This is a subject that I think needs addressing.  Children love
these automatic machines but sadly, more often than not, they are
told, "Don't touch that!"

That is the wrong attitude.  If we are going to get the youngsters
interested in these things then they must be allowed to see, hear and
operate player-pianos.  After all, someday they will be in charge of
our treasures when we are gone.  Whether or not they see the piano as
a keepsake, or look at it with contempt (and throw it away) is entirely
up to us.

I resigned from a well-known organization in 1997 because I was told
that children weren't allowed to participate in a convention.  My
toddler (now 15 years old) was very disappointed and, frankly, I was
too.  It seems to me, if we indeed want to restore and preserve then
we must look beyond our lifetime.

I am not advocating letting children twist knobs and yank levers or
letting them roll their toy cars over a perfect keyboard.  I am talking
about supervising them and showing them how to operate these machines,
rather than simply quip, "Don't touch that!"  Believe it or not, an old
player piano is an excellent way to spend some quality time with your
children or grandchildren, or any child!

Here is a good example.  When showing my antique tractor at the
fairgrounds last year, a little boy came over to the tractor next to
me, and laid his hand on the grill.  The man who owned the tractor
screamed, "Hey, don't touch that," and scared the poor kid out of his
wits!  The youngster began to cry; it really made me angry.  (It's
a tractor, for God's sake!)

I told the youngster, "Hey, come on over, would you like to ride my
tractor?"  After getting his parents permission we drove all over the
fairgrounds.  He had a blast and I enjoyed it too.  Tractors were made
to be worked and ridden, and pianos were meant to be played!

So let's not leave out the little ones, folks.  Let them see hear
and feel the things we enjoy.  Player pianos have survived several
generations of children and are well capable of surviving a whole lot
more!  Of course, don't put your prized and rare piano roll on the
machine while instructing them.

My opinion
Andy Taylor