The AMICA BULLETIN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001 VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1 THE AMICA BULLETIN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distribution and enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963. ROBIN PRATT, PUBLISHER, 630 EAST MONROE ST., SANDUSKY, OH 44870-3708 -- Phone 419-626-1903, e-mail: [email protected] Visit the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens Contributing Editor: Mr. Emmett M. Ford VOLUME 38, Number 1 January/February 2001 AMICA BULLETIN Display and Classified Ads FEATURES Articles for Publication Letters to the Publisher Book Review — 9 Chapter News Leopold Godowsky — 10 UPCOMING PUBLICATION DEADLINES CD Review — 26 The ads and articles must be received The Piano and Its Antecedents — 27 by the Publisher on the 1st of the Odd number months: Ode to the Piano — 38 January July March September May November Bulletins will be mailed on the 1st week of the even months. Robin Pratt, Publisher 630 East Monroe Street Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3708 Phone: 419-626-1903 e-mail: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS AMICA International — 2 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES President’s Message — 3 New Memberships . $37.00 From the Publisher’s Desk — 3 Renewals . $37.00 Calendar of Events — 4 Address changes and corrections Letters — 5 Directory information updates Tech Tips — 34 Additional copies of Member Directory . $25.00 People — 40 Single copies of back issues Chapter News — 42 ($6.00 per issue - based upon availability) Classified Ads — 63 William Chapman (Bill) 2150 Hastings Court Santa Rosa, CA 95405-8377 Front Cover: Percy Grainger (See Page 6) 707-570-2258 e-mail: [email protected] Inside Front: A.B. Chase Piano Ad To ensure timely delivery of your Inside Back Cover: Melville Clark Piano Co. Ad BULLETIN, please allow 6-weeks advance notice of address changes. Back Cover: The New Orthophonic AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising. Entire contents © 2001 AMICA International 1 AMICA INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS CHAPTER OFFICERS PRESIDENT Dan C. Brown BOSTON AREA NORTHERN LIGHTS N. 4828 Monroe Street Pres. Ken Volk Pres: Dave Kemmer Spokane, WA 99205-5354 Vice Pres: Dorothy Bromage Vice Pres: Jerrilyn Boehland - 509-325-2626 Sec: Ginger Christiansen (612) 780-5699 e-mail: [email protected] Treas: Karl Ellison Sec: Jason E. Beyer - (507) 454-3124 Treas: Terry Goepel PAST PRESIDENT Linda Bird Reporter: Don Brown Board Rep: Sandy Libman Reporters: Paul & Barbara Watkins 3300 Robinson Pike Board Rep: Dorothy Olds Grandview, MO 64030-2275 CHICAGO AREA Phone/Fax 816-767-8246 Pres: Richard VanMetre - (847) 402-5391 PACIFIC CAN-AM e-mail: OGM [email protected] Vice Pres: George Wilder Pres: Mark Smithberg - (206) 763-9468 VICE PRESIDENT Mike Walter Sec: Curt Clifford Vice Pres: Kurt Morrison 65 Running Brook Dr., Treas: Joe Pekarek Sec: Halie Dodrill Lancaster, NY 14086-3314 Reporter: Kathy Stone Septon Treas: Ward Folsom 716-656-9583 Board Rep: Marty Persky Reporter: Dan Brown e-mail: [email protected] Board Rep: Carl Dodrill FOUNDING CHAPTER SECRETARY Judith Chisnell SIERRA NEVADA 3945 Mission, Box 145 Pres: Bing Gibbs - (408) 253-1866 Vice Pres: Mark Pope Pres: John Motto-Ros - (209) 267-9252 Rosebush, MI 48878-9718 Vice Pres: Sonja Lemon Sec: Lyle Merithew & Sandy Swirsky 517-433-2992 Sec/Treas: Doug & Vicki Mahr Treas: Richard Reutlinger e-mail: [email protected] Reporter: Nadine Motto-Ros Reporter: Tom McWay Board Rep: John Motto-Ros TREASURER Board Rep: Richard Reutlinger Registered agent for legal matters SOWNY (Southern Ontario, GATEWAY CHAPTER Western New York) Pres: Yousuf Wilson (636) 665-5187 Pres: Anne Lemon - (905) 295-4228 PUBLISHER Robin Pratt Vice Pres: Tom Novak Vice Pres: Mike Hamann 630 E. Monroe Street, Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3708 Sec,/Treas: Jane Novak Sec/Mem. Sec: John & Diane Thompson 419-626-1903 Reporter: Mary Wilson Treas: Holly Walter e-mail: [email protected] Board Rep: Gary Craig Photographer: Garry Lemon MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY William Chapman (Bill) HEART OF AMERICA Reporter: Frank Warbis 2150 Hastings Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95405-8377 Pres: Ron Bopp - (918) 786-4988 Board Rep: Mike Walter 707-570-2258 Vice Pres: Tom McAuley e-mail: [email protected] SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Sec/Treas: Robbie Tubbs Pres: James Westcott — COMMITTEES — Reporter: Joyce Brite Sec./Reporter. Shirley Nix Board Rep: Ron Connor Treas: Ken Hodge AMICA ARCHIVES Stuart Grigg Board Rep: Frank Nix 20982 Bridge St., Southfield, MI 48034 - Fax: (248) 356-5636 LADY LIBERTY Pres./Reporter: Bill Maguire TEXAS AMICA MEMORIAL FUND Judy Chisnell (516) 261-6799 3945 Mission, Box 145, Rosebush, MI 48878-9718 517-433-2992 Pres: Jerry Bacon - (214) 328-9369 Vice Pres: Keith Bigger Vice Pres: Tony Palmer (817) 261-1334 AUDIO-VISUAL & TECHNICAL Harold Malakinian Sec: Richard Karlsson Sec./Treas: Janet Tonnesen 2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098 Treas: Walter Kehoe Board Rep: Dick Merchant Board Reps: Marvin & Dianne Polan CONVENTION COORDINATOR Frank Nix Bulletin Reporter: Bryan Cather Newsletter Editor: Bryan Cather 6030 Oakdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 818-884-6849 MIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY) HONORARY MEMBERS Jay Albert Pres: Judy Chisnell SOUTHERN SKIES 904-A West Victoria Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-4745 Vice Pres: Stuart Grigg Pres: Debra Legg - (727) 734-3353 (805) 966-9602 - e-mail: [email protected] Sec: Judy Wulfekuhl Vice Pres: Bill Shrive Treas: Alvin Wulfekuhl Sec: Howard Wyman (813) 689-6876 PUBLICATIONS Robin Pratt Reporter: Christy Counterman 630 E. Monroe St., Sandusky, OH 44870-3708 Treas: Dee Kavouras (352) 527-9390 Board Rep: Liz Barnhart Reporter: Dick & Dixie Leis WEB MASTER Terry Smythe Board Rep: Debra Legg 55 Rowand Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J 2N6 204-832-3982 — e-mail: [email protected] http://www.mts.net/~smythe AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL PIANO NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANO SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYING OF MECHANICAL MUSICAL ARCHIVES AT MARYLAND ASSOCIATION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS Performing Arts Library, Hornbake 3210 Everson Whittle, Secretary Gesellschaft für Selbstspielende 19 Waipori Street University of Maryland 11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever, Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V. St. Ives NSW 2075, Australia College Park, MD 20742 Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, England Ralf Smolne Home Phone: 01204 529939 Emmastr. 56 DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC. MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY Business Phone: 01772 208003 D-45130 Essen, Germany Nederlandse Pianola Vereniging INTERNATIONAL Phone: **49-201-784927 Eikendreef 24 P. O. Box 297 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Fax:. **49-201-7266240 5342 HR Oss, Marietta, OH 45750 Division of Musical History Email: [email protected] Netherlands Washington, D.C. 20560 NETHERLANDS MECHANICAL INT. VINTAGE PHONO & MECH. ORGAN SOCIETY - KDV PLAYER PIANO GROUP MUSIC SOCIETY PIANOLA INSTITUTE A. T. Meijer Julian Dyer, Bulletin Editor Clair Cavanagh, Secretary C.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General Wilgenstraat 24 5 Richmond Rise, Workingham, 19 Mackaylaan 43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RA NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands Berkshire RG41 3XH, United Kingdom England 5631 NM Eindhoven Phone: 0118 977 1057 Netherlands Email: [email protected] 2 President’s Message Bon Voyage to those of you lucky enough to attend the convention in Australia soon. I wish I could have joined you, but school districts just don’t seem to understand the importance of improving international rela- tionships through automatic music. Have a great time and take lots of pho- tos. As you probably have heard from now, Mike Hamann was not able to follow through with assuming the duties of AMICA Treasurer and we are very fortunate that Rob DeLand re-assumed some treasurer duties just as some important deadlines were approaching (the IRS non-profit organiza- tion verification, for example). I have contacted a number of individuals and chapter board representatives and now am asking the general member- ship for a volunteer or suggestions of a person with the time and ability to take on the job. We need to move quickly, as Rob resigned at the last con- vention due to personal and business commitments and those are still around. Rob has put the books in excellent order and it should be very straightforward for someone to take over. The records are on the “Quicken” computer program, so knowledge of that would be an asset. If you have questions about the job, please contact me or Rob. This needs to be resolved very soon or we will be forced to hire a private person to complete the needed tasks. Please think about it and let me know any thoughts you might have to help resolve this problem. On the good news front, the Pacific Can-Am Chapter has been doing a lot of investigative work and should have some news soon about the 2003 convention. Members have been working with Frank Nix and after the chapter’s next meeting, should have an announcement to make. Amicably, Dan Brown ing, if say you are having a musical program or a special tour, is a good way of not only making the public aware of AMICA, but also fulfilling part of our requirements for tax exempt sta- tus. Plus, isn’t it great to have some new faces attending too? Another concern by some who have written or called me is that sometimes there quite plainly is not enough information in the reports to make them interesting or even worthwhile read- ing. I know that writing these reports can be a real chore, but by including the names and dates of the instruments or details of its acquisition and restoration, coupled with good photos will make you look good as a reporter and make the readers happy too! Determining your advance meeting schedules and getting on the AMICA CALENDAR in the Bulletin is a good way of Hi and Happy New Year! letting members know what’s coming, too.