Melody's Home

The Player Piano Mouse tm

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The Mouse Hole

There's no place like home! (Melody's home, that is). Safe in her mouse hole, Melody watches as Scott Joplin practices.

Melody spends much of her time doing school work, helping her parents around their home, and learning music.

Melody longs to play the piano, but she is so small. How will she ever play the piano?

There are many items on the walls of Melody's home. We will guide you through them.

The pocket watch hanging in Melody's home was given to her father, Morris by Edwin Votey--the great inventor. The watch engraving reads

Morris

Thank You

Edwin Votey

Morris helped to invent player pianos.

This coin was produced for the great World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The coin seen in Melody's home was this exact kind.

The great Ferris Wheel was a spectacular site for those lucky enough to attend the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The Ferris Wheel was built to rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The ticket shown in Melody's home is an actual souvenir ticket from the Ferris Wheel. Melody loved the Ferris wheel which rose above the Bistro's rooftop.

The Maple Leaf Rag--arranged and performed by

Dr. Adam Dachman

Composed by Scott Joplin 1893

Title inspired by Melody, The Player Piano Mouse

These stamps above all represent famous mice from Melody's family. Commemorative postage stamps have been produced by the US Postal Service for many years, but did you know the first collector's stamps were produced for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893?You see, Melody's family was truly ahead of their time. Shown above are Jacque, Marcel, Bernard, Morris, and Emment. In the book, The Player Piano Mouse, you can read about each of these stamps and why they are important.

The commemorative postage stamp of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893

In 1893, Scott Joplin composed a ragtime piano solo that would become his most famous composition. He named it the "Maple Leaf Rag". If you read The Player Piano Mouse carefully, you'll discover that Scott Joplin's secret friend, Melody, gave him the idea to call this masterpiece the "Maple Leaf Rag". If you click on the player piano above, you'll be transported to one of Melody's favorite YouTube videos of a player piano that is actually playing the "Maple Leaf Rag" as Scott Joplin himself performed it over 100 years ago!

The history books are a bit vague about Scott Joplin's life. What we do know is that he came to Chicago in 1893 seeking fame and fortune at the World's Columbian Exposition. In our story, Mr. Joplin lives and works at Millie's Marvelous Bistro playing the piano and composing his music. Little did anyone know that Melody, The Player Piano Mouse, was his secret friend.

This US Postal Service commemorative stamp honors Scott Joplin's accomplishments as one of America's greatest composers and the creator of "Ragtime" music.

Melody's Home