I'm often corrected when I say Cally-ope.  People give me 'that look'
and say, "For someone that claims to play the instrument, it's
pronounced calliope."

What do they mean, "claims?"

When I was eight years old I built my first Cally-ope from a doll
piano, 26 Pepsi bottles and my mom's Electrolux.  Really, my dad built
it mostly, but it was a Babs Cannon design.

You're wondering, did it work?  Yes, indeed -- I gave my first concert
about a week later.  That's when they really knew I'd never be a
completely normal person.  Okay, so I'm an eccentric.

Babs Cannon

 [ Babs, you've just joined the rest of the eccentric crowd!  :-) 
 [ Toot toot!   -- Robbie