In 001117 MMDigest, Lou Kretchek mentioned that he had found some disks
for a "Lawrence Welk's Music Maker" manufactured by Kenner Products in
Cincinnati about 1956.  He wrote:

> They are apparently for a harmonica based instrument, since they have
> a _start_ point and several _breathe_ points around the disk.  Has
> anyone seen one of these instruments and what does it look like.

Well, I have one, and I remember a couple of the neighborhood kiddies
having had them in the late 1950s.  The one I have is complete and has
never been removed from the original box.  I sent pictures of it for
publication at the MMD Pictures site.

Anyhow, it isn't a harmonica-based instrument.  The musical bit is more
like a pan pipe than anything else.  The disks sit atop the plastic pan
pipe and a hinged top-piece swings down and latches itself and the disk
down on the pan pipe.  This top-piece has an attached tube through
which the user blows.  The lower part, the pan pipe, has a crank and
gear integral, to drive the disk by the brass reinforced center drive
hole.  Everything except the disks is hard plastic of some sort.

The original set came with 10 disks of "children's music".  (I have
used the spelling "disks", because that's what's printed on the box.)

As I recall, most of these didn't last long since hot wet breath didn't
do the light cardboard disks much good.  The kids in my old neighborhood
were especially good at slobbering into any sort of musical toy.

Dean Randall - still cold near Puget Sound

 [ See http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/   The cutup and lip construction
 [ of the tiny pipes resembles penny-whistles or organ pipes, not pan
 [ pipes, and so I've tentatively classified the instrument as an
 [ organette.  I invite discussion about this decision.  Could the disks
 [ be copied to a plastic sheet, like the Sankyo disc movement uses?
 [  -- Robbie