Greetings,

I joined the list last week and thought I'd send a quick introduction (as 
suggested by Jody).  My interest in automatic musical instruments goes back 
to my early childhood, but didn't really get recognized until much later.  As 
a kid I remember being fascinated by nickelodeons, etc. that were sometimes 
found at theme parks and other tourist traps.  But I never gave them much 
thought (other than begging my parents to make it play again) until I was in 
college.  And even then, it was quite by happenstance that the interest was 
developed.

To fund my college education I worked at a juvenile detention center as a 
night watchman.  There often wasn't much to do but read the magazines that 
were donated to keep the kids amused.  In one of those piles was an old 
American International Galleries catalog (this was in the early 1980's) and, 
wow, was that ever interesting!  I had no idea that there were so many types, 
kinds, and varieties of automatic musical instruments.  As with all of my 
hobbies and interests, I got compulsive an did A LOT of research (visiting 
AIG so often that I should have probably paid rent!).  Learning about them 
was only part of the compusion - getting physically involved was next.  I 
rebuilt several player pianos and reed organs over the next few years.  My 
interest was really in disk music boxes, but I couldn't afford to get into 
them at the time.

For the past 10 years I've been "on the sidelines" with regard to 
rebuilding automatic music instruments, but the interest has not gone away.  
As we speak, I'm looking for a new project (like I don't have enough to do 
already!)... who knows what it will be.

It a pleasure to be a part of this list and I look forward to the opportunity 
to interact!

Brian Shaw, Los Angeles CA