Concerning venues for band organ rallies and other items:

In the 1960s there were at least two collectors of automatic musical
instruments, Ted Bowers (no kin) and Bob Trepanier, who made a business
of setting up in the parking lots at Southern California shopping
centers and also at savings and loan associations to exhibit instruments
and other antique things.  The hosts would _pay_ to have them do this.

It would seem to me that shopping centers would be an ideal venue today.
The rally could be set up in a parking area at the edge, and when
families came, those not interested in band organs could go shopping.
The event would be a drawing card for the shopping center, an asset.

As to modern music on old instruments, in my opinion one of the joys
of such instruments is to listen to a previously unfamiliar tune, enjoy
it, and perhaps learn about it. I recall enjoying "The Entertainer"
(different from "Entertainer's Rag") on a Mandolin PianOrchestra roll
and researching its origin (not always easy to do in the pre-Internet
days). I found that it was written by Lee Roberts, if I recall, and was
played at a ragtime competition. "Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old 'Tucky
Home," was checked out too.

One of Harvey Roehl's favorite tunes on his Seeburg Style G Orchestrion
was "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charley," obscure to everyone who heard it,
but then we all came to like it.  "Collegiate", played on his KT Special,
still echoes in my ears.  On my Regina 27" disc changer, "At a Georgia
Camp Meeting," "Smoky Mokes," and other cakewalks (predecessors to
ragtime) are enjoyed by everyone, as are tunes of a different character
such as "The Holy City" and "Sidewalks of New York."

It took the Robert Redford film, "The Sting," to ignite a worldwide
revival of ragtime.  I can just imagine and even hope that if some
popular film with leading stars were to be set around the life or era
of Stephen Foster, then his melodies -- forever wonderful, in my
opinion -- will become known and enjoyed by the present generation.

I for one would not buy a Seeburg G or H roll with new hip-hop or heavy
metal music on it.  The music played by music boxes, reproducing pianos,
coin-operated pianos, and the like seems to me to be as much a part of
the instrument as is the case or art glass. I suppose there are exceptions
for me and for anyone.  If Art Reblitz were to put out a roll with "The
Wildwood Flower," "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (Coca-Cola
theme), or "Milord," I'd probably buy it.

The MMD is always enjoyable.  Keep up the good work.

Dave Bowers