system. Hisother pianos include a 1928 7’ MasonHamlin Ampico A/B, a 1926 Appolo Player grand, and a 1927 Steinway 6’ 5”Duo-Art. He also owns a Duplex Victrola,one of the rarest in existence.

That evening the group had dinner atthe Majestic Theatre Restaurant/Club andafterwards descended into the MajesticTheatre to enjoy the musical, “The RatPack: Live at the Sands.”

The following day the group toured the restored Aztec Theater which housedthe 1931 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ andConsole. This organ is one of three evermade with a three manual keyboard,“Waterfall” style, and the only one in red,orange, gold, and green colors. Membersreturned home greatly enriched from thisweekend.

In December, the annual Christmasparty was held at the lovely home of Vicki Brady at Lake Benbrook. Members

enjoyed a delicious dinner, a giftexchange, and Christmas music. Theywere fascinated by the interesting collections, including frogs, turtles, andsnails. Vicki has an all natural organiclandscape with frog ponds and waterfalls.She cultivates her own garden with organic material and all natural food andirrigation.

In April, 2007, the AMICA chapterand the Sunbelt MBSI chapter convenedat the two hundred acre estate of the late Art Eltzroth and his widow, Dee, inCleburne, Texas. This meeting was a tribute to Art, who had passed away a few weeks prior. Dee encouraged herguests to enjoy the beautiful grounds, the famous pet monkey, “T.J.”, and a delicious Mexican buffet. A live band plus numerous machines played duringthe evening.

The following day, Saturday, the annual Cleburne Springfest Celebrationtook place around the Court HouseSquare. Larry Kern, El Paso, brought hisStinson Carousel Band Organ. Leonardand Billy Railsback brought their StinsonDutch Type Street Organ from Kansas.Tom and Kay Bode of Kansas City, Missouri, were grinding their monkeyorgans. Walter, Jessie, and Charlie Moorefrom Dallas took turns playing their grandroller organ.

The weekend activities were sponsoredand arranged by Dee Eltzroth and coordinated by Bill Boruff and JulianGrace. Special thanks to Julian Grace and Maureen Barisonek for their assistance in providing some additionaldetails for this report.

A great weekend-and a tribute to automated musical instruments. May they be kept alive and well for future generations.

Submitted by:Suzanne and John McCall

201

Liz Barnhart announcing the pumper contest.

CONVENTION PHOTOS

Annette Kratz

Perhaps the largest automata ever built. It was once owned by Don Barr, and is now restored and working in Siegfried’s Museum.

Ron Hartwell

Mike Barnhart

Entertainers at Speyer-the poor organ grinder

isn’t having a lot ofluck with the

ballerina.

John Rogers after alot of help gettingthat pesky roll on

the piano.

202

Paul Mayer

Don Johnson

The Pumper Contest contestants: Mike Barnhart, Paul Mayer,Don Johnson, Ron Hartwell, Julian Dyer and John Rogers.

One of the many castles along the Rhine.

The Koln Cathedral

The mid-eastern décor Bruder organ found in Budapest.

A mime outside the Koln Cathedral

Julian Dyer

203

Liz Barnhart,Laura Haaland,Dave Bernsteinand Don Barr

Julian Dyercranks along

Allen Ford and Leslie Webb sure look good on the dance floor.

Donald andJackie Day

Chris, our host, tells us about the museum.

Our drivers – Peter Gotz (Bus #2) and Peter Meier (Bus #1)

Left to right – Barbara Nielsen, Doug Nix, Ron andBarbara Hartwell, Barbara and John Washburn,Nadine and John Motto-Ros, Frank and Shirley Nix

204

Bill Chapman tries hishand at cranking.

Herr Raffin, his daughter and son-in-law perform.

Auf Wiedersehen

Jackie Day and Donna Scaff share a laugh.

Barbara and John Washburn

Alvin Wulfekuhl and Shirley Ekvall trip the light fantastic.

More help – Julianhelps, too.

A little help here – Mike assists.

205

Frank Nix andLiz Barnhart displaying thetable favor.

These happy people arewaiting for lunch – FrankNix, John Washburn, Roy

Beltz, Barbara Washburn.

Barbara Nielsen and Frank Nix on the Rhine River Cruise.

Typical chalet

Roy Beltz, Doug Nix, and Barbara Nielsen at the Nymphenburg Palace.

The (61) judges – andalso the audience.

John Rogers and Angela Perez-Rodriguez cut a rug.

206

Well, Herr Adenauer doesn’tlook too impressed with ourcontest!

The gate keeper with hisvery large hammer.

Siegfeid Wendel receivesthe AMICA International

Award from John Motto-Ros.

Some of the brave souls who went down 300 steps to the observation deck at the bottom of the falls.

Leslie Hoffman and Frank Nix discover a street organ.

Frank and Shirley Nix at the Bridge over the falls at Triberg.

Alvin Wulfekuhl

Suzanne and JohnMcCall and Marjorie McGee

207

Barbara Nielsenand Doug Nix

ready for the rain.

Barbara Nielsen and Peter Meir, Bus #1 Super Driver.

The airplane display at Speyer.

Hal Estry and Don BarrBoarding Bus 2

Mike Barnhart, Barbara Washburn, Liz Barnhart and Shirley andFrank Nix

Barbara Nielsenand Doug Nix

Lyle Merithew, BillChapman, JohnRogers and JulianDyer having a conference.

208

John has his flag, but where oh where are his followers?John Rogers talks to our hosts at the Haarlem Museum.

Wes and Sherri Neff

Castles along the Rhine

Maarten Van derVlugt,Shirley and Frank Nix

Marjorie McGeeand Barbara

Hartwell

209

Waiting for our leader (with the flag).

Beautiful area

The entrance to the walled city.

Judy Warriner

The walled city

Along the Rhine

Frank and Shirley Nix

210

The Munich Carillon Clock Automata

The Fire Department pumping water from the river.

At the Welte Museum - Edwin Welte’s piano

John Rogers trying to set up a group photo of Bus #2.A Dutch windmill

The train and pedestrian bridge over the Rhine River by the falls.

211

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial on the hill above Reudesheim.

Leslie Hoffman enjoying the scenery above Reudesheim.

Loreley

The Loreley callingships to their doom.

Nadine and John Motto-Ros in front of the Robot Band.

Ron Hartwell withhis pumper contestwinner plaque.

Lorraine and Mike Conway

Annette and Charlie Kratz

212

Canal boats inUtrecht

Bob Anderson at thesubmarine controls.

Liz and Mike Barnhartat the Haarlem Museum.

The horse-drawncarriage from thecastle.

Warren and HildaMerchant share a

glass of wine.

Bob Smith and Donna Scaff

Robin Biggins and Ardis Prescott

Shirley and FrankNix and JulianDyer watching theOberammergauFire Department

Sandy Swirsky and Lyle Merithew

213

Cynthia Mayer, Katerri Walters, Donna and Jack Scaff

The cable car in Ruedesheim.

John Motto-Ros presents the President’s Award toBill Chapman.

The Munich Train Station

Bob Anderson, Christie Counterman, and Don Johnson check out a Mortier organ.

The huge Mortier Fairground Organ at the Speyer Museum, with car in foreground.

214

From Australian Collectors of Mechanical Musical Instruments - August 2007

By Steve Rattle

ERNEST HUTCHESON (1871-1951)

ANOTHER FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN

Before keyboard greats Percy Grainger(Duo-Art) and George F. Boyle (Welte-Mignon) left Australian shores to furthertheir careers, Melbourne born child prodigy Ernest Hutcheson was alreadystudying in Germany. A tour with the greatsoprano Nellie Melba at age 12 led toEuropean lessons with the renowned Lisztpupil Bernhard Stavenhagen, and CarlReinecke, the famous Danish/Germanpianist and composer.

Years of European concertising followed before Hutcheson arrived in theUSA in 1900. His career somewhatchanged focus and although still playingand in demand at the keyboard, he foundgreat satisfaction in teaching and musicaladministration. The biographical entry in the 1927 Duo-Art catalogue lists Hutcheson as “an exceptionally successfulteacher”.

A series of fifty half-hour radio broad-casts were also performed by Hutchesonin the 1930s on coast to coast networksproviding much needed classical musiceducation to depression ravaged Americanfamilies. Duo piano concerts were givenby Hutcheson with Swiss pianist RudolphGanz and the couple recorded three Duo-Art rolls later in their careers. (Aninteresting footnote: It is believed fellowAustralian Percy Grainger and Ganzdetested each other, however Hutchesonand Ganz remained lifelong friends.)

No doubt Hutcheson’s teaching renownled him to the Peabody Conservatory inBaltimore, then later to the famous Juilliard School of Music in New York.Commencing initially as a member of thefaculty, Hutcheson was later appointedDean of the Graduate School and in 1937,President of Julliard. His publication TheLiterature of the Piano has long been considered an important test for up andcoming pianists.

A recent visit to website wikipedia(www.wikipedia.org - the free encyclopediathat anyone can edit) produced the

following entry and fascinating connec-tion between Hutcheson and composerGeorge Gershwin:

“Hutcheson was also associated withthe Chautauqua School of Music at theChautauqua Institute in Western New York State. Hutcheson provided muchneeded refuge for George Gershwin atChautauqua during the stressful period of composing and refining of the PianoConcerto in F. Since Gershwin wasalready very famous as a successful writerof popular works and musical shows, hewas constantly besieged by admirers.

The original Rhapsody in Blue hadbeen scored by Gershwin for jazz band.He had never scored a large symphonicwork and thus was under great stress,exacerbated by the pressing deadlineexpectations from Walter Damrosch, conductor of the New York Symphony,who had commissioned the Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra.

Thanks to Ernest Hutcheson’s kindoffer of seclusion for George Gershwin atChautauqua where his quarters weredeclared off limits to everyone until 4 p.m.daily, Gershwin was able to successfullycomplete his piano concerto”.

The photograph on the next page isfrom my collection, and shows a relaxedand grateful Gershwin with Hutcheson.Both men recorded for the Duo-Art, withHutcheson recording sixteen rolls betweenthe years 1916 and 1928.

The following lists Hutcheson’s Duo-Art rolls (in date released order). Afascinating and remarkable Australian.

Ernest Hutcheson Duo-Art piano rolls

Number Title Composer Release DateSolo5773-9 Spinning Song Wagner May 19165790-9 Du Bist Die Ruh Schubert Jun 19165822-0 Valse Oubliee Liszt Nov 19165918-0 Reverie Debussy Oct 19175917 Minuetto Scherzando Stavenhagen Dec 19176144-0 Perpetual Motion Alkan May 19196158-0 Valse Impromptu Ab min Liszt Jun 19196492-9 Moment Musical Op. 90 No. 4 Schubert Dec 19216547-0 Consolation No. 3 Db Liszt Sep 192269079 Caprice Bb Scarlatti Sep 192570600 May Breezes Op. 62 No. 1 Mendelssohn Sep 19267089-3 Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3 Gb Schubert Jan 1927

215

continued. . .

continued. . .Ernest Hutcheson Duo-Art piano rolls

Duets with Rudolph Ganz

515-6 Fingal’s Cave Op. 26 Mendelssohn Feb 1925536-4 Magic Flute Overture Mozart Oct 1927539-4 Finlandia Op. 26 No. 7 Sibelius Apr 1928

Compilation

8001 Variations on the ‘Cutlet Polka’ (Chopsticks)* Unknown

*Combination roll with performances by Ganz, Hofmann, Bauer, Mero, Siloti,Schelling, Leginska, Hess and Novaes.

From the New York Times, By Bernard Holland - July 24, 2007

Submitted by Mike Kukral

D EBUSSY’S GHOST IS PLAYING,

SO WHAT CAN A CRITIC SAY?

Debussy left behind piano music in the form of black marks printed on a page. He also left behind a little of himself: piano rolls of Debussy playingDebussy. So elegantly conceived is the first part of this legacy that we sometimes wish the second part did notexist.

The scores imply a “this is it” permanence. The composer’s playing ofthem (now on a CD from the PierianRecording Society) could just as well bethe impulse of a moment. Copyright laws,in other words, are pretty clear about who owns what has been written.The rights to what it means are anothermatter.

James Joyce said that he took credit for all the interpretations by every“Ulysses” scholar in the world, whetherany of them had occurred to him personally or not. The same idea comingfrom the opposite direction suggests that publishing something — laying it out before an audience — is an act of surrender, a loss of control that puts

composers or writers at the mercyof interpreters. One can onlyappeal to good sense and goodwill.

This surrender of power is notthe ghastly assault on artisticintegrity that it seems. Letting gocan do all sides a lot of good. In slow pieces like “Danseuses de Delphe,” Debussy the interpreter confirms the elegantclassicism of his score-writing:simple movement without gimmicky flourishes, rhythmobserved with a dignified precision.

When the tempos go up, so too do the pianist’s impetuositylevels. At one point in “La Cathedrale Engloutie,” Debussynearly doubles the written tempoin relation to the note valuesaround it. He throws himself at “La Danse de Puck” and “Minstrels.” “Doctor Gradus andParnassus” is a mad rush, perhaps A new CD captures Debussy’s own performances

of his piano pieces.

216

continued. . .

intended as a comic portrayal of youngpupils feverishly engaged in finger exercises. I don’t think the piece is a madrush but rather a wistful, deftly accentedand, above all, slightly slower bit of nostalgia. And if I can play it this waywithout contravening the written score,who says I can’t love the piece anddeclare its composer wrong?

In weaker moments, I even think Icould get Debussy to like my way justfine, although I admit to feeling a littlequeasy every time I hear him play thepiece for himself. The rolls were made in1913, when the thought of performancesfrozen in time to be repeated verbatim and at will had scarcely occurred to anyone. The recording as snapshot was an idea that continued as far as the 1930s,when Artur Schnabel, recordingBeethoven sonatas in Paris, declined toredo questionable takes. Dinu Lipatti’srecordings 10 years later were among the first to recognize that permanencewithout impregnability was not very permanent at all.

The Welte-Mignon mechanism used in the Debussy recordings represents anextreme sophistication of the playerpiano’s perforations on paper and pumping feet. Sensors measure the pressures exerted on individual notes.

Other systems, the program notes for thePierian CD say, added musical nuancesafter the rolls were made. Unlike Ampicoand Duo-Art, Welte recorded them in real time. Listening, one looks over theshoulder for ghosts. One is at a séance,with the great man rapping on the tablefrom a distance to make his presenceknown.

Kenneth Caswell of Austin, Texas,refurbishes these early performances and the machines to reproduce them. This CD has five of the Book 1 “Preludes,” the “Children’s Corner,” “La Plus Que Lente,” “La Soiree dansGrenada” and “D’un Cahier d’Esquisses,”all reperformed on a restored FeurichWelte piano in Mr. Caswell’s home. Alsoincluded are acoustical recordings ofDebussy and the soprano Mary Garden in1904 performing the “Ariettes Oubliees”and a snippet from “Pelleas et Melisande.”Both sound significantly remote, theequivalent of ruins.

For the player piano pieces, Mr.Caswell says, he has adjusted piano andmechanism to the style and character ofthe piece at hand. But are the fast temposhere simply mechanical aberrations thatmisrepresent Debussy? Do we trust areproductive process that has gonethrough so many middlemen and so much

time? In any case, a listener not knowingthat a machine was at work could easilybe convinced that these performancescome not from a ghost but from flesh andblood at the piano. Don’t underestimatethe power of the mind to talk its ownerinto anything.

I’ll trust my old Durand editions,despite the misprints. Good Debussy players today begin as literal readers ofthese scores. Play the rhythms as if theywere Mozart’s, and you are on the way to making them sound like Debussy. But written music can also tell us toomuch, the victim of overly possessive andmicromanaging composers.

Mahler was one of those, but then hewas a practicing conductor whose job itwas to manage details. Paradoxically,Mahler the conductor continually rewrotethe standard repertory to suit his needsand tastes. Interpreters make a mistakewhen they see written music as a kind of instruction book. (“Read this manualcarefully, and put this wire there.”) Scorestells us what the listener can expect tohear. They are a kind of contract waitingto be signed.

So what part of Debussy’s “Gradus adParnassum” belongs to him and what partto me? A good question.

From Exclusive Management Kuester & Richardson, New York

Submitted by Doug McGee

LEO ORNSTEIN - COMMENTS

OF THE NEW YORK CRITICS

A young Russian Pianist whose astounding talent has created a sensation in New York“A young pianist of really extraordinary talent. He has a wealth

of musical feeling and understanding.” — Evening World.

“He surprised a great audience by his technical acquirements andalso by the considerable degree of interpretative mastery he

revealed.” — New York Evening Journal.

“The soloist at the final concert of the New York PhilharmonicOrchestra, Leo Ornstein, played Rubinstein’s D minor concerto,

with a skill that was remarkable and almost uncanny.”— New York Tribune.

“His command of tone color is already great and his technic isunusually adequate for the demands which the music made.”

— New York Times.

“He has an unusual mastery of technic, supported by muchpower, a clear, singing tone, an excellent legato, an unusuallydefined musical conception, an astonishing sense of musical

balance and a fine rhythm.” — Evening Mail.

“His tone is big and virile, yet he never forces or overdoes. Histechnic is brilliant and facile, his scale work being exceptionallyclear, and his sense of rhythm very keen.” — Brooklyn Standard.

217

continued. . .

Leo Ornstein is a player of evident talent and considerableaccomplishment and his playingof the concerto was creditable.— New York Times, April 3,1911.

Young Ornstein more thanjustified the promise given by his performance on thepianoforte at his previousrecital. His principal numberwas Rubenstein’s D minor pianoconcerto and was rendered insuch manner as to fill the largeaudience with admiration. Theyoung pianist has unquestionedability and showed a nice senseof touch and an enthusiasm for the musicthat promises well for him. He wasrecalled many times. — Evening Journal,April 3, 1911.

He has an unusual mastery of technic,supported by much power, a clear singing tone, an excellent legato, anunusually defined musical conception, an astonishing sense of musical balance and a fine rhythm. — Evening Mail, April3, 1911.

Leo Ornstein renewed his favorableimpression of his previous appearances byhis rendition of Rubinstein’s concerto. Afine discrimination in shading was thecharacteristic quality of the boy’s playing.— Morning Sun, April 3, 1911.

His attack is vigorous and accurate andthere is a precision in his fingering whichmany a greater pianist might envy. —Brooklyn Eagle, March 6, 1911.

His Bach chromatic fantasie and fugueand his part in the Rubinstein concerto inD minor with the Volpe SymphonyOrchestra were splendidly done. —Evening World, March 6, 1911.

Leo Ornstein, a young pianist, of reallyextraordinary talent, was heard in recital.His numbers were given with the assistance of the Volpe Symphony

Orchestra under Arnold Volpe, andthroughout he played in a manner whichwould have been creditable in a musicianof maturity. He has been admirably taughtand has a wealth of musical feeling and understanding. — Evening World, March6, 1911.

The soloist at the final concert of theNew York Philharmonic Orchestra, LeoOrnstein, played Rubinstein’s D minorconcerto, with a skill that was remarkableand almost uncanny. — New York Tribune.

He possesses a beautiful soft touch and plays with finished technic, astonishing tone coloring. In the Rubinstein Concerto accompanied by theVolpe Symphony Orchestra, he showedmarked gifts of virtuosity and ensembleplaying. — (Translation) New York Staats-Zeitung, March 6, 1911

The end of the musical season 1910-11brought with it a revelation in pianistic art at the first public appearance of theyouthful Russian pianist Leo Ornstein.

His playing on this occasion was littleshort of sensational, displaying the variousphases of piano forte playing in his performance of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin,Liszt and Rubinstein, assisted in the latter concerto by the Volpe SymphonyOrchestra of New York. As the direct outcome of this appearance he was

engaged as soloist for the closing concert of the New YorkPhilharmonic Orchestra atwhich he repeated his masterfulinterpretation of the RubinsteinConcerto in D minor.

Although born in Russia in Krementchug, a small townnear Odessa, in 1895, and fromhis ninth to his eleventh year astudent at the St. PetersburgConservatory, Leo Ornstein maybe considered a product ofAmerican education inasmuchas he received his instructionand has been under the artisticguidance for the past five yearsof Mrs. Thomas Tapper, the well

known pianiste and teacher of New Yorkand Boston, a woman of the highestideals.

Before launching him Mrs. Tapper took him abroad last summer toLeschetizky to hear her master’s opinionand estimate of the young artist’s ability.Leschetizky was so impressed with Ornstein’s extraordinary gifts that heassured her of his belief in the youngman’s ripeness for the concert platform.

It is essential that Leo Ornstein be notconsidered a prodigy in any sense of theword, for his playing is that of a matureartist in spite of his youth.

An alert mind, a clear and expressiveeye, with a keen appreciation of the poeticin literature as well as music, are but a fewof the characteristics of this young artist,whose extraordinary gifts bid fair toaccord him a place among the foremostpianists of all times. In addition to his rarepianistic powers, he has already exhibiteda remarkable talent in composition. He has, to his credit, a number of highlyoriginal piano compositions, some twentysongs and a quintette for piano andstrings, which latter has been highlypraised by Prof. Horatio Parker of Yale,the eminent composer. In view of thesephenomenal gifts Leo Ornstein must belooked upon as a GENIUS.

218

Sent in by Robin Pratt

IN MEMORY

Dear AMICA,

AMICA member Dave Caldwell of

Lowell, Michigan was a great friend and

automatic musical instrument enthusiast

as well as a rebuilder some years ago.

Dave ultimately got into the piano roll

sales market and put out regular lists of

88-note and reproducing rolls. Collectors

always look forward to the lists not only

because of the quality, but the selection of

original and recut rolls too.

With his wife Jean, they organized

thousands of rolls into lists and even set

up Ebay auctions. Dave and Jean decided

to get into recutting and have put out

such diverse titles such as the complete

Ampico Original Piano Trio rolls,

Duo-Arts, Weltes, Recordos and many of

the Bill Flynt coded rolls.

Always fun to talk to, Dave welcomed

telephone calls for orders or just jawing on

the phone. Dave will be missed by his

family and the many friends he acquired

through the years in the hobby. Dave was

not one for a lot of fuss, so I won’t belabor

my tribute to a good friend.

Jean is carrying on the roll business

currently since Dave had placed a large

order for recut Ampico, and Duo-Art rolls

from Janet Tonnesen of Custom Music

Rolls.

– Robin Pratt

DAVID WAYNE CALDWELL SR.

David Wayne Caldwell, Sr., aged 78, of

Lowell MI, passed away peacefully in his

sleep September 12, 2007. He is survived

by his loving wife of 58 years, Jean

(Shier); children, Cathy (Kyran) Mulvihill

and Clayton Caldwell; grandchildren,

Brandi Mulvihill, Melissa, Alexandria and

Abigail Caldwell; sisters, Rose Solow,

Jeanne Burns, Mary Darling; sister-in-law,

Lorrie Caldwell. He leaves many nieces,

nephews and cousins. He was preceded in

death by his son, David II and his brother,

John Henry Caldwell. David served in the

Merchant Marines and was a successful

Tool & Die Maker. His hobby and

enjoyment was restoring old player

pianos. In accordance with his wishes,

there will be no funeral service or

visitation. Interment Bailey Cemetery,

Vergennes Twp. Memorial contributions

may be made to the Lowell Fire

Department, Lowell, MI 49331.

Published in the Grand Rapids Press from 9-14-07 – 9-16-07

JAROD CLARK

Jarod Clark 1919-2007, original

member of AMICA and former AMICA

President (1964-66 & 1970) passed away

in July. Although Jarod was not an

AMICA Founding Member, he attended

the second meeting and was an early

AMICA supporter who was enthusiastic

about the reproducing piano and

entertained many of the reproducing

piano recording artists in his beautiful

home and featured them in concerts there.

The first AMICA Convention in

1970 was held at Jarod's home at

444 Brannan Street, San Francisco and

featured Robert Armbruster, Charles

Cooper (who offered an AMPICO

Comparison Concert) and Ruth Bingaman

Smith. Among others who performed

at Jarod's home later were: Rudolf

Friml, Shura Cherkassky, Julius Burger

and Ursula Dietrich Hollinshead on his

outstanding 1924 Ebony Knabe 6'4"

AMPICO grand.

Jarod, an elegant gentleman who was

kind and contributed much to life and the

hobby, will be missed by all whose lives

he touched.

Jarod Clark (left) and Former AMICA Publisher Bill Knorp (right) at a 1989AMICA meeting at Bill's home in Sausalito. They are standing in front of

Bill's beautiful 1926 J.&C. Fischer Spanish Art Case AMPICO grand which Bill inherited from his Grandparents.

219

. . . continue

New from David Caldwell400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E. Lowell, MI 49331 • Phone (616) 897-5609 • DavidWFromMi@webtv.net

NEW PIANO ROLLS & RECUTS

NEW DUO-ART SMALL POPULAR ROLLS01271 Sweet Georgia Brown. One of the most popular songs of the 1920s! Snappy playing zips throughout makes a super

performance! $12.00

713191 Sleepy Time Gal. Lorenzo/Whiting. P/B DeRose & Wehrlen. Another standard from the 1920s. Singable and danceable with nice piano playing! $12.00

0843 Goodnight Sweetheart. Nobel. P/B Connelly & Pollock. Super Performance of this number Muriel Pollock. Her playing is some of the best of the Duo-Art Ladies of Aeolian! $12.00

104215 You Were Meant For Me. Pollock. Muriel Pollock plays this number made famous by Maurice Chevalier. Also revived and made even more of a standard in the movie “Singin’ In The Rain”. $14.00

713065 Oh Lady Be Good. Fox Trot. Gershwin. P/B Freddie Rich. $12.00

713024 Somebody Loves Me, “Scandals”. Gershwin. Fox Trot Played by Denny & Rich. $12.00

713194 Who. Kern. P/B Moran & Milne. One of the best recordings of this 1920s standard. Four-handed recording that fills the keyboard! $12.00

0507 Yale Blues. A really rare roll played by one of the great female Duo-Art artists. Constance Mering really has the feel for blues and it is just swinging all over the keyboard. $12.00

713125 Ah Ha! Monoco. P/B Moran. Super number played here by Alan Moran. Bouncy Fox Trot with great piano tricks! $12.00

713433 Blue River. Fox Trot. Meyer. Arranged & P/B D. Nordstrom. $12.00

AMPICO NEW RECUT ROLLS206971 Who? “Sunny” Kern. P/B Adam Carroll. A super Ampico roll & one of the best in the popular catalog. Adam Carroll

really outdoes himself on this one! ($12.00)

205521 Tea For Two, “No No Nanette”. Youman. P/B Carroll An old standard revived on Broadway in the 1970s with Ruby Keeler. Wonderful Arrangement! ($12.00)

215001 I’ll String Along With You, “Twenty Million Sweethearts”. Harry Warren. P/B Carroll. Great Dick Powell number from 1930s. Beautiful. ($12.00)

214971 I Wish I Were Twins, “Dames”. P/B Carroll An outstanding dance number from Dames. Four hand arrangement & great showpiece for the Ampico! ($12.00)

60453H The Glow Worm (large roll) Lincke. P/B Fred Schmitz Well known salon piece familiar to all. Theme with variations arrangement with lovely playing. ($14.00)

203981E I’ve Got the Yes We Have No Banana’s Blues. Hanley King. P/B Adam Carroll Great response to the Yes, We have No Bananas” song craze! ($12.00)

209081E Bye Bye Pretty Baby. Hamilton. P/B Roy Bargy Snappy number expertly played by band leader & pianist Roy Bargy! Bargy was with Paul Whiteman’s Band. ($12.00)

212421 Why! “Son of Guns”. Swanstrom/Davis/Coots. P/B Arden & Carroll “B” coded duet by the duet masters of Ampico. Dynamic number for the Ampico! ($12.00)

214751 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, “When Your Heart’s On Fire” from “Roberta” Jerome Kerr. P/B Carroll Another standard title beautifully played by Adam Carroll. Introduced by Irene Dunne. ($12.00)

220

. . . continue

New from Tim Baxter - Meliora Music Rollswww.members.aol.com/meliorarol/index.htm • meliorarol@aol.com

88 NOTE SELECTIONMr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy – Medley of FilmCues No. 1; Composer: Shield & Hatley; Roll Performance by: Stephen Kent Goodman

DUO-ART ROLLS (RECUTS)061br L’Ondine; Composer: Chaminade; Roll performance by: Cecile Chaminade

0242br Nocturne Db; Composer: Debussy; Roll Performance by: Noel Gallon

0345br Preludes, Book 1, No. 6 General Lavine (Eccentric); Composer: Debussy; Roll Performance by: Eugene d’Albert

0458 My Heart Stood Still; Composer: Richard Rodgers; Roll Performance by: Freddie Rich

01093 Broadway Melody of 1938; Composer: Various; Roll Performance by: Robert Farquhar

5868 Intermezzo, Act II, Granados; Composer: Grandados; Roll Performance by: Paquita Madriguera

0723 Cryin’ For The Carolines; Composer: Warren; Roll Performance by: Ralph Addison

69720 Boris Godounov – Selections; Composer: Mussorgsky; Roll Performance by: Robert Armbruster

71178 Alt Vien-Trikontameron No. 11; Composer: Godowsky; Roll Performance by: Lawrence Goodman

74546 Outstanding Hits No. 3; Composer: Various; Roll Performance by: Frank Milne

72227 Puck, Lyric Pieces Op. 71 No. 3; Composer: Grieg; Roll Performance by: Arthur deGreef

74596 Earl Carroll’s Vanities of 1932; Composer: Various; Roll Performance by: Ralph Addison

75076 Waltz and Fox Trot Medley No. 38; Composer: Various; Roll Performance by: Frank Milne

71978 Air de Ballet No. 4 from “Callirhoe”; Composer: Chaminade; Roll Performance by: Robert Armbruster

713440 Blue Skies; Composer: Berlin; Roll Performance by: Phil Ohman

7099,7100,7101 (3 rolls) Piano Sonata Op. 28, “Pastoral”; Composer: Beethoven; Roll Performance by: Ignaz Friedman

69890 Tango in D; Composer: Albeniz-Godowsky; Roll Performance by Guiomar Noaves

0360br Waltzes, Op. 39; Composer: Brahms; Roll Performance by: Una Bourne

03br Three Cuban Dances; Composer: Cervantes; Roll Performance by: Adela Verne

6427 Danza No. 2 Improvisada; Composer: Cervantes; Roll Performance by: Margot de Blanck

6668 Polonaise No. 2, E; Composer: Liszt; Roll Performance by: Percy Grainger

713404 Me and My Shadow; Composer: Jolson, Rose & Dreyer; Roll Performance by: Pauline Alpert

6926 Melodie, Op. 8, No. 1, E; Composer: Gabrilowitsch; Roll Performance by: Ossip Gabrilowitsch

AMPICO ROLLS (RECUTS) - “A” Rolls unless otherwise specified

61761-H Lilacs, Op. 21, No. 5; Composer: Rachmaninoff; Roll Performance by: Sergei Rachmaninoff

62721-H62733-H62741-H (3 roll set) Italian Concerto, Mvts. 1, 2, and 3; Composer: Bach; Roll Performance by: Artur Schnabel

63423-H Cantata No. 29, Wir danken Dir Gott: -Overture (Prelude); Composer Bach/Saint-Saens; Roll Performance by: Sidney Silber

221

. . . continue

continued. . .

208453-F Blue Skies; Composer Berlin; Roll Performance by: Frank Black

68553-H Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 6, Eb; Composer: Brahms; Roll Performance by: Benno Moiseiwitsch (B Roll)

62273-H Scherzo, Op. 4, Eb; Composer: Brahms; Roll Performance by: Milton Suskind

66003-H Minuet, No. 2 from Suite Bergamasque; Composer: Debussy; Roll Performance by: E. Robert Schmitz

65853-H Prelude to La Damoiselle Elue (the Chosen Maiden); Composer: Debussy; Roll Performance by: Walter Gieseking

67703-H Impromptu No. 2, Op 31, F; Composer: Fauer; Roll Performance by: Mieczyslaw Munz

62331-F Egyptian Dance, Op. 41; Composer: Friml; Roll Performance by: Edgar Fairchild

66313-H Triakontameron, No. 11 (Alt Wien), No. 4 (Rendezvous); Composer: Godowsky; Roll Performance by: Marguerite Volavy

67691-F Petite Valse; Composer: Kreisler; Roll Performance by: Fritz Kreisler

66161-H Gavotte, Op. 3; Composer: Levitzki; Roll Performance by: Mischa Livitzki

67613-H Valse Brilliante Op. 34, No. 1, Ab; Composer: Moszkowski; Roll Performance by: Marguerite Volavy

67043-H Ondine from “Gaspard de la nuit”; Composer: Ravel; Roll Performance by: Mieczyslaw Munz

67631-F Serenade, D minor; Composer: Rubinstein, Anton; Roll Performance by: Marguerite Melville Lisniewska

66371-H Novelette, Op. 21, No. 7, E; Composer: Schumann; Roll Performance by: Harold Bauer

66633-H66641-H66843-H (3 rolls) Fantasia C., Op. 17, Three Mvts.; Composer: Schumann; Roll Performance by: Ossip Gabrilowitsch

WELTE-MIGNON (LICENSEE) RECUTS7080 Cortege; Composer: Debussy; Roll Performance by: Dorothy M. Duckwitz

6649 Gigue in G; Composer: Scarlatti; Roll Performance by: Alfredo Oswald

7032 Caprice sur les airs de Ballet d’Alceste; Composer: Gluck/Saint-Saens; Roll Performance by: Magdeleine Brard

6911 Ethiopian Serenade Triakontameron No. 12; Composer: Godowsky; Roll Performance by: Katinka Narinska

7920 Waltzes, Op. 39; Composer: Brahms; Roll Performance by: Evelyn Howard-Jones

6825 Ondine from “Gaspard de la nuit”; Composer: Ravel; Roll Performance by: Katherine Bacon

7179 Tanz der Edelsteine, Op.3; Composer: Friml; Roll Performance by: Marguerite Volavy

7330 Moment Musical, Op. 7, No. 2; Composer: Moszkowski; Roll Performance by: Claude Duret

222

Rob Deland: Blues Tone Rollswww.bluesrolls.com

robdeland@bluesrolls.comPhone: (847) 548-6416

Bob & Ginny Billings: Rock Soup14010 Rim Rock Drive, Reno, NV 89521

perforator@sbcglobal.netPhone: (775) 853-4659

Leedy Brothers Music Rolls4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma, MI 49038

www.leedyrolls.comPhone: (269) 468-5986

Fax: (269) 468-0019

Larry Norman: Rollertuneswww.home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes

rollertunes@earthlink.netPhone: (540) 721-7188

Don Teach: Shreveport Music Co.1815 E. 70th Street, Shreveport, LA 71105

donteach@shreveportmusic.comPhone: (318) 798-6000

Fax: (318) 797-4572

Robin Pratt: Artist’s Choice Music Rollswww.wiscasset.net/artcraft/pratt.htm

pianola@aol.comPhone: (419) 626-1903

516 Pierce Street, Sandusky, OH 44870-4725

Steve Bentley: Playrite Music Rolls1536 N. Palm St., Turlock, CA 95380 U.S.A.

Phone/Voice: (209) 632-5784Fax: (209) 667-8241

QRS Music Technologies, Inc.1026 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213

Phone: 1-800-247-6557Fax: 1-716-885-7510www.qrsmusic.com

Magic Melodies & Keystone360 Lawless Road, Jamestown, KY 42629

Phone: (270) 343-2061

David Saul: Precision Music Rolls1043 Eastside Road, El Cajon, CA 92020-1414

davesaul@pacbell.net

Joyce Brite: Player Piano & Musical Music Exchangehttp://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/

http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/rollpage.htm

Tim Baxter: Meliora Music Rollswww.members.aol.com/meliorarol/index.htm

meliorarol@aol.com

Scott Boelman: Lazy Dog Piano Rollswww.lazydogpianorolls.com

sboelman@cox.netOne Olive Street, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694

Phone: (949) 218-0108

David Caldwell400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E., Lowell, MI 49331

Phone: (616) 897-5609DavidWFrom Mi@webtv.net

Dick Hack: Hack Mechanical Music2051 Chesapeake Road, Annapolis, MD 21409

rhack1@verizon.net(410) 279-5859 Cell Days

(410) 757-2164 Home Evenings

Frank L. Himpsl: Valley Forge Music Roll Company604 Linnet Road, Audubon, PA 19403

(484)-250-7046 roll shop(610)-291-1841 my cell

http://www.valleyforgemusicroll.com

Kukral Collection: Welte-Mignon and 88-Note Rolls216 Madison Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803

Phone: (812) 238-9656Kukral@rose-hulman.edu

Julian Dyer5 Richmond Rise, Wokingham RG41 3XH, United Kingdom

www.pianorolls.co.ukenquiries@pianorolls.co.uk

PLEASE VISIT THESE SUPPLIERS OF RECUT ROLLS

continued. . .

Lady LibertyS.O.W.N.Y.GatewayHeart of AmericaRocky MountainTexasSouthern CaliforniaSierra NevadaPacific Can-AmNorthern LightsMidwestBostonChicagoFounding

LOCATION OF CHAPTERS KEY

Currently the rest of thestates do not have an

AMICA Chapter

MAP of the AMICA Chapters

223

224

NewsFrom

The Chapters

NORTHERN LIGHTS CHAPTERReporter: Barb Watkins & Jerrilynn Boehland

President: Phillip Baird - plb28622@aol.com

Our summer meeting was held Sunday, August 5, 2007 at the home of Paul and Barb Watkins. We began our afternoon with a scenic pontoon ride on the Mississippi Riverwith Captain Paul. Along the way we passed many splendidhomes dating from the 1800’s to the present. We enjoyedcool, cloudy weather for a change, with no sunburns.

Vice President Paul Watkins conducted a short businessmeeting, as our president Phillip Baird was unavailable. He welcomed returning and new members. The 2007-2008meeting schedule was discussed. We plan to have meetingdates in place by the first of the year. Dorothy Olds suggestedattending the ragtime piano group in Duluth. Other suggestions were made, and Paul will sort them out and let us know.

The 1918 Steinway Duo-Art 6’1” grand piano is the centerpiece of the Watkins’ living room. We enjoyed listeningto rolls from Barb and Paul’s collection.

Our hosts provided brats and burgers, and everyone else filled in with side dishes. We had wonderful picnic food, enjoyed the screen porch, deck and scenery of the Upper Mississippi River.

Front row l-r: Barb & Paul Watkins, Jerrilynn Boehland, Dorothy Olds, Ron Olsen. Back row l-r: Tim Wheat,

Jason Beyer, Carol McLain

Front row l-r: Barb Watkins, Jerrilynn Boehland, Dorothy Olds, RonOlsen, Carol McLain. Back row l-r: Tim Wheat, Michael LuBrant

The hosts Barb and Paul Watkins and their 1918 Steinway XR Duo-Art piano.

This Steinway was purchased by Paul’sfather in 1942 for $900 and received its

first complete restoration for the 2005Minneapolis AMICA convention.

225

Pontoon ride on the River with the host’s home in the right rearbackground. Other attendees were in the front portion of the

pontoon. Front row l-r: Paul Watkins, Tom Chase, Marilyn Graham,Ron Olsen. Rear l-r: Tim Wheat, Jerrilynn Boehland, Barb Watkins.

Garden path down to the Mississippi River from the Watkins’ home.

The lower patio, floating dock and pontoon boat that took everyoneup and down the River.

The Steinway in the living roomoverlooking theMississippi Riverjust 100 feet away.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTERReporter: Larry EmmonsPresident: Jere DeBacker

June 28-31, 2007The Rocky Mountain Chapter ’s June meeting was

distributed along the backbone of the central and northernRocky Mountain range! Some members of our group departed Denver, Thursday, June 28th for an overnight visit toTen Sleep, Wyoming, others joined in along the way. We(Larry and Judy Emmons) hosted dinner and entertainmentwas provided by the various instruments in our collection.Other than the barbeque chicken catching fire while I wasdemonstrating the Wurlitzer B, we had a great evening. Ipromise to never again demonstrate an instrument when I’msupposed to be attending to the cooking!!

Friday morning, June 19th we caravanned to YellowstonePark via the spectacular Chief Joseph Highway to the NEentrance. After brief stops at several park attractions the group continued on to Virginia City, Montana to attend ‘AnOld Fashioned Fourth Weekend’, ‘Celebrating AutomaticMusic in Alder Gulch’, and the dedication of the WurlitzerDX Orchestrion restored under AMICA’s Adopt-a-Piano program.

Most of our group checked into the Bennett House B&B;then met up other AMICA members for dinner, followed byentertainment by the Brewery Follies. The evening endedwith a Moonlight Train Ride on the Alder Gulch Short LineRailroad. Saturday morning John Ellingsen, long time Boveycollection guardian, now Curator of History for the MontanaHeritage Commission, treated us to a behind the scenes tourof the Nevada City complex and many parts of the BoveyCollection not open to the public!

The dedication ceremony took place mid-afternoon with dignitaries from the Montana Heritage Commission, theMontana History Foundation, AMICA members, local residents and tourists in attendance. Jim Carpita, Virginia CitySite Manager opened the dedication ceremony and shortspeeches were given by Janna Norby, Curator of Collections,and Richard Rutlinger, AMICA founding member and driving force behind the Adopt-a-Piano program. The high point was when John Ellingsen dropped the coin in the slot to start the first official performance of the restoredDX. The instrument sounds terrific and for the rest of the afternoon the entire repertoire of music installed on theinstrument played to everyone’s delight.

That evening AMICA members were treated to front row seats in the Opera House, right behind the Cremona Photoplayer and pianist, for a performance of the melodrama“The Drunkard” by the Virginia City Players. Thanks

226

to Nancy Allen, the proprietor of the Bennett House and JohnEllingsen for making those arrangements.

On Sunday we went our separate ways to return home.The Denver bunch stopped for a time in Casper Wyoming to visit with AMICA members John Haass and Tom Zook.John had just mounted his Wurlitzer 105 on a trailer so we hope he has it finished for the Rocky Mountains Chapter’sOrgan Rally. This is being organized in conjunction with the Englewood Days and Car Show in the Denver area for September 8, 2007. Tom showed off his Mechanical Music repair shop to the visitors also. For five days (and 2000 miles of driving) we all had a great time!

“Nope, that middlepedal is a dummy,

it doesn’t do anything….”

Jere playing “Home on the Range” from the 1946 publication Children’s Cowboy Songs.

Clara Wingfield, Louise Lucero and Jere DeBacker in the shopinspecting progress on the 1912 Wurlitzer B. Until the roll frame

is installed, the music is provided by some Wurlitzer 125 rolls downloaded from Terry Smyth’s website and played via one

of Spencer Chase’s new Mark II valve systems.

The 1929 Marshall and Wendell Ampico A/B w/Spencer Chase valvesystem. The group of listeners: Larry and Judy Emmons, Clara

Wingfield, Jere DeBacker, Ken Hodge.

Jere and Clara cutting up the rug to a John Farrell Arrangement of “Too Much Mustard”playing on the Cremona Style II.

John Haass and his Wurlitzer 105

One of the many buildings in Virgina City that have been preserved from the past.

227

The 89-key Gavioli in the Music Hall

A view of the interior of one of the several well-stocked general stores.

John Ellingsen at theCremona Photoplayer

while Richard Rutlinger looks on.

A view of several early buildings, a small sample of the large complex of historical buildings

It’s Richard’s turnto entertain us.

Tom Zook’s built-up O-roll Orchestrion

228

A view of the restored Wurlitzer DX as it sits in the Music Hall. AMICA membershipapplications are in the stand to the right.

The plaque placed on the Wurlitzer by the MontanaHeritage Commission.

Janna Norby, Curator of Collections for the MHC (right) is thanking AMICA for its support and the rebirth of the DX. From left to right standing: Klaus Mackensen, MHC;AMICA members Lana and Mike Edwards; Amy Sullivan, Executive Director of the Montana History Foundation; Paul Reichert, Executive Director of the Montana HeritageCommission; John Ellingsen, Curator of History; Virginia City resident Garry Main looks on in the background. Seated are AMICAN’s Clara Wingfield, Louise Lucero, RichardRutlinger and Jere DeBacker. To Jere’s left is Tom Norby. The ladies on the back side of thebench are unidentified.

The Bennett House Bed and Breakfast, Virginia City, Montana

The Cremona in the lobby of the Opera House.

Richard Rutlinger, Louise Lucero, and John Ellingsen inside of the Molinari organ shop.

229

The audience listens as the Wurlitzer does its stuff. In the backgroundshadows are Paul Reichert; Mary Oliver, Chairperson of the MHC;John Ellingsen; local resident Nancy Allen. Amy Sullivan’s son is

upfront kneeling on the bench.

Nadine Motto-Ros and Bill Schoening

Host Doug Mahr and Bob Billings at the Seeburg B

John Ellingsen inserting coins to play the DX

MHC Site Manager Jim Carpita as he commences the dedication.

08/31/07On Saturday, August 18, we met at the lovely home of

Doug and Vickie Mahr in Orangevale, CA. The Mahr’salways have a good program. Doug started with how heobtained his first instrument—a pumper in college—and continued through the other instruments, often includingwhere they were purchased and from whom. The best part of the program was a comparison of two “A” roll machines: A 1909 Seeburg C (with a unique Bacigalupi, San Francisco,name plate) and a 1923 Seeburg B. Both of these instrumentscame out of the 1987 Charles Smallwood auction in San Francisco, were purchased by another collector, and then byDoug and Vickie. Doug demonstrated the difference in the pump of each machine. The Seeburg C pump is smallerwith a higher RPM, the stack has adjustable bleeds and the pump rewind cutouts are opposite on each instrument. The most significant difference is the valves—the B has standard valves similar to most of the later models, and the C valves use a lever mechanism.

The Mahr’s always host a great meeting, and this one continued that tradition. They provided a wonderful lunch,and it was a pleasure to visit and listen to the music. Thankyou Doug and Vickie.

SIERRA-NEVADA CHAPTERReporter: Nadine Motto-Ros

President: John Motto-Ros - (209) 267-9252

230

Geoffrey Kaiser and Wendell Jacob with Kent Williams in the background.

Hostess VickieMahr and BruceGrimes gettingready to cut thecake.

Bob Lemon and Rick Simms at the Seeburg E

Photographers Anne Lemon and Nancy GroupThe City of Buffalo has many stories to tell. On Sunday,

July 8, our story began at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. The curator welcomed us to the onlyremaining building from the original 1903 Pan AmericanExposition. The classically styled museum has a commandingpresence above the Olmsted parks and waterways. Expositionvisitors were amazed by the electric lights used to ‘illuminate’the columns and colonnade of this building. Lit streets provided ‘safe’ streets for nighttime strolls.

It is in the ‘great hall’ of this museum that our storyunfolds. Daniel Tenerowicz, our church organist and playerorgan restoration specialist, gave a talk about Aeolian pipeorgans and the player pipe organ installed in the hall. He alsooverviewed the Aeolian Company, its retail business and marketing strategies. This fascinating story about the NewYork City businessman and inventor, William BarnesTremain, started with the founding of the MechanicalOrguinette Company in 1878. The story is even more amazingbecause Tremain’s company became the most famous name inmechanical instruments and a conglomerate even though itdid not make a single instrument for its first 20 years! By contracting to other firms such as the Munroe Organ ReedCompany, the Automatic Music Paper Company of Bostonand the Farrand and Votey Organ Building Company, theOrguinette Company oversaw the creation of new consumerproducts. The name ‘Aeolian’, originally to identify a basicreed cabinet style, was selected as the new nameplate toreplace the Orguinette identification.

Daniel selected rolls to demonstrate the differencesbetween 58 and 116 note versions and the advantages of thedouble tracker system. He also had a ‘free reed clarinet’ pipewhich is featured on the roll, ‘March of the Marionettes’.Many of us recognized this tune as the theme from the AlfredHitchcock TV series.

There is evidence to suggest that several of these organswere installed, at great cost, into homes of prominent Buffalonians. As the housing stock changes, the fate of theremaining instruments becomes of interest. The instrument inthe great hall is an example of ‘changing family circumstances’and provides an opportunity for the public to once again experience this phenomenon. Our local chapter is familiar withthis instrument as founding chapter members Rick Drewniak,Stan Aldridge and Mike Walter brought this instrument backinto working order in the early 1980’s. Could this instrumentbecome a special project and have its vocal life extended or isit merely an interesting historic novelty?

We were invited to view other displays in the museum andthe Steinway art case presidential piano with twin-electrifiedlamps was certainly stunning! Dinner was at the well-knownColes Sports Bar, which has on tap over 250 beers fromaround the world. Its Elmwood Street location is very popularwith all ages for the eclectic mixture of fun, design, art, foodand coffee.

S.O.W.N.Y. CHAPTERReporter: Garry Lemon

President: Mike Walter - (716) 656-9583

231

SOWNY-July 2007dinner at Cole’sRestaurant

Daniel-his traveling display

Tracker-Aeolian Pipe,

Organ-BuffaloHistorical

Society

Various roll types

Various ‘expression’ controls

Pipe Organ 1183

Daniel showing ‘free reed clarinet’ pipe

October 2006 MeetingSan Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is an amazing place. The site of the Alamo,Spanish missions, art, music, culture; and then, a few sportsteams, family entertainment sites and a river walk—it canmake for a very fine weekend. Just the kind of weekend forthe combined October 2006 meeting of the Texas Chapter

TEXAS CHAPTERReporter: Ken Long & Maureen Barisonek

President: Jerry Pell - (760) 249-6380

232

AMICA and the Sunbelt Chapter of MBSI. Choreographedby Bill Boruff, forty-nine members had a most enjoyable, andvery musical, two days.

The weekend activities began at the home of Ken Long.He so graciously and generously shared it, and his collectionof musical instruments, with our group (56 in number for thisfirst stop). Once through the front doors, our senses wereoverwhelmed with the beauty of the instruments, their placement throughout the 6500 sq. ft. home, and on furtherinspection, by their unique and rare qualities. From theexquisite Chinese art case Victor Electrola RE-156 directly infront of us, to the art case Knabe grand piano in the front parlor to the left, to the three very special grand pianos in thefamily room, to the 1927 Steinway grand on the second floor landing, we were overwhelmed with the scale of Ken’scollection. It became very clear as you continued to movethrough his home, that it was a collection, yes, but also a passion. Ken’s gracious and well-organized presentationallowed us all to be comfortable and to enjoy every piece aswe moved from room to room, each one filled with pianos,phonographs, radios, antiques and family memorabilia. Awonderful luncheon was served. Some took advantage of thebeautiful day to enjoy time on the patio in a garden just asbeautiful, filled with just as much treasure, as the inside of thehome. The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation,and demonstration of the pianos. Each instrument had its ownstory, and music, to share. It was fascinating.

There is the 1930 6’4” Knabe Ampico B in an ItalianRenaissance hand carved walnut case that had been owned bythe governor of Maryland. When purchased at Sotheby’s in1982, it was without its bench. Following the clue left by themoving company’s name stickers on the piano’s legs, Kentracked the previous owner—Wallace and Georgette Grovesin Coral Gables, Florida, who had inherited the piano fromWallace’s sister, Ms. Christine Burton of Maryland. Wallace,a notorious American financier owned The Grand BahamasPort Authority, Ltd. and The Grand Bahamas DevelopmentCompany and was instrumental in developing the city andport of Freeport in the 1950s. The famed Garden of theGroves, a lush nature and wildlife preserve, and the GrovesMuseum are a testament of the Grove’s legacy in theBahamas.

The Knabe’s missing bench, which Mrs. Groves was usingin her bedroom “for her bedspread”, was purchased in hastefor a nice donation to the Garden of the Groves Museum andthe lagniappe of four large boxes of original Ampico B jumbopiano rolls were transferred with the bench. Ironically, when asked why the Grove’s were selling such a fine rareinstrument, Georgette replied that it was being replaced by abig screen color television bought after their recent movefrom Key Biscayne, Florida.

One of the last demonstration pianos—a 1931 Knabe 9’Ampico B ebony concert grand—had a story, too. Originallyowned by a family in Long Island, the 1930 original Amechanism piano was returned to the factory for a B mechanism in 1931. When sold from the original estate inLong Island, several additions had been constructed to the 32 room mansion. The concert grand could not be removedafterward by conventional means except by crane through the 2nd story terrace off of the ballroom. Every one of the

original components of this instrument underwent a two yearrestoration. Set up in Ken’s home in May of 2005, it isequipped with a MIDI system. The concert grand was alsomodified (tonal modifications) to allow it to be played at concert level and subdued for home listening.

One of the best stories was related to the beautiful 1928 7’Mason & Hamlin RBB Ampico A/B in a Louis XV customwalnut art case. Only one of three ever made, it was sold by Steinway dealer, Bernard “Ned” Noelke. The commissionallowed him to purchase a brand new red, seven passengerPackard touring car. The new owner was La Crosse, Wisconsin native, Albert Funk. His son, Al, Jr. was nine at thetime of the purchase and learned to play on the Mason &Hamlin. Ken arranged a telephone conversation during themeeting with Ned Noelke’s son, Ned, Jr. and Al Funk, Jr. Bothwere boyhood friends, each other’s best man, and still residents of La Crosse. Al, Jr. recalled that he did not like thesystem on the piano as the drawer “hit his knees” wheneverhe played. The senior Mr. Funk died in 1930 only two yearsafter purchasing the piano. Mrs. Funk maintained the pianountil she remodeled the large house in the 1960s. Ken used the word “magnificent” to describe the tone of thisinstrument.

The 1927 6’5” Steinway OR Duo-Art with a Spanish(Aeolian 3011) walnut art case has the most prominent ofpositions at the top of the grand staircase. Shipped to AeolianJanuary 5, 1928, restored by Bill Flynt in 1983 and purchasedby Ken in 1999, this piano possesses the “favorite tone” ofKen’s piano technician. How it got to the second floor is anadventure involving a team of ten people and a great deal ofdetermination. It made it! And is beautiful in its place.

Ken also has on display his 1926 Apollo player grand in atri-colored walnut art case with a 12 leg platform. The 6’4”piano was made for the ornate lobby of a movie theater andthe case is reminiscent of the case of a harpsichord in theJacobean style. Purchased from a Florida estate, in originalcondition, it is awaiting restoration.

Just following the meeting, Ken purchased three additionalpianos that deserve mention to the AMICA society. His additions to the collection include a walnut Mellville ClarkApollophone upright player piano with a built-in phonograph.It has a piano disc system installed in addition to the pneumatic system. The second piano addition is another handcarved Knabe Ampico A grand with a completely carvedornate case supported by carved caryatid legs with columnsand foliate. However, the most significant addition to the collection is the discovery, after years of private obscuritycontributing to a wonderfully original preservation, is operastar Lotte Lehmann’s 1929 Mason and Hamlin RAA 6’3”Ampico B Italian Renaissance grand. It is the third of fourcommissioned Italian hand carved player art grands producedby Mason and Hamlin in 1928 and 1929.

The remainder of the rooms throughout Ken’s home arefilled with one wonder after another including a Reginaphonemusic box/phonograph. There is a Kalamazoo Duplex phonograph—one of the rarest— stereopticon pictures, aradio tube from a station in Massachusetts, family picturesand one art case Victrola after another. The collectionincludes a restored 1931 Sparton Visionola radio, phonograph,and movie projector combination complete with movie and

233

record media, Victor and Columbia outside oak andmahogany horn phonographs, Victor Electrola and Sparton101 Ensemble record changers, two Edison Amberolas (A)-1and (B)-1 models, a Triumph, an Opera, and a C-2 radiophonograph. In addition there are various model 500, 400,and 100 Capehart radio and record changers.

It was an incredible journey of sight and sound. And thiswas only the first stop on a weekend full of wonderful musical magic.

Dinner that evening was at the Majestic Restaurant andClub, the private dinner club above the recently restored andmagnificent Majestic Theater inspired by Spanish Mission,Baroque, and Mediterranean architectural traditions. TheMajestic remains one of the finest atmospheric theatres everbuilt. It was designed and built in 1929 by John Eberson forKarl Hoblitzelle’s Interstate Theatres, and stood proudly formany years as the largest theatre in Texas and the secondlargest motion picture theatre in the country with 2,311 seats.It was intended to be the most modern and ornate building in South Texas—complete with new sound and projectionequipment and was the first theatre in the state to be totallyair-conditioned; www.majesticempire.com. After dinner, thegroup enjoyed the Majestic performance of “The Rat Pack:Live at the Sands.” Frank, Sammy and Dean never looked sogood! For those still able to carry on, the evening concludedat The Landing on the Riverwalk with the Jim Cullen JazzBand.

With a good night’s sleep and breakfast at the historicMenger Hotel, the group began their Sunday morning with atour of the elaborate recently restored Aztec Theater originallycosting $1.75 million. Built in 1926, this movie palace hasbeen architecturally and technologically restored to its originalAztec and Mayan theme, adding new attractions and experiences for all who visit. The focus for our group was the1931 Mighty Wurlitzer organ console. Originally from theBoston Paramount Theater, it is one of only three 3-manual(keyboard) “Waterfall” style consoles ever made, and the onlyconsole of this color scheme—red, orange, gold and green.You may see pictures of the theatre and Wurlitzer and hear itplay at www.aztecontheiver.com. Our tour concluded in thebasement of the theater where we met the resident “ghost” andlearned just what it takes to make the entire building work.

For many, the tour was the end of an amazing weekend.For those able to linger a while longer, we gathered for lunchon the San Antonio Riverwalk at the Iron Cactus Restaurant,just below the Aztec, to relax and marvel at all that we hadseen and experienced. To Ken for sharing his home and musicand to Bill for his dedication and organization, a very gratefulgroup says “thank you.”

234

Mason and Hamlin

Knabe Art Case

The Duplex phonograph was introduced in 1905 and was an

early attempt to obtain stereoeffects through two horns and

a special reproducer. It was sold primarily through mail

order for the price of $29.85

This is Victor Model 9-55 and was issued in 1927 forthe list price of $1550.00. It was the first instrumentto combine a radio, electric phonograph and automatic record changer. It is considered to be themost impressive instrument they ever manufactured.

Victor often produced instruments for“special clientele” where the customerscould have them made to order. Somewere produced by the Victor factory butmany outside companies were availableto assist in providing more exotic cabinets. Such special made instrumentsare rare to find. This is such a Victrolafrom about 1912 and was designed forthe dining room of the original owners.

235

This elaborate Chinese Chippendale cabinet is VictorModel 9-56 which includes a radio, electric phonographand record changer. It was introduced in 1929 and, at the price of $1750.00, is the most expensive standardinstrument ever listed by Victor. Only 258 of these wereproduced.

This Reginaphone Model 240 was developed in the early1900’s and played both the Regina music box disc and 78 rpm phonograph records. It was advertised by Reginaas “the most beautiful instrument they have ever made”. It was designed for “those particular people who wantsomething better than the ordinary” and was said to beworthy of the most exquisitely furnished drawing room.

VISIT THE

AMICA WEB PAGE

at

wwwwww..aammiiccaa..oorrgg

(2-08)

236

ADVERTISING GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT

ALL ADVERTISING IN THE AMICA BULLETINAll advertising should be directed to:

Mike Kukral216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, Indiana 47803Phone: 812-238-9656e-mail: kukral@rose-hulman.edu

Ad copy must contain text directly related to the product/servicebeing offered. Extraneous text will be deleted at the Publisher’sdiscretion. All advertising must be accompanied by payment inU.S. funds. No telephone ads or written ads without payment willbe accepted. This policy was established by a unanimous vote ofthe AMICA Board at the 1991 Board Meeting and reaffirmed atthe 1992 meeting. AMICA reserves the right to edit or toreject any ad deemed inappropriate or not in keeping withAMICA’s objectives.

The BULLETIN accepts advertising without endorsement,implied or otherwise, of the products or services being offered.Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA’sendorsement of any commercial operation.

AMICA PUBLICATIONS RESERVES THE RIGHT TOACCEPT, REJECT, OR EDIT ANY AND ALL SUBMITTED ARTICLES AND ADVERTISING.

All items for publication must be submitted directly to thePublisher for consideration.

CLASSIFIED AD RATES FOR AMICA MEMBERS:1-50 Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.0051-100 Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00101-150 Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30.00

Non-member rates are double for all advertising.

DISPLAY ADVERTISINGFull Page — 71/2 " x 10" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $150.00Half Page — 71/2 " x 43/4" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 80.00Quarter Page —35/8 " x 43/4" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 45.00Business Card — 31/2 " x 2" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 30.00

Special 6 for 5 Ad Offer - Place any ad, with no changes, for afull year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Payable in advance.Photographs or halftones $15.00 eachLoose Sheet or Insert Advertising: InquireWe recommend that display advertisers supply camera-readycopy. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed tocorrect size at your cost. We can prepare advertisements fromyour suggested layout at cost.PAYMENT: U.S. funds must accompany ad order. Make checkpayable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL. Typesetting and layout size alterations charges will be billed.DEADLINES: Submissions must be received no later than thefirst of the odd months (January, March, May, July, September,November). The Bulletin will be mailed the second week of theeven months.

(Rev. 5-05)

FOR SALEMILLS SINGLE VIOLANO, late style with mahogany cabinet,excellent, unrestored condition. Plays well and original finish is ingreat shape. Fifteen rolls included. Cremona “G” wth 32 stoppedflute pipes. Totally restored with perfect butterscotch colored glass.Seeburg “K” with flute pipes, dancing girl glass, and rare black oakcabinet. Total restoration. Seeburg “L” with late four door cabinet.Totally restored. All of these pianos are in exceptional, investmentquality condition and would be prized additions to any collection.Must be seen and heard. Pianos are located in Pennsylvania. ContactBart Off, 610-641-7272. Please no evening calls. (5-07)

FISCHER AMPICO A 5’ Grand, plays but needs rebuilding,$2,000.00, rolls included. Otto Grau Upright Player (Piano), won-derful original oak case with electric suction pump, plays but needrebuilding, $600.00, rolls included. Aeolian Player Reed Organ,beautiful restored case, need rebuilding, rolls included, has electricpump included, $800.00. Melville Clark Recordo expressionupright piano, Simplex player, plays but need rebuilding, refinished,rolls included, $500.00. Alvin Wulfekuhl, 540 Terrace Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220; 513-281-8327; traction75@msn.com (1-08)

1922 CHICKERING AMPICO, walnut finish, 5 ft., good condition,needs work. Ser. No. 134148, Ivory keyboard w/6 rolls, $4,900, picsavailable. Call (415) 383-6725 San Francisco Area. (5-07)

DUO-ART AUDIOGRAPHIC ROLLS. I have 25 duplicateAudiographic rolls which I will trade for your duplicate or singleAudiographics. Ralph Schack, 310-377-7739; rschack2006@cox.net (6-07)

1920 STECK DUO-ART 5’6” GRAND. Action rebuilt and refinished about 5 years ago. Includes approx. 180 Duo-Art rolls,about half are playable originals. Excellent condition. 541-947-5113See and hear it at www.gooselake.com/forsale/piano.html$12,500.00 Email: forsale@gooselake.com (2-08)

3 CONTINENTS HOROLOGY STUDY CRUISE—our 5thcruise and seminar, takes us to Barcelona (Clock Museum, PitaWatches-AHCI) and a Transatlantic cruise calling at Malaga (Granada) Gibraltar (tremendous watch bargains) Tangier (antiquemarkets) Casablanca (Marakesh), Agadir, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Santa Cruz, Miami. Seminars at sea-Presentations about Horology,Mechanical Music, Automata, History of Science, Scientific Instruments. Dec 3-20, 2007. From $3,100.00 Brochure? 1-800-262-4284 or atc@warwick.net (4-08)

NEEDED: A sincere Piano/Player Technician to buy my Piano Shop & Business and serve a large area of the country by keeping itin operation. My piano shop was featured on CBS News “SundayMorning” and is located a few hours north of Denver in westernNebraska. It includes a nice building in a small town of 500 peoplewith I-80 nearby, with good schools, hospitals, lakes- a great escape from the problems of the big city. The shop comes will allequipment, supplies, parts, more than a dozen players, a few squaregrands, and other pianos. Please call me and let’s talk about it; Klint Schlake, 308-889-3522. P. O. Box 88, 409 Pine St., Big Springs, NE 69122. (4-07)

AMPICO, DUO-ART, WELTE PIANO ROLLS. New Recuts andOriginals, including “Jumbo” and Program Rolls. Also N.O.S. QRS 88 Note rolls. Dave Caldwell, 400 Lincoln Lake Ave. N.E. Lowell, MI 49331; E-mail: DavidWFromMI@webtv.net; phone: 616-897-5609. (4-07)

NEW PIANO ROLL BOXES - Duo-Art Audiographic series -Exactly like the originals! Gold Printing, all 3 sizes available! (small &medium are “Top Hat” style) $6.00 ea. Quantities are limited, so getthem before they are all gone! AMPICO “Top Hat” boxes- BlackLeather with Gold Printing and False Bottom, Exactly like the originals,$4.00 ea. 88 note roll boxes in two sizes- Large (fits 2 3⁄4 flange) covered with Black Alligator paper (Top), Black Leather (Bottom). orBrown Leather Paper (Top & Bottom) $3.00 ea. Small (fits 2” flange)Covered with Black or Tan Leather Paper (Top), White Litho (Bottom)$1.80 ea. Other repair supplies available- Parchment Leaders, Tabs,Tubes, Flanges, Repair Tissue. Quantity Discounts available. RichIngram rollguyrich@yahoo.com (760) 244-ROLL (7655) (1-08)

“Unhappy am I that this has happened tome? Not so. Happy am I, though this hashappened to me, for I continue free from

pain, neither crushed by the past nor fearingthe future; for such a thing as this might

have happened to any man. . .”

- Marcus Aurelius Antonius

237

WEBER DUO-ART 1920 upright, new bass strings and hammers,case refinished and all rebuilt. $3500. 440-593-2155 OH. (5-07)

YAMAHA DISKLAVIER upright model, MX-100-B, 20 discs,ebony black case like new. $3800. 440-593-2155 OH. (5-07)

HAINES BROTHERS AMPICO “A” 1927, unrestored reproducing grand piano, serial #76718, $2000. or best offer.814-474-3652 PA. (5-07)

WANTEDROLLS WANTED: Offering $25 each for “Sousa” rolls : Belle ofChicago, Crusaders, Golden State Memorial, Gridiron Club, Imperial Edward, Naval Reserve, Review of the Fleet. $15 for From Maine to Oregon and National Fencibles. Also wanted“Joplin” rolls! Jack E. Linker 513-821-1744 (5-07)

“STANDARD PLAYER MONTHLY” magazines wanted for usein this bulletin. Will buy or borrow. Mike Kukral, 812-238-9656,Kukral@rose-hulman.edu. (1-08)

“MALOOF” BRAND PIANO ROLLS. Mike Kukral, 812-238-9656, Kukral@rose-hulman.edu (1-08)

ARTICLES FOR THE AMICA BULLETIN PLEASE!I need your help if you don’t want to see blank pages in the future.The Publisher. (1-08)

WELTE-MIGNON AND DELUXE REPRODUCING piano rolls. Mike Kukral 812-238-9656, E-mail Kukral@rose-hulman.edu (1-09)

RED WELTE MIGNON piano rolls (T-100). Paying top dollar.Mike Kukral 812-238-9656 or Kukral@Rose-Hulman.edu (5-07)

BOOK: WELTE-MIGNON — ITS MUSIC AND MUSICIANSby Charles Davis Smith printed for AMICA by Vestal Press. Do you have a copy you are not using that is sitting on the shelf or in a box? Let me know. Mike Kukral 503-741-0960, E-mailKukral@rose-hulman.edu (5-07)

Complete pianos and player systems restored using factoryoriginal techniques by an experienced professional. Complete

or partial systems can be sent to my shop for restorations. I supply special UPS cartons for this unique service.

Ben Gottfried464 Dugan Rd. • Richfield Springs, NY 13439

315-858-2164 (5-07)

A Complete Restoration ServiceFor The Pneumatic Piano

Ben’s Player Piano Service

ExperienceATOS

Preserving a unique art form.Concerts, education, silent film, preservation, fellowship and more. www.atos.org

Jim Merry, Executive SecretaryP.O. Box 5327, Fullerton, CA 92838merry@atos.org

American Theatre Organ Society

(6-08)

Offering high top quality reissues ofWWeellttee--MMiiggnnoonn aanndd

8888 NNoottee PPllaayyeerr PPiiaannoo rroollllss..

Featuring rare, important, and fun music rolls recut

from the legendary Welte-Mignon library of recordings

and great music of the teens and twentieson 88-note player piano rolls.

PPLLEEAASSEE CCOONNTTAACCTTMike Kukral

216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, IN 47803

812-238-9656Email: Kukral@rose-hulman.edu

THE

Kukral Collection

(6-08)

Piano Pro Movingand Storage

Piano Pro Moving is a small company that gives a personalized service.

• 25 years of experience in full time piano moving and restoration.

• Oversees and directs every aspect of each move with competence and expertise from pickup to delivery.

• Specializes in rare and valuable antique pianos.

• A member of the AMICA Music Collectors Association.

• Climate controlled storage available

31449 216th Street • Bellevue, Iowa 52031

E-mail: pianopro@iowatelecom.net

(563) 580-2472(2-08)

JOHN WRASSE, Proprietor

238

JOE UHLER • 724-940-4331Box 126, Ingomar, PA 15127

WEBER UNIKAOak case from noted Chicago collector.

Mechanicals by D. C. Ramey Piano Co. 100 rolls

with metal bells. Oak case, 100% professional restorationCOINOLA “X”

HELLER “A”“A” roll piano art glass front scene

SEEBURG “E”with xylophone-mahogany case

(5-07)

or TRADE

For Sale

MILLS VIOLANOoriginal rolls in original boxes

#2114 Specially arranged Christmas roll#2326 Handplayed special variety roll#2443 Hand played Polish roll#2445 German roll#2581 Hand played dance roll#2592 Hand played popular dance roll#2646 Hand played “Special” dance roll#2864 Knee Deep in Harmony dance tunes

$1000.00 for all rolls & shipping

WURLITZER 1015 JUKEBOX

SEEBURG V-200 JUKEBOX

239

(1-08)

WANTED TO BUYMUSIC BOXES

MUSICAL CLOCKSMECHANICAL ORGANS

Always in the market for better quality disc and cylindermusic boxes, musical clocks, singing birds, band organs, player organs, monkey organs, Wurlitzer 78 rpm jukeboxes,slot machines. Any condition.

MARTIN ROENIGK75 Prospect Avenue

Eureka Springs, AR 72632

(800) 671-6333 • (479) 253-0405

www.mechantiques.com • mroenigk@aol.com

eroll collectionThe PA (Phillips-Ampico)

Now available from Bird Music

Another way to hear Ampico rolls

The PA erolls are optimised for performance on a MIDI-equipped Ampico or any MIDI piano (Disklavier, PianoDisc etc). There are 1431 performances by 483 composers, played by 283 pianists.

Available on CDRoms in three file formats:

for a MIDI piano

e-MIDI or bar/ann for a MIDI-equipped Ampico

Choose the lot, or just popular or classical. Also available are a Favorites CDRom of 400 erolls and a growing range of floppy disks. As little as 28c a roll, all CDRoms include comprehensive catalogs.

We guarantee the performance quality

� standard MIDI files (type 0)

�

For more information contact: Galen Bird3300 Robinson Pike, Grandview, MO 64030, USAphone: 816-767-8246 email: ogmbird@kc.rr.com

website: www.birdmusic.org

Or contact Peter Phillips:email: eleced@idx.com.auwebsite: www.petersmidi.com

(1-08)

www.ptg.org

Anywhere you go, a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) is ready to help you give customers the

extra service and assurance they expect.

Join us in Rochester, NY, June 21-25, 2006For information on the 15,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall and being

part of 250+ hours of educational opportunities visit

4444 Forest Ave.Kansas City, KS 913-432-9975 (1-08)

240

(6-07)

http://www.revealer.com/caldwell/

DavidWfromMi@webtv.net(6-07)

bbyy AAeeoolliiaann

$$775500..0000

•• FFuullll 8888 NNoottee KKeeyybbooaarrdd•• AAuuttoommaattiicc RReewwiinndd && SShhuutt--ooffff•• UUkkeellaannoo ffoorr ““RRiinnkkyy--TTiinnkk”” SSoouunndd•• EElleeccttrriicc && MMaannuuaall PPeeddaall CCoonnttrrooll•• FFiinnggeerrttiipp EExxpprreessssiioonn ccoonnttrroollss•• 4444”” hhiigghh,, 3300”” wwiiddee,, 6600”” lloonngg•• EExxcceelllleenntt CCoonnddiittiioonn

LLooccaattiioonn:: TThhoommppssoonnvviillllee,, MMiicchhiiggaann,, 223311--337788--22225599*Buyer responsible for transport/shipping *

EElleeccttrriicc PPllaayyeerr PPiiaannoo ““TThhee SSttiinngg””

(5-07)