Dear Robbie, I'm still too busy to work out some other things for you.
However, I feel it's time to write.

I do read some discussions in the MMD on musical taste.  One does not
like the kind of music made by some people, another tries to explain that
it might be useful to listen to this music, even if you do not like it
from scratch.

I would like to make just a few remarks.

In the first place: music is emotion.  If music does not "ring a bell"
(_any_ bell) then that kind of music may be not the appropriate music at
that time.  Maybe I did not listen well enough, being too lazy.  Maybe
I'm forgetting that I do follow once again my prejudices.  Maybe I do not
know enough of the background of this music, etc.  And maybe some
music is intended to get me upset or angry.

In the second place: the development of music is an on-going event.  So
is the training of the ear of open-minded listeners.  However, after many
years I still do not like very much the music of Wagner, nor am I an
admirer of "grunge", "heavy metal", or whatever name it may have.  And
lots of modern "classical" music I do not understand or appreciate.

In the third place: I do feel that one of the nicest things of music is
the fact that, since it is going back to the very early days of us naked
apes, it still does have the power to unite people.  And this is what the
MMD is doing so well on the subject of mechanical music instruments.

So, I think, the MMD should not be used to discuss differences in musical
taste and/or education.  I think, the MMD and its contributors should
concentrate on the subject: Music, played by mechanical (and electronic?
;-> ) instruments.  Discussions on musical taste, in my opinion, should
take place in a more appropriate place.  There are many Newsgroups
available on the Net, and anybody can start a new one, if he wants to.

There is a good reason for doing so.  We must keep in mind that the
mechanical instruments are the grandparents of the compact disc.  The
function is still the same: giving people the opportunity to listen to
that music they like best, at prices affordable for far more people then
before.

And the kind of music that is played on a reproducing instrument did nor
does not bother the makers, nor does it bother me: everybody should
listen to the music he likes.  Remember: many masterpieces from even
great composers like Beethoven, Brahms, Boulez, a.s.o. were not approved
at the time they were played for the first time.  And indeed, when time
passed by in earlier days we did lose a lot of music.  But time still is
a good selector for music.

The Beatles were hot, when I was young, and I did not like their music.
Several songs by them, sung by the King Singers, now are among my
favourites.  And you should hear Kiri Te Kanawa sing "Yesterday"!  Want I
mean is: sure, a lot of modern music is not what I like.  But one must
dig a lot of mud to find some pieces of gold.  And this takes time.

So far the optimistic thing.  But we also must keep in mind that very
many youngsters do not like the world they have to inherit.  This is of
all ages, I believe.  However, given the circumstances, it is not strange
that they do strongly feel that our western civilization is going to end
rather soon.  And so they do protest.  One should protest, when young.
And it can not be denied that there are many heavy reasons to protest
nowadays: environment, pollution, poverty, wars, .....

Since the mass of young people is far better educated (which also means
that a lot of them learned to think better) it is no wonder that there
are more "protestants".  And they too do have their bards, who express
their feelings, their emotions, in a musical way.  Not my emotions,
maybe.  But they do have the right to utter them, as I do have mine.

And I do not even live in "the Land of the Free...!"

So, back to basics: the Mechanical Music Instrument?

Greetings, Jan

 [ Well crafted, Jan.  When I perform I am frequently asked my opinion
 [ of contemporary music forms.  I reply, "I was wrong about the Beatles,
 [ so now I don't pass judgment on the art of my own generation.  Ask
 [ me about 1920s songs!"  -- Robbie