Music Old and New
By Dan McGrath
Comments on Youth -- I was quite struck by the many comments regarding the enjoyment that younger people may derive from the player piano and the tradition that their involvement helps sustain. In 1973, when my two daughters were teenagers, I bought an upright with a 1918 Wurlitzer player, along with several rolls, including one called "L'oin de Bal". Eventually, we accumulated a fairly large collection with everything from "Keep the Home Fires Burning" to "Phantom of the Opera". Plus I rebuilt the player several times.
Today, we still joke about having to play "L'oin de Bal" over and over because we had so few rolls. Eventually, the girls got introduced to the many great old songs that their grandparents and parents grew up with. As they grew older, they liked nothing better than going into a bar where there was honky-tonk pianist, and stump him with something like "The Rose of No Man's Land". Most importantly, the player still brings our family together to sing the now familiar tunes, including the two sons-in-law who have adjusted to the crazy player piano family.
To all who have carried on this great historical and musical heritage, my hat is off to you.
By the way, as I approach retirement, I am looking forward to finding an orchestrion and rebuilding it.
Dan McGrath
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(Message sent Mon 10 Feb 1997, 22:31:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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