Kids just love Mechanical Music!
Back in the days BC (Before Children) I had a hobby that involved pianolas and reproducing pianos. Time, space, and money all seemed to evaporate when the kids arrived, so I figured I would have to down-size temporarily to smaller instruments. Organettes looked interesting, and the roll-playing models offered a tantalising prospect of making my own rolls. Perhaps some nursery rhymes for the babies...
Well, the baby has just become a teenager, but the hobby has led to some fascinating work in restoring hundred-year-old instruments, preserving their original music, producing new music rolls to the original standards, and playing them at every opportunity.
The Ampico is still unfinished - it will have to be a retirement project.
Some of my smaller Mechanical Music projects:
Resources for further information:
Please note that the work that I have outlined in these pages is strictly a part-time hobby - it is not a business. I am not in a position to offer instrument repair services, to produce rolls for sale on a commercial basis, or to provide a commercial roll transcription or duplication service. However, like most hobbyists, I am generally more than happy to share and exchange with like-minded enthusiasts. I welcome feedback and enquiries, but please appreciate that my hobby time is strictly limited. Please email for enquiries or further information.