At the recent AMICA 2006 Convention, Jack Breen and I conducted
workshops focusing on archival preservation of music roll
content. Our roll scanners featured during our presentations.

Jack <breen@...> conducted a polished presentation
focusing on Violano rolls, why they need to be archived now
while still possible, and offered his approach to extensive
valuable documentation contained within his Violano Rollography.

During his presentation, he demonstrated scanning a Violano roll
on his Gerety Scanner. His presentation and photos of him
and his scanner may be viewed and/or downloaded by visiting the
Files section - AMICA 2006 Convention.

Jack conducted his workshop twice sequentially starting at
8:00am. I conducted my workshop twice sequentially started
at 10:00am.

I conducted my workshop with a focus on the need to archive the
content of music rolls while still possible to do so. I do
not dispute that original rolls will last ~100 years, and that a
recut will likely last another 100 years. Regretably, the
reality of simply economics ensures that only a tiny sliver of
original rolls will be recut. Failure to archive now will
guarantee their loss forever as the ravages of time take their
toll on those never recut.

My workshop stumbled briefly when my Doe MK4 roll scanner failed
to deliver a roll image to the screen when first started up.
Worked fine at 7:00am. I can only conclude that attendees
milling up front following earlier presentations may have
inadvertently altered my exposure settings. After a brief
moment of panic, I re-acquired my roll image of both
perforations and lyrics of an AMPICO word roll by simple re-
adjustment of exposure pots.

I concluded by appealing to AMICA to take a position of
leadership in identifying, applying for and successfully
acquiring serious money to support advanced research into roll
scanning and digital preservation, and fund the construction of
a pool of roll scanners available for long term loan to major
roll collections.

My presentation in Powerpoint format may be downloaded from
within the "Files" section within AMICA 2006 Convention. There
are no pics there because I was on the wrong side of my camera.
If others in attendance took some pics, I would be grateful for
copies of any pics that may have been taken.

Our presentations were well received, with numerous people
commenting in the days following that there really is a valid,
highly visible urgency to archive music roll content now.
This was in contrast to my workshop a year ago at AMICA 2005 in
Minneapolis, at which time I was in receipt of a negative
response emerging from a lack of faith in digital preservation.

Since then, it has become apparent that digital preservation has
emerged as a very hot topic. My wife and I just finished
yesterday a genealogy conference focusing on Eastern European
countries.

In attendance were several representatives from the Church of
Latter Day Saints who tell me that LDS is launching a whole new
initiative to convert their vast microfilm holdings to digital
format. Not because it is cheaper, just simply because it is
more efficient for access and distribution.

They referred me to a group of 6 computer scientists at LDS
focusing their skills on digital preservation. A portion of
their powerpoint presentation may be viewed at:

http://members.shaw.ca/smythe/lds.ppt

They also referred me to the National Library of the Netherlands
(KB) which has been designated as the focal point in the
Netherlands for advanced research into digital preservation.
See:

http://www.kb.nl/hrd/dd/dd-en.html

A Google search on "digital preservation" will turn up about
900,000 hits! Clearly, digital preservation has become a hot
topic and serious funding is being applied to it. These are
but 2 examples.

I extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Bill Earnest
<wde3@...> for the loan of his computer projector, without
which AMICA Chicago would have been faced with extraordinary
expenses in rental fees.

Many thanks also to Dave Kerr <sprocket7@...> who
brought along and displayed in our roll scanning room his
version of the YARS roll scanner, to which he has added
significant modifications, making it more reliable and portable.
I will post some pics of it also. Stay tuned....

Many thanks also to Bob Hunt <optimist@...> who brought
along and displayed in our roll scanning room his design and
working kit of e-valves for midifying a pneumatic piano.

And thanks also to Spencer Chase who brought along a demo
version of his new e-valve system and conducted a workshop
around it in the hospitality suite, using Bennet Leedy's
Steinway Duo-Art grand piano.

Dave, Bob and Spencer made available their offerings in the
hospitality room throughout the convention, providing excellent
exposure to roll scanning and the means for playback in
pneumatic pianos.

To our surprise and delight, Larry Emmons brought along and
displayed in the hospitality room his pneumatic roll scanner
that he built 'way back in 1977. Nicely packaged up in a
portable carrying case. I'll have pics of it uploaded
shortly.

For further information on the new MK4 scanner emerging from the
skill of Larry Doe and Anthony Robinson, have a good look at
Larry's blog. Go back to mid-May 2005 when it all began and
work your way forward, viewing the photo album for each week's
addition to his blog. I will soon add a page to my web site
with photos and description of this new MK4 scanner, which is
offering us a major breathrough in archival preservation..
See:

http://doesigns.spaces.live.com/

This was my 17th AMICA Convention, and clearly this one was
absolutely not to be missed. It was outstanding! What a
wonderful opportunity to see and hear the real instruments so
beautifully illustrated in Art Reblitz' new book - The Golden
Age of Automatic Musical Instruments. What we saw and heard
was a sensory feast, a truly magnificent example of what can be
done to preserve and enjoy a unique slice of our musical
heritage.

Regards,

Terry

Terry Smythe 204-832-3982 (land line)
55 Rowand Avenue 204-981-3229 (cell)
Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J 2N6 smythe@...
Preserving a unique slice of our Musical Heritage
http://members.shaw.ca/smythe/rebirth.htm