Greetings all..

I have offered to coordinate an informal project with regard
to Pianolist Instructions, and Robbie has invited me to submit
my suggestions to the group. I have some experience of producing
educational material, and my usual style is to offer up an
"Aunt Sally" for starters and let everyone knock it to bits!
I don't have a problem with criticism, but prefer it to be constructive.
Please be as frank as you like.

The aim is to produce a modern version of the booklets issued
by the early manufacturers of player pianos, updated to
reflect the experiences and opinions of the group, their friends,
and audiences. The objective of the booklet will be to give advice
to the new owner (of a nicely restored pumper) about how to
achieve a good musical performance. I would suggest that possible
additional sections would cover specific types or brands of players.

My suggested format is as follows:

***************************************************************

1.  Objective of the guide.

2.  Brief history of the player piano to the present day.

3.  Principles of operation with the main components described.

4.  The manual controls described.

5.  Piano rolls and their interpretation.

6.  Playing techniques.

7.  Maintenance topics - some do's and don'ts

Appendices for specific brands

List of relevant organisations (including a plug for MMD of course!)

List of contributors

****************************************************************

Comments on the format are especially welcome.

Some considerations in terms of performing are:

    What do player owners do to achieve a musically satisfying performance?

    How do they (or their friends!) evaluate the performance?

    What can the novice Pianolist study?  (Such as listening to old phonograph

        records of solo piano, and reproducing pianos.)

Contributions on all of the subject areas covered are invited.

Letters, relevant material,and E-mails are solicited, and
all will be suitably acknowledged. Where material is on loan
please indicate clearly return address and date required.

Where published material has possible copyright implications
please advise on author and original date of publication wherever
possible. UK and US copyright law offers protection for the author's
lifetime plus fifty years at present, although I understand that
pre-1978 US material is limited to lifetime plus twenty-five years.
I anticipate that the finished booklet will be "owned" by MMD,
and available to its subscribers via normal Internet access
so that it can easily be imported into a word processor or desk top
publication package.

Please send printed material, original or photocopied, to:

    Roger Waring
    The Pianola Workshop
    189 Warwick Road
    Solihull
    West Midlands
    B92 7AW
    United Kingdom

and E-mail a brief message describing what to expect.

Please send E-Mails to:

    pianolas@dial.pipex.com

Many thanks to everyone in anticipation.... and good pumping!

Roger Waring
roger.warinf@dial.pipex.com