Damon Atchison asked, "Were bands challenged by their new mechanical
cousins, the 'Band Organ'?"

The big commercial concert bands like Sousa's, Pryor's or Liberati's
weren't financially affected -- too big a drawing card;  they were huge
successes, and the difference between a large concert band (which would
also feature vocalists and soloists at their concerts) and even the most
elaborate band organ or orchestrion was obvious.

Comparing it to a musical situation of today would be like, say,
evaluating the financial impact juke boxes have playing a leading pop or
country band's recordings, against the concert draw for the band itself.

But Sousa and most musicians hated all mechanical musical instruments,
fearing that someday all live music would be replaced by "canned" music.
Indeed, in many small-town situations of musical employment, many
musicians lost work from the installation of a band organ, orchestrion or
even a nickel piano in a bordello, hotel lobby, restaurant, beer garden,
amusement park, theater or anywhere that previously employed musicians.

The situation was also much like the fear of actors and actresses in
legitimate theater and vaudeville, and their hatred of that new
diabolical medium, the moving picture, which they were certain would
replace live thespians!

S. K. Goodman