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2025 AMICA/MBSI Joint Convention Flyer * Hotel reservations for the Joint MBSI & AMICA Convention in Chicago can now be made. The reservation code, links, and additional details can be found in the flyer. The number of reserved rooms is llimited, so book early! * Convention registration form will be posted here and emailed to members when it becomes available * Questions about the event can be directed to AMICA Convention Coordinator - Joel Clusky, using the Contact Form |
Our Annual Convention
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AMICA holds conventions annually, around the united States and occasionally around the world. Convention activities usually include tours of local sites related to mechanical music, live concerts, technical workshops, a piano pumping competition, a banquet and tours of private collections. |
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Technical Sessions | ||
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The conventions feature one day filled with technical
sessions designed to teach the enthusiast how to repair, restore elements of
mechanical instruments. Here are some past Technical Topics: Electronic Reproduction of Original Rolls, Four Different Duo-Art Fan Expression Systems, Perforators, Pneumatic Valve Restoration, The Bleed, Pouch, Valve, Pneumatic Relationship, Ampico Code Decoding, etc. |
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The Mart | ||
For a small fee, attendees can purchase a table at the MART, where at an appointed time you may sell your collectables and wares to the convention attendees. It's a great way to pick up that book or roll you need! |
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Tour the Local Area | ||
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Whatever city we're in, there's always a day set aside for an extensive sight-seeing trip by bus, to pre-determined attractions germane to our group. Everyone come back with their cameras full and TIRED! There are other opportunities to see attractions within walking distance. | ![]() |
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The "Pumper" Contest | ||
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Contestants sign up to bring in their favorite piano roll, and play it on a foot-impelled player-piano in front of the audience and 3-5 judges. The winning performance (See the official Judging Guidelines) wins the right to bring home the "Golden Footsie" award for one year. See the past years winners below. | ![]() |
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The Hospitality Room | ||
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A general meeting place for all attendees, it is the focus of information, refreshment, and contains several player pianos and other automatic instruments which may be freely used. |
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Farewell Dinner | ||
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The last evening together, we have a "dress up" (formal or costume) dinner with formal service. A Jazz band provides period music during dinner and after for dancing into the night. | ![]() |
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Open Houses | ||
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Convention "go-ers" who can stay after the Sunday breakfast are encouraged to come to local member's homes and see their collections. A listing of the homes and their contents are posted at the convention, and transportation is provided. Plan to stay an extra day to see what treasures others have - or, hop a shuttle from there to the airport. | ![]() |
Past Conventions | ||
Year |
Location |
Highlights, Flyers, Forms, Phtos, Clips, Convention Roll, Table Favors, etceteras... |
2026 | Princeton, New Jersey | dates and details to follow |
2025 August 20-24 |
Chicago, Illinois | |
2024 July 1-6 |
Los Angeles, California |
Highlights: AMICA 2024 Convention Highlights |
2023 |
New Orleans, Louisiana |
Highlights: AMICA 2023 Convention Highlights |
2022 |
San Francisco Bay, California |
Highlights: AMICA 2022 Convention Highlights |
2021 | Cancelled | |
2020 September 2-7 |
Cancelled: San Francisco Bay, California |
Forms: AMICA_2020_Convention_Cancellation_Notice, AMICA_2020_Convention_Preview, Registration Materials Delayed |
2019 July 7-9 |
Seattle, Washington |
Highlights: AMICA 2019 Convention Highlights |
2018 June 6-8 |
Rapid City, South Dakota |
Highlights: AMICA 2018 Convention Highlights |
2017 August 8-13 |
Winnipeg-Manitoba, Canada |
Highlights: AMICA 2017 Convention Highlights |
2016 August 2-7 |
Princeton, NJ |
Highlights: AMICA 2016 Convention Highlights |
2015 August 5-9 |
Denver, Colorado |
Highlights: AMICA 2015 Convention Highlights |
2014 May 14-18 |
Fresno, California |
Highlights: AMICA 2014 Convention Highlights |
2013 July 11-15 |
San Francisco, CA |
Highlights: AMICA 2013 Convention Highlights |
2012 July 11-15 |
Pittsburgh, PA |
Highlights: AMICA 2012 Convention Highlights |
2011 Aug 28-Sept 4 |
London, England |
Highlights: AMICA 2011 Convention Highlights |
2010 | Buffalo, NY |
Highlights: AMICA 2010 Convention Highlights |
2009 July 22-26 |
Cincinnati, OH |
Highlights: AMICA 2009 Convention Highlights |
2008 July 1-6 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Highlights: AMICA 2008 Convention Highlights |
2007 |
Germany/Holland |
Highlights: AMICA 2007 Convention Highlights |
2006 |
Chicago, IL |
Highlights: AMICA 2006 Convention Highlights |
2005 |
Minneapolis, MN |
Highlights: AMICA 2005 Convention Highlights |
2004 |
Denver, CO |
Highlights: AMICA 2004 Convention Highlights |
2003 |
Portland, OR |
Highlights: AMICA 2003 Convention Highlights |
2002 |
Springdale, AR |
Highlights: AMICA 2002 Convention Highlights |
2001 |
Sydney, Australia |
Highlights: AMICA 2001 Convention Highlights |
2000 |
Sacramento, CA |
Highlights: AMICA 2000 Convention Highlights |
1999 |
Boston, MA |
Highlights: AMICA 1999 Convention Highlights |
1998 |
Niagara Falls, Canada |
Convention Roll:
QRS roll CU-632; 1) "A Trip To Niagara"; 2) "Over
The Rainbow / Shuffle Off To Buffalo" Table Favor: A large butterfly embedded in a crystal polymer paperweight. Golden "Footsie" Winner: Julian Dyer |
1997 |
Sandusky, OH |
Convention Roll:
QRS CEL-150; "Country Club Ragtime", by Scott Joplin,
live performance by William Bolcom. Table Favor: A crystal and gold carousel horse mounted on a gilded base, by Liz Barnhart. Golden "Footsie" Winner: Mike Walter |
1996 |
St. Louis, MO |
Table Favor: Band Organ ceramic reproduction that can be mounted on
a small stand made from old organ pipes. Golden "Footsie" Winner: Shawn Fox |
1995 |
London,
England, and |
Convention Roll: From Perforetur: AMICAns Ahoy! Ye
Olde Conventione Roll; Lyrics by William Shakespeare; Music by H.M. King
Henry VIII; You'd Better Believe It! arranged by Rex Lawson, Great
Britain Table Favor: A miniature double-decker London bus with "AMICA London 95" on the side. Golden "Footsie" Winner: Earl Scheelar |
1994 |
Seattle, WA |
Convention Roll:
QRS roll CU-588; 1) "Rain" QRS 9628) p/b Scott
and Waters; 2) "Seattle" p/b Rudy Martin; 3) "Ferry Boat Serenade" (QRS
#7271) p/b J. L. Cook. Table Favor: A 12-ounce cocktail glass with Seattle, the AMICA logo, and engraved 1994 Golden "Footsie" Winner: Robin Pratt |
1993 |
Los
Angeles, CA |
Table Favor: An 8" high replica of a Seeburg KT Special with a miniature
tape player playing Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" recorded from an actual
KT special nickelodeon. The simulated stained glass lit up. Created by Ben
Lilien. Golden "Footsie" Winner: Eric Bernhoft |
1992 |
Chicago, IL |
Convention Roll: 1) "Chicago" p/b
Clyde Ridge, Aeolian # 1052; 2) "Music, Music, Music" p/b Jo Ann Castle, QRS
#10533 (?)); 3) "Chicago Stomp" p/b James Blythe, Capitol #2225-10; 4)
"Pianola Rag" p/b John Farrell. Table Favor: Small wooden model of a pianola made by Fred Plank. Golden "Footsie" Winner: John Grant |
1991 |
New Orleans, LA |
Convention Roll:
QRS souvenir roll: 1) "Basin Street Blues" p/b Fats Waller
#6233; 2) "When All The Saints Come Marching In" p/b J. L. Cook #3664; 3)
"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" p/b Pete Wending #2083. Table Favor: A folding paper Oriental fan |
1990 |
Cleveland, OH |
Convention Roll:
QRS souvenir roll: 1) "Tonight We Love"; 2) "Strange Music";
3) "To Live Again", live performance by Emily Rose Schaffer. Table Favor: Wooden cutout base shaped like a grand piano with carved wooden letters "AMICA" attached to the top. Made by Liz and Mike Barnhart. |
1989 |
Boston, MA |
Convention Roll:
From Play-Rite, Inc, 1) "Fight Fiercely, Harvard"; 2) "Take
me Back to Tech"; 3) "The MTA", arranged by L. Douglas Henderson (Artcraft),
produced by Michael Potash. Table Favor: A 6" high dual-mode operation street piano music box, with a lever for changing to mandolin sound. Several tunes were available (each box played 1 tune). Golden "Footsie" Winner: John Grant |
1988 |
San Francisco, CA |
Convention Roll:
QRS CU-512 on silver paper; (1) "Hello Frisco, Hello" (2) "Grizzly Bear
Rag" (3) "San Francisco". No playing artist was identified
on the roll.
Souvenir: Replica San Francisco wooden Cable Car with a wind-up musical movement playing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" |
1987 |
Minneapolis,
MN |
Convention Roll:
QRS CU-500, 1) Minnesota Hats Off To Thee!, 2) Hail
Minnesota, 3) Hiawatha, 4) Red Wing, 5) By
The Waters Of Minnetonka - no playing artist was identified on the
roll. Souvenir: Snowman marionette or whirly-gig on a stick with a musical movement inside. If you whirled the stick around, it rotated the snowman on the stick and drove the musical movement. Initially conceived by Warren Anderson, with a Regue movement playing "Winter Wonderland". |
1986 |
Philadelphia, PA (mini Convention) |
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1985 |
Detroit MI |
Convention Roll:
QRS Souvenir roll containing seven nostalgic Automobile Tunes
arranged by Bill Blodgett from rolls p/b Frank Milne, et al.. Table Favor: A clear plastic see-through grand piano music box that plays "You Light Up My Life". |
1984 |
Kansas City, KS |
Roll: QRS Convention roll: 1)
"Twelfth Street Rag" p/b Cook and Martin; 2) "Kansas City Rag". Its colorful
leader was designed by Tom Hellstein. Table Favor: Replica of a Wurlitzer Harp that plays "In the Good Old Summertime", made by Ron Connor. |
1983 |
Chicago, IL |
Convention Roll:
QRS roll playing 1) "Chicago Blues" p/b Hilda Myers; 2) "I'm
From Chicago" (US Roll 3563); 3) "Hail Chicago" (US Roll 40446); 4)
"Chicago" (QRS 2021) p/b Max Kortlander. Table Favor: Self-standing with a full color photo of the DeCap Dance Organ glued onto masonite, with a Reuge movement playing "Chicago". |
1982 |
Bethlehem, PA |
Convention Roll:
QRS roll 1) "Stardust" p/b J. L. Cook; 2) "Morning
Star - a QRS Fantasy". Table Favor: A packet of "3-11/16 x 4-1/8" beige Stationary with a print of a pianist seated at a Grand piano in the upper left-hand corner of each sheet. The favor is wrapped in clear plastic with a gold label attached on top and printed on it "AMICA International - Convention 1982, Bethlehem, PA." (thanks to Roy Beltz for providing this information) |
1981 |
Dallas, TX |
Convention Roll:
QRS CU-313 (1) "I Love a Piano" and (2) "Ragtime Cowboy
Joe" both p/b J. Lawrence Cook.
Souvenir: Large mug with the convention logo on gold and dates, showing the skyline. |
1980 |
Pasadena, CA |
Convention Roll:
QRS CU-265 (1) "California Here I Come" p/b J. Lawrence
Cook (2) "Moonlight and Roses" p/b Harold Scott and (3)
"Home in Pasadena" p/b Doug Roe.
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1979 |
Philadelphia, PA |
Convention Roll: The QRS piano roll was "Stars and Stripes Forever", original QRS #30028. |
1978 |
Dayton, OH |
Convention Roll: The QRS Convention roll as "Beautiful Ohio" p/b Frank Milne. |
1977 |
San Francisco, CA |
Convention Roll: The QRS piano roll was "San Francisco" #6341 p/b Max Kortlander. |
1976 |
Joplin, MO |
Convention Roll: The QRS piano roll was "Missouri Waltz". These rolls were boxed in red, white and blue. |
1975 |
Buffalo, NY |
Convention Roll: The QRS Souvenir roll was "Shuffle Off to Buffalo". This began the tradition of QRS Music Rolls, Inc. giving a piano roll to those attending AMICA Conventions. |
1974 |
Grand
Junction, CO (mini Convention) |
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1973 |
Fort Worth, TX |
Convention Roll: The convention souvenir piano roll as "Sandman's Frolic;", boxed by Frank Adams; perforated by Malone & Powell; composed by Ursula Dietrich-Hollinshead; arranged by J. Lawrence Cook; "Honoring the Artist's Appearance at the 1972 AMICA Convention in Los Angeles, California." |
1972 |
Los Angeles, CA |
Table Favor: This convention began the tradition of giving table favors to attendees. There were two table favors: 1) A miniature non-playing piano roll, 4 1/8" side, made by Blanche Dilthey, and a stereo record from G.W. McKinnon (Side 1: Swiss bells, drum and wood block; Regina 27" Double Comb Disc Player; Schulmerich Carillon. Side 2: German Weber-Gradezza Piano with Pipes; German Weber-Brabo with Zylophone. These selections were recorded at the Olde Tyme Musical Museum in Orlando, Florida) |
1971 |
None this year |
None this year |
1970 |
San Francisco, CA |
AMICA International |
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