Hello everyone.  We have a diverse collection of automatic musical
instruments including a few music boxes, coin pianos and a couple of
reproducing grand pianos.  As somebody once said to us when we thought
about adding a music room to the house, "build it wide and build it high,
because you never know what you're liable to buy!"

    Jody is certainly providing a wonderful communication platform for
those of us with that kind of interest.  But there may be a few of you
who don't know of the two major automatic music organizations here in
the U.S. which publish terrific news bulletins and technical journals
the old fashioned way - via snail mail.  If anybody wants membership
information about the Musical Box Society International (MBSI), or the
Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors' Association (AMICA) I'm sure
you'll get a prompt response by posting a request to this list.

    Has anybody compiled a list of all automatic music related organizations
which are helpful to collectors?  The last 5 words of the previous sentence
therefore excludes the Smithsonian!  Besides the two groups already mentioned,
I know of 13-14 others, but don't know the names or addresses of the
fairground or band-organ groups out there.  Is there any interest in posting
a complete listing of such organizations?

  [ Editor's Note:  Ralph, we've not had anything approaching a comprehensive
  [ list of such organizations.  I think it would be very useful.  I've been
  [ meaning to compile a list of "Frequently Asked Questions" and their
  [ answers.  A posting containing a relatively complete list of organizations
  [ related to "the hobby" would be a welcome addition to the archive.

    A final note - earlier today we heard a broadcast of Christmas music on
mechanical music instruments from Holland's National Museum from Musical Clock
to Street Organ (Utrecht) narrated by Dr. Jan Jaap Haspels.  It appeared
on our local public radio station.  We hope others have had the chance to
hear it in their areas.  Ralph

  [ On one of my very first "Web Surfing" trips, I found a set of pages
  [ belonging to NPR:   http://www.npr.org
  [ A quick browse of this set of pages did not reveal the show.  If you
  [ send us more information, it might be possible for those interested
  [ to obtain a "transcript tape".  Do you recall the name of the show,
  [ time slot, station call letters, etc ?
  [ Thanks
  [ Jody