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Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone podcast artwork

PODCAST · education

Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone

by The Open University

Today, listening to music is easy - we have CDs, MP3s, radio, television and the internet. But around a hundred years ago life was very different - either you had to play music yourself or have someone else play it for you. The 15 video tracks in this album demonstrate various ways to play music by mechanical means, with the ingenious use of levers, pegs, cylinders or paper rolls, and explain the principles used to create and control these music-making machines. This material forms part of TA212 Technology of Music.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 3, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Music in Code

    A short introduction to this album

  2. The Decap Cafe Organ

    The mechanical music manufacturer’s craft - how a robot organ plays music through code.

  3. The Pin Barrel

    What is a pin barrel and how does it create music? The mechanisms of pin barrrels in the Nickelodeon Collection at Ashorne Hall.

  4. Street Piano

    The story of a traditional barrel piano from Warwick, its mechanism and repertoire.

  5. Hand barrel organ

    How the mechanism works, producing specific musical effects such as vibrato and trills.

  6. Musical Box

    The manufacture and repertoire of a 19th century cylinder musical box.

  7. Pin Disk Musical Box

    Experts compare disc versus cylinder design.

  8. The Paper Roll: Reiterating Piano

    The piano melodica. How book music is made, how the mechanism works and how to add expression to the music.

  9. The Paper Roll: Organette

    How the reed organ is constructed and how a paper roll controls the mechanism.

  10. Reproducing Player Piano

    The advent of electrically run instruments allowed composers to record musical interpretation directly onto the paper roll.

  11. Electromechanical Violin Player

    How this American invention works, and an example of the sound it creates.

  12. Banjo Orchestrion

    A recently built paper roll instrument uses a computerised cutter working to Midi instructions.

  13. Electric Orchestrion

    Instruments, lighting effects and scenery, all operated by instructions contained on a single paper roll.

  14. Banjo Orchestrion (performance)

    An example performance.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Today, listening to music is easy - we have CDs, MP3s, radio, television and the internet. But around a hundred years ago life was very different - either you had to play music yourself or have someone else play it for you. The 15 video tracks in this album demonstrate various ways to play music by mechanical means, with the ingenious use of levers, pegs, cylinders or paper rolls, and explain the principles used to create and control these music-making machines. This material forms part of TA212 Technology of Music.

HOSTED BY

The Open University

Produced by Ben Hawkridge

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone have?

Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone currently has 29 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone about?

Today, listening to music is easy - we have CDs, MP3s, radio, television and the internet. But around a hundred years ago life was very different - either you had to play music yourself or have someone else play it for you. The 15 video tracks in this album demonstrate various ways to play music by...

How often does Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone release new episodes?

Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone has 29 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

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You can listen to Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone?

Music in Code - for iPod/iPhone is created and hosted by The Open University.
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