Noteworthy Events of interest to the PUBLIC
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AMICA Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Christmas Party & Meeting
A Two-day Event is Planned
for December 12 and 13, 2009

Saturday ~ December 12 ~ Hosts: Bill & Rosanna Harris 2pm – Potluck Christmas Buffet
Sunday ~ December 13 ~ Hosts: Steve McCormick & Dick Kroeckel10am Brunch followed by Chapter Meeting/Open House Steve McCormick, then open house Dick Koeckel, Return to Harris collection

Bill and Rosanna, Steve and Dick would like you to join us for a weekend of just getting together to have a good time, good food, drinks and music. Start the weekend at the Harris collection. Come anytime from noon on Saturday to listen to music and talk. We’ll have our Christmas Potluck Buffet at 2pm.After all of the good food and drinks, we’ll listen to the organs and orchestrions. Stay as long as you like.

Sunday we’ll meet at Steve McCormick’s for Brunch and then have our meeting. Following the meeting Steve will entertain us with his pianos. At some point we’ll travel a few blocks to Dick’s home for more entertainment pro-vided by Dick.

Bill and Rosanna will welcome any and all back to their collection on Sunday afternoon. The four of us would like for this to be a relaxed and fun weekend giving our out-of-town guests a better reason for joining us. Not far from the Harris collection, there is a recently opened motel ~ Savannah Suites. There rate without AARP or AAA discount is $59 per night. The direct number of the motel is 720-889-2111. The rooms are furnished with a complete kitchen and there is a grocery store (King Soopers) just across from it.

Saturday Potluck Buffet: The main course will be Glazed Ham. The following are suggested menu items: Cole slaw, Baked beans Several salads 3 - 4 Vegetable dishes, Relish tray Rolls Bread Cornbread 5 - 6 Desserts Beverages: Soda (Pepsi, etc) Iced Tea Beer (Coffee and hot tea will be provided) Snacks: Chips & dip, Pretzels, Nuts.

Please contact Rosanna about what to bring. 303-431-9266 or info@ royalbell.comPlease
RSVP by December 1 to all of the following: Bill & Rosanna ~ info@royalbell.comSteve McCormick ~ Smccormick@totalspeed.netJere DeBacker ~ Jere@totalspeed.net.

We’re hoping to have a good turnout and lots of FUN! We would welcome guests who are interested in mechanical music on Saturday.

Third Annual Organ Rally – Come and enjoy the music!

Organs will range from very large, as shown above, to small push cart size. The Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association (AMICA) is the proud sponsor of this event.

Event Coordinator Sutter Creek Promotions Committee

ENGLEWOOD DAYS RALLY OPPORTUNITY - Saturday, August 29 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

   The City of Englewood CO again has invited members of  the AMICA Rocky Mountain Chapter to rally with mechanical musical instruments during their “Englewood Days and Car Show” festival on Saturday, August 29 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The site includes the 3400-block of South Broadway and adjacent parallel streets and parking areas.  An event website www.EnglewoodDays.com has more information and an area map which can be ‘zoomed in’ to see the  subject area.  Mechanical music throughout the day is cited in event publicity.  They want us! 

   Ken Hodge is a member of the show’s organizing committee, with a particular interest in assisting Chapter members’ participation and publicity for AMICA and mechanical music.  One event shown on the above website opens with monkey organ music by a performer during the 2007 rally.  Several merchants have offered interior show space with electrical power if needed.  Trailer space can also be made available.  Members may choose to seek a location of their choice, away from event stages and other noisy activities.   

   Members wishing to participate in the rally should contact Ken Hodge as soon as possible so the  Englewood Committee can be informed  what to expect and of any special needs.   Organ grinders should bring folding chairs and arrive before 9:00 am for picking a location and set-up.  One can relocate during the rally if desired.  Electricity availability is limited.  

   Ken plans to be on site from 7:00 am,  setting up a Verbeeck Street Organ in a walkway at 3444 - 3454 S. Broadway between “Breakfast Queen” and “UltraLeggs” stores (east side of street).  His son-in-law Bryan Marklin plans to be near the internet café   “On-Target Computer Arena” at 3461 S. Broadway with a Pell Monkey Organ.  We need more performers!   Other Committee members on site who can help us are Doug Cohn,  Co-Chair;  and Randy Penn,  City Council Member & Chamber of Commerce  Executive Director.

   AMICA Members and friends not bringing an instrument may wish to help as follows:

 ü      Take pictures of performers and instruments

 ü      Assist performers with unloading/loading/relocating instruments, exhibit items

 ü      Assist performers with instrument  and equipment operation

 ü      Stand in for, or stand watch for performers when on breaks

 ü      Assist with verbal & written communications between Members and Englewood Days staff

 ü      Be an Ambassador for AMICA  -  Wear your Badge  -  Talk with people and pass out AMICA membership Applications

 ü      Enjoy the Englewood Days/Car Show/Taste of Englewood events

 ü      Resolve to make an instrument mobile /portable for future rallys and other activities.

 Ken Hodge, KB4CM@yahoo.com

Cell phone – day of event only – 303-718-7496

The Three Rivers Carousel 2009 Band Organ Rally
Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 9am to 5pm 

The Three Rivers Carousel and the City of Kennewick in concert with COAA & AMICA are putting on a band organ rally.  The Three Rivers Carousel is a 1910 Carmel carousel that the Carousel Foundation is in the process of restoring.  Visit www.threeriverscarousel.org for more details.

AMICA Boston Area Chapter Winter Meeting 2009
Sunday @ 1:00 February 22

Owen Christiansen, Nashua, NH, 603-883-0288, Featuring:

• 1925 Chickering Ampico baby grand, 1891 Aeolian player organ,

• 19__ Aeolian Orchestrelle, 197_ Marantz Pianocorder, monkey organ, disk and cylinder music boxes, and some unrestored instruments including a Coinola orchestrion.

This is the annual meeting of the Chapter. Election of Chapter officers for 2009 will be held.

          The Diamond Jubilee is an 89-key organ built by the Gavioli Company in Paris in 1897 probably for the British showman’s market. We don’t know its earliest history, but from the 1930’s onward it played in the center of a steam-powered gallopers (carousel).  By the 1950’s it was in Playland Park, in Cleethorpes near Hull, UK, owned by the Screeton family. It was purchased by us in 2007, restored in England and then shipped to America in the fall. The display trailer was custom built last winter by a company specializing in concession trailers. The Jubilee is one of only two organs playing on the 89-key VB or “violin-baritone” in the Americas. We are still completing the decoration of the organ and trailer.

          In addition to the Jubilee we have a small collection of other mechanical musical instruments including a Mills Violano, Knabe Ampico grand piano, upright player, Bagcigalupo barrel organ, Castlewood busker organ, record players, a Regina music box and a collection of player harmonicas.  Those who wish will be welcome to visit the woodworking shop in the basement (at least if I get it cleaned up enough so it’s not a deathtrap) where restoration of an Aeolian Grand player organ, construction of parts to operate the Jubilee’s bellringers and bandmaster, and MIDI system for the Jubilee are all in progress. You can also see the silicone rubber molds used for reproducing organ carvings.

          The organ is outside, so prepare appropriately for the weather if you want to spend much time listening to it (of course you can hear it pretty well from inside the house!).

Roger Wiegand

http://carouselorgan.com 

Following the brief business meeting, there will be show-and-tell time and a mini-mart.   If you want to bring finger food, it will be appreciated. 

For More information and directions, email Dorothy Bromage at [bromaged "at"comcast.net]

Chicago Area Chapter AMICA Concert & Holiday Party

Saturday, December 13, 2008, 4:00 PM to ???

 Dear Fellow AMICANs,

Please join us for a holiday gala at the estate of Marian and Jasper Sanfilippo, 789 Plumtree Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. The party begins at 4PM in their spectacular 44,000 square foot home. Holiday music will be loaded, awaiting our arrival. The Mason & Hamlin RAA Ampico B and Steinway AR Duo-Art reproducing pianos will be featured. Docents will also play other instruments by request. At 5:00 we’ll assemble in the theatre for a brief business meeting and the party’s highlight, a live organ concert by world renowned theater organist, Jelani Eddington.

Festivities move to the Carousel Pavilion with more music, wine and a holiday buffet dinner amongst the 1890 Eden Palais Salon Carousel and now, 24 fairground and dance organs! The latest addition, a 92 key Decap dance organ, was formerly in Svoboda’s Nickelodeon Tavern and Museum. We’ll see the progress in the façade restoration for the colossal 110 key Gavioliphone which will perform a wonderful program before the night is over. A new observation deck offers a spectacular view of the adjacent Steam Engine Gallery. As operation on live steam is a year away, Jasper will “fire up” a few engines on compressed air.

AMICA is privileged to be among the few organizations personally hosted by the Sanfilippo family. This would be a great opportunity to share the experience of these wonderful instruments in their majestic setting with a special friend or relative. We suggest you complete and mail the form with payment as soon as possible. The first 100 registrants will receive preferred concert seating in the balcony. Cutoff date for registration is December 6th.
Please contact Marty or Sandy at 847 675 6144 or persky "at" att.net with any questions.

Sincerely,

Carol Veome
Chapter Secretary
 

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AMICA CHICAGO Area Chapter Holiday Concert & Party - Saturday, December 13, 2008

Member names                                                                                                                                      

Telephone                                                                Email                                                                      

Guest names*                                                                                                                                        

Registrations_____@ $43 per person = $_____         2009 Chapter Dues___@ $5 per year = $_____

Total enclosed = $_______   payable to Chicago Area AMICA

Mail to: Marty & Sandy Persky, 6514 Trumbull, Lincolnwood, IL 60712

*Requests for more than 2 guests per household membership will be honored, subject to availability

Please note: Car pooling is encouraged. Upon arrival, staff will indicate where to park your car. Special arrangements are available for wheel chairs, etc. 

Directions from I-94, I-294 or IL-53, exit at Lake Cook Rd., Proceed west on Lake Cook Road to US 14 (Northwest Hwy.), Turn right (northwest) onto. US-14 (Northwest Hwy.) Turn left at light at Plum Tree /Kelsey Rd., Cross railroad tracks, bear right onto Plum Tree Road. Continue 1.0 mile to 789 Plum Tree on the left (just before Surrey Lane).

 Directions from IL-59 or Barrington Road,

Turn northwest onto US-14 (Northwest Hwy.), Turn left at light at Plum Tree /Kelsey Rd.,Cross railroad tracks, bear right onto Plum Tree Road. Continue 1.0 mile to 789 Plum Tree on the left (just before Surrey Lane).

Please join us on November 15, 2008 for the annual AMICA Rocky Mountain Chapter Holiday Meeting and Party

Bill & Rosanna Harris, 5815 W 52nd Avenue

Schedule 2pm – Meeting

Stay and listen to the organs & orchestrions

Please feel free to come anytime from 1pm onward. We’ll be happy to play the instruments for you before the meeting begins.

We invite you to bring your favorite Holiday Hors d’oeuvre / snack or dessert. Soft drinks, iced tea, water, coffee and hot spiced wine will be provided.

Please RSVP by November 8 . We really look forward to seeing many of you on November 15. mbsi@estreet.com

 We are opening the day to AMICANS and MBSI members. If you know someone who is likely to want to join AMICA, please bring them along. As always small tables and folding chairs would be appreciated. Depending on how many come for the day we may be short on seating. We hope that many of you will come and enjoy the beautiful Holiday Cheer and Fellowship with us.

We would also welcome any AMICANS from other chapters to spend the day with us. We have several more organs here for this year’s meeting.

Directions: From I-25 heading north, take the I-70 exit toward Grand Junction. Go west to the Sheridan exit. Go north on Sheridan to 52nd Avenue. Turn left on 52nd (going west). At the bottom of the small hill on the north side there are 3 industrial buildings. Ours is the farthest to the west. From I-25 heading south, take the I-76 exit west to Grand Junction. Take the Sheridan exit and go south to 52nd Avenue, turn right (going west)

Telephone for any questions: 303-431-9266 – 303-868-0743 303-868-0745

OCT, 11/12 IS A ORGAN RALLY ON THE MAIN STREET OF SUTTER CREEK. I HAVE ABOUT 7 FAMILY'S COMING WITH ORGANS FROM PUSH CART SIZE TO LARGE !
WE WILL ALSO HAVE LIVE MUSIC IN THE BELOTTIES BANQUET ROOM , NOON TILL 3 PM WITH TOM BRIER PIANO, JULIA RILEY FLUTE AND THE DEVONS, TUBA & DRUMS.
ALL THIS FOR FREE. NOT RAGTIME, 20/30 MUSIC.
ANY AMICA MEMBER CAN ATTEND OUR BBQ SAT AFTERNOON AFTER THE ORGAN RALLY AT THE MOTTO-ROS HOUSE. THERE WILL BE A CHAPTER MEETING OF SORTS. PLEASE RSVP. 209 267 9252 AND GET DIRECTIONS IF YOU NEED THEM.

• Date:          September 10, 2007
    
  Christiana Drapkin Sings German Moritaten
  With Cynthia and Gary Craig, Organ Grinders from St. Louis,
  September 28, 29 & 30
  At the Old Town St. Charles Oktoberfest Street Organ Festival.

  Contact:     Gary & Cynthia Craig, St. Louis, MO:   314 771-1244

  Christiana Drapkin, NY: 917 693-4428 
  
  Retired teachers-turned-organ grinders Cynthia and Gary Craig will play on their handmade organs built by Axel Stüber in Berlin, Germany. New York City jazz vocalist, Christiana Drapkin, who usually performs jazz standards, will present a very different side of her craft. She will sing -- in her native German -- Moritaten, bawdy 19^th century ballads of madness, murder and mayhem. Americans may be familiar with “Mack the Knife” which was written in the Moritaten style by Bert Brecht and Kurt Weill for their “Threepenny Opera”. However, German-speaking listeners will be in for a treat with songs like “Mariechen sass weinend im Garten”, “Sabinchen war ein Frauenzimmer”, and others. Singing along is very much encouraged. The performers will give out sheets with song texts and translations, and illustrate their dramatic stories of jilted love and its sometimes tragic consequences with poster boards, designed by Christiana Drapkin’s mother, Evelis Reichardt, who lives in Germany, and who has been singing these songs since her Berlin childhood.
   
  You can catch Christiana, Cynthia and Gary (no monkey, sorry) two days in a row at the Old Town St. Charles Oktoberfest Street Organ Festival, which is sponsored by the Heart of America Chapter AMICA. Setpember 28 through 30, 2007.  For more information, please check the website at www.saintcharlesoktoberfest.com
   
  Cynthia and Gary Craig hail from St. Louis and have performed at festivals throughout the country as well as at the Texas, Kansas and Illinois State fairs. They play a variety of music from classical, folk, show tunes, ragtime, to big band tunes on the streets of small towns and big cities. The Craigs have also entertained at private parties; with Jessica Hentoff's EveryDay Circus, headquartered in St. Louis; the Missouri Botanical Gardens and other gardens in the USA. 
   
  The Stüber Organs
  These organs were handcrafted in the 1990’s by Master Organ Builder Axel Stüber in Berlin, Germany, in his two-man workshop. They are built in the same tradition of the Bacigalupo hand cranked street organs made in Berlin from 1870 to the 1970’s with some updates. Rather than using pinned barrels, these organs play with a paper roll over a metal or wooden tracker bar. Europeans commonly call this type of organs “Berlin” organs because of the characteristic row of exposed metal pipes in the front of the organ and their distinctive sound. 
   
  The larger street organ’s scale of 31 notes is played on 69 pipes ranks of flute pipes violin, accompaniment, and brass piccolo pipes. The smaller organ plays 20 notes with one rand of 20 piccolo and flute pipes. These organs use pressurized air blowing from the pipes rather than a vacuum chamber which sucks air into the pipes. A punched roll makes the music. As the roll passes over either 20 or 31 holed tracker bar, air escapes from valve chest.  It operates bellows which push air into the pressure chamber connected to the pipes, advances the roll, and controls the tempo or speed in which the music is played. The organs are mounted on either, a wooden wheeled cart, 1899 wicker baby carriage, or portable folding organ stand.
   
  In America, organ grinders, many of Italian descent, started as street performers who cranked hand organs or "hurdy gurdies", sometimes with monkeys who did tricks and collected coins from passers-by. This organ grinding tradition dwindled in the 20th Century as radio, phonograph and electronic music erased the novelty of street music, and as more restrictive laws curtailed public entertainment. The sounds of organ grinding was lost to several generation of Americans. In much of Europe the tradition, however, has made somewhat of a comeback and is celebrated on European streets, and in cabarets and cafes as part of a distinct city ambience. 
   
• Saturday, February 24th 2007 meeting of the Lady Liberty Chapter Little Falls New Jersey. Concert amazing theater organ, collection tour and open console for info call Bob Martin (973) 256-5480
   
• Sunday, April 1st 2007, Band Organ Rally Coney Island, New York  Instruments needed ! for information or to bring instrument contact Todd Robbins  coneyislandtodd@aol.com (646) 462-0357 (212) 664-0456.  
   
• July-5/July-20 2007: AMICA Convention in Germany/Holland
   
• January 10, 2007, 10:00am (preview 8:00am)
  American Legion Post #24, 2000 75th St. West, Bradenton, FL

  AUCTION: Estate of Renowned Pianist Gray Perry The estate of acclaimed pianist and teacher, Gray Perry, will be offered for sale. Gray was honored in the Automatic Musical Instruments Collectors' Association Hall of Fame in 1991.

  The estate includes a fourteenth century Italian fresco of St. Leonard, Gray Perry memorabilia, antique clocks, bronze sculptures, framed artwork and photos, ecclesiastical / liturgical vestments, persian / oriental rugs and numerous antiques.

  More information is available at: randy1.us/auction

• July-25/July-30 2006: AMICA Convention in Chicago, Illinois

• June-29/July-3 2005: AMICA Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Sept-9 2005:  The Acoustical Musical Instrument Show 
  Time:  Friday Sept 9  5 p.m. - 9  p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. 
  Admission:  $8 adults, under 12 free
  Place: Overland Park International Trade Center , 6800 W. 115th Street, Overland Park, KS 66211 (Kansas City Area)
  Description:  For people who love music and the tools that make it so much fun, this show will be a little of heaven on earth! Automatic musical instruments, band instruments, acoustic guitars, Celtic instruments, hand percussion, pianos, records, CD's, musical gifts, and folk instruments are just some of the categories available.  Open to the public, this is a buy-sell-trade show, so come prepared.  Well-made instruments are quickly becoming collectibles, this show is a great place to add to yours!  

• May 3-4 2005: Auction: Skinner Auction House - The sale takes place at Skinner's Bolton Gallery (45 minutes outside Boston), Route 117, 357 Main St., Bolton, MA 01740. Previews are on -Sunday 1st through Tuesday 3rd May. The catalogue is available in PDF on their web. Mechanical music and automata will be on the first day, including the collections of long-time MBSI members Sandy Libman and James Brady. James' collection includes three large orchestrions, a magnificent Briscovia "A", a Weber Unika and a Phillips, while Sandy's has many cylinder and disc musical boxes, coin-op, barrel organs and automata.
• May 21 2005:  Auction: The Edison Gallery - Among the highlights is the
  only recorded example of a microscope by Josiah Allen of Massachusetts, rare telegraph and telephone items, early electrical demonstration instruments by Daniel Davis, Queen & Co.,Max Kohl, and others, Geissler, Crookes’ and other discharge tubes, fine mechanical music, early photography and all manner of technology.
• Morris Museum of Art, Science, Theater and History: The "Murtogh D. Guinness" Collection of Mechanical Instruments, Morristown NJ.
• Sep-11 2004 @ 12pm:  Skinner Auction House Annual "Science and Technology" Auction, Bolton MA. As you can see from the on-line catalog, most half of the items are mechanical music. Well worth the trip if you're in the area! - Karl Ellison
• Deadline Feb 1 '05: American Musical Instrument Society - "William E. Gribbon Memorial Fund" for student travel to the AMIS Annual Convention

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