In MMD 01.10.23  John Tuttle wrote:

> Let's face facts. Modern music doesn't lend itself very well to the
> player piano. Typically, the singers carry the melody and the band
> plays the background. Add to that the fact that modern music is
> not very complex, and what you end up with is "lack-luster" rolls
> that will most likely be taken off "the list" within a relative short
> period of time.

Perhaps.  But MIDI sequencers have done some fairly amazing things with
'modern' music (when did it start?  1970?  1950?) of every genre, and
these wouldn't be too tough to transfer to piano rolls.

Uh, you won't like this, but I'm afraid that the reason that 'modern
music' on piano rolls doesn't sell is the same reason that people try
play old-time radio shows through antique radios that they restore:
the stuff doesn't sound 'appropriate.'  We associate player pianos
with our great-grandparents, and we expect ancient music to emerge
from the instruments.

Our great-grandparents didn't think so, of course, and we needn't,
either, but that's the way things are.

M Kinsler