When I was in high school, in the early 50's, I had already been involved
with player pianos for a few years!  In the back of the gym there was a
large storage room.  In it was a Fischer Ampico upright piano.  The motor
was missing, but every thing else seemed to be intact.

I knew if I had asked to tinker with it, it would be out of question, and
no way would I be allowed to try and get it working.  Besides, what would
a sixteen-year-old know about the workings of an Ampico?  I knew something
about them, but only the basics.

Being on the stage crew, I had some clout, and managed an excuse to move
the piano to the auditorium for stage use (manual playing of course).
Once the piano was moved back stage, I was free to tinker with it,
unnoticed and uninterrupted.  In a short time I had replaced the motor,
and had it playing very well.  I was puzzled why the motor had been
removed in the first place.  The answer was never found.

The school was putting on a musical.  One song to be sung was "I Want To
Be Happy", by Vincent Youmans.  At the time, I happened to have that roll
at home in my own collection.

My cohorts and I got together and we moved the piano to one side of the
stage, placed the roll on the piano, closed the doors, and placed sheet
music in front of it.  We connected the electric cord to a switch back
stage, and when the singing group finished singing their song, we flipped
the switch for the Ampico and it belted out that same tune.

The chorus and director were very startled, but the effect was
tremendous.  Everyone cheered and felt that it was a wonderful effect.
(Well, most of them...  The school principal glared at me, but I
pretended not to notice and smiled back at him.)

Effect or not, no one had much interest in the old Ampico, and in spite
of my plea to keep the piano playing to develop interest in others, it
was moved back to the gym where it remained silent for the remainder of
my school years.  Thinking about it now, it seems quite tragic.

Bruce Clark