Hey 👋 I just created a page here. You can now buy me a coffee!
At my website, www.pianola.co.nz, you can listen to the performances of the great pianists and arrangers of the past, converted from the original player piano rolls to modern MIDI format!
The heyday of the player piano was between 1900 and 1930, when these self-playing instruments brought the ability to have live music to every home, prior to records, discs and radios becoming widely available (and of acceptable sound quality). During this time, literally hundreds of thousands of piano rolls, recorded and arranged by some of the most famous pianists of the era, were produced by dozens of music roll companies. Music to suit every taste was available, from classical to ragtime to the popular hits of the day.
Now, over 100 years after the player piano was invented, time has taken its toll on the paper music rolls. Thanks to the dedication of enthusiasts worldwide, the technology now exists to preserve this wonderful music for all time, using custom-built optical scanners and software. What you hear on your computer is exactly what was recorded or arranged onto roll, in many cases over 90 years ago.
I've made these scanned piano rolls available for all to download and listen to, free of charge. Acquiring the rolls costs money, and the scanning process is very time-consuming, not to mention server and hosting costs. Thank you very much for even considering supporting me - you are under no obligation, and regardless, I hope you continue to enjoy the music!
Recent supporters
Rutger Mante bought a coffee.
Great way to come in touch with old pianola rolls.
stevenwendt bought a coffee.
Hey this is cool! Thanks! Do you know of any of your collection that are specifically Hawaiian? I built a vibraphone solenoid robot and would like to play along to some Hawaiian tunes.
bruce@bookproduction.org bought a coffee.
Fantastic work and dedication.
I am in touch with an ex-Mastertouch employee, Allan Davis, and he is compiling his files onto a USB for me.
Olly bought a coffee.
Thanks for putting together this wonderful website. I remember these being in common use when I was a child, between the end of WW2 and the coming of television to NZ in 1960. Adults of my parents' generation gathered around the pianola (some people with other instruments) playing and singing along. That was how a party was in those days.
Even when I was a teenager in the late 1960s, one of the local coffee lounge/milk bars had a pianola that would get a work-out from time to time.
I was really interested in some of the NZ music - I will search on those composers and pianists!
tomaras@tomaras.com bought a coffee.
Thanks for all of your efforts!