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June 2018
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Disponible en línea en español.
P.T. Barnum, being the showman
he was, figured that a catchier
name was needed for it. He
decidedon the name of theGreek
muse of music and epic poetry
for his instrument, and from
then on, the “American Patented
Steam Piano” was known simply
a
as the‘Calliope’.
By the spring of 2012, the instrument was ready to go. The “MINNE” usually
begins her season Memorial Day weekend, and I was determined to have
the new calliope playing by then. The week leading up to Memorial Day was
our targeted installation date, and what a busy week it was! With the help of
friends and fellow calliopists Anthony Benedetto and Zach Morecraft, and our
talented welder Henk Overbeek, we pulled the old instrument off and installed
the new calliope just in time, getting steam up and doing final testing just the
day before! That first weekend was a fun one, filled with live performances
by all of us, each more ecstatic than the last to “pluck the plastics”. We got
a really special treat on Sunday when Marilynn Buehler, the boat’s calliope
player when the Frisbie was aboard, came down and played a rousing
Patriotic Medley. For a lot of the older crew members onboard, listening to her
play again brought back a lot of good memories.
Over the next couple of years, some changes were made to the calliope
and its operation. in 2013, we got a new keyboard with the ability to be placed
out on the instrument. For the first time ever on the
“MINNE”, a person could play outside and been seen
playing, rather than being hidden in the pilothouse. A
better sounding instrument and this new keyboard
allowed us to start playing underway, giving a enjoyable
show to those aboard and those on the shoreline as we
passed the hotels on the lakefront. Next, a new pressure
regulator was installed, helping the pressure and volume
issues we had with the slightly larger Morecraft calliope.
Dave imparted a lot of knowledge on us about valve
maintenance, whistle care, and winter storage, which
helped with the overall operation of the instrument. Our
good friend and phenomenal calliope player, Travis C.
Vasconcelos, recorded several new medleys for the
player unit, which is used when there is not a person
available to play live. One of the most requested is his
“Phantom of the Opera” medley. In September 2013, we
recorded the “MINNE’s” first Calliope CD, with songs
played by Travis, Anthony Benedetto, and your truly.
Between 2015 and 2016, Travis and James Hall, his
good friend and electrician extraordinare, came to Lake
George to replace long sections of wire and install a new
player unit, replacing the 1993-era floppy disk drive that
had been used since the Wilde had been installed.
At the time of this writing, the “MINNE” and her calliope
are being prepared for the 2018 sailing season. Soon,
the sweet sounds of steam will again echo through the
mountain valley, and the dulcet tones of the calliope
will bring joy to thousands in a community that has
grown fond of its hometown steamboat and her unique
American instrument.