Good Day MMD'ers!  It hasn't been that long ago that there was quite
the discussion in here about how to interest and encourage youth in the
hobby of mechanical music.  I followed it and thought it a good topic
of discussion.  Then I read a couple posts here of a young man asking
about piano rolls: their numbers and such.  He was looking for the
roll, "Tea For Two."

I decided to write to him as I was curious about such a young person
being interested in piano rolls.  He said he was looking for a player
piano and I found out he also plays ragtime music and has even composed
his own rag, "Rag and Ruckus."  I decided to encourage and support his
desire to have rolls and one day a player.

I had a piano and stained glass and antique store in Omaha a while
back and I brought some boxes of rolls with me when I moved to Nevada.
I decided to give him one to help him build a collection, titled
"Ragging The Scale" (for his keen interest in ragtime).  He has a
player piano in sight at his tuner's home, and plans on recording his
rag at his former school on their MIDI piano, to have it made into a
roll by Sierra Music Rolls.  Maybe you will remember his posts here.
His name is Clinton Gray, and is only 17 years old.  So far he has
two rolls and a list of rolls he hopes to have.

I got to thinking -- here is an opportunity for other MMD'ers to also
support this talented young man in our hobby.  I thought those of you
with rolls might have a duplicate or one you'd like to send him.  What
a great way it would be for us to encourage and support his desires in
mechanical music.

With his permission, I am listing his e-mail at the end of this article,
for those of you that would like to send a roll.  I asked him before
writing if he would be in on the idea, but he wasn't sure if anything
would come of it.  I said you might be surprised at the generosity of
the people in the mechanical music hobby.

If you feel so inclined to send a roll to help this young man build
a collection, please write him an e-mail.  It would be nice to see him
pleasantly surprised.  I hope he stays interested and encouraged, and
someday has his own player when he gets a place of his own.  But for
now, those who will, let's help this talented young man build a nice
roll collection, one roll at a time.  Clinton's e-mail is
theyarxia@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

Thanks for consideration.

Bobby Kent - gospel musician, stained glass artist and owner of
an empty Seeburg that I want to make sing again some day!