Hi, everyone.  I have finally decided, after several years of posting
messages as a non-subscriber, to subscribe to MMDigest.  My name is
Mike Roseboom, and I'm located in Binghamton, New York.

I have been interested in automatic instruments probably since I was
at least four.  I grew up with the two Herschell carousels here in
Binghamton.  Ross Park's carousel has a Wurlitzer 146-A band organ,
and Recreation Park's carousel a 146-B (both are currently in need
of restoration).

Also, whenever we would visit my grandparents in Pittsburgh in the
summer we would also visit Kennywood Park with its Dentzel carousel
and Wurlitzer 153.  I was particularly fascinated with the drum beater
actions on these band organs.  The first coin-operated piano I ever
saw was also in Pittsburgh, at Station Square (a modern orchestrion
made by the Nickelodeon Piano Company).

When I was ten (in 1983), we took a trip up to the Adirondacks,
stopping at the Musical Museum in Deansboro.  There I was exposed
to the other type of self-playing instruments and became permanently
hooked on these machines.  Sometime after this trip, I began to borrow
books out of the library on mechanical music as well as recordings.
In the process, I discovered Harvey Roehl and the Vestal Press.

I met Harvey a few years later and saw his private collection.
Soon I was purchasing recordings and other items directly from the
Vestal Press.  Then, in 1994, I joined the Musical Box Society, became
acquainted with the other MBSI members in my area, and have since
attended some of the organ rallies of the East Coast and Mid-America
Chapters over the years.

I have more recently started up a new mechanical music group which
I have named the Christian Mechanical Music Association.  CMMA is
a Christian hobbyist group and ministry dedicated to preserving and
promoting automatic musical instruments, as well as reed organs,
wind-up phonographs, and theater pipe organs.  You don't have to be
a professing Christian or own any instruments to join.  I currently
am sending out an e-mail newsletter to all the members, which contains
basic articles on these instruments as well as short devotionals.
CMMA is now listed in the "Links" section of MMD under "Societies".

I'm definitely glad I discovered the mechanical music hobby.  It
certainly is unique among all the hobbies out there and has given
me a deeper appreciation of our musical history.

Cheers to all,
Mike Roseboom
Binghamton, New York
mikeroseboom@stny.rr.com