I think there is more interest from younger people than some of the
recent letters have assumed.  At the DeBence Museum we are able to get
a grant each year which covers the cost of offering a free tour to all
fourth grade students in the area.  As an important part of that offer
we pay for the bus to bring them, so the tour costs the school nothing.

The tour is scripted to fit the State of Pennsylvania curriculum in
science, English and local history so we can present it to principals
and teachers as contributing to their goals.  We include some hands-on
experiences such as feeling the tune sheets for the disc music boxes,
cranking the street piano, and this year everyone played the foot
pumped player piano

We get between 200 and 300 students each year, and they are uniformly
enthusiastic.  Some bring their parents back for a regular tour.  The
issue is not interest; it is _exposure._

Scotty Greene
DeBence Museum
Franklin, Pennsylvania