The recent discussion provoked (in a good way) by the posting "A Plea
to Do-it-yourselfers" leads me to wonder afresh something that I have
wondered before: How did the top-notch restorers in the mechanical
music field learn their skills?  Was it purely by trial-and-error that
they became good, or was it by apprenticeship?

I have tended to doubt the latter because I have never heard of any
restorer being willing to take on an apprentice.  There must be some
fascinating stories out there, if only people would take an hour from
their busy workday to tell us how they began, developed, and matured as
mechanical music craftsmen.

Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York