About me

How I Got Started

I first became fascinated by mechanical keyless organs while living for short periods in Germany, the UK, and Ireland. Though rare, you can still occasionally spot an organ grinder playing in an old city center square — something less common in the U.S.

Curious about these enchanting instruments and the colorful history of the performers who played them, I began researching their origins. The more I learned, the more captivated I became. Eventually, I connected with Christian Wittmann Orgelbau, a skilled organ builder in Austria, and commissioned my own 20-note busker organ to help keep this tradition alive and share it with others.

I hope you find this tradition as charming and inspiring as I do!

About the Organ

My organ was handcrafted by Christian Wittmann Orgelbau, a workshop founded in 2009 that specializes in building and restoring mechanical street organs. This particular instrument is built from African Padauk wood and features a dual-format design: it plays traditional punched paper rolls as well as MIDI files via a discreet onboard controller, allowing for a wider variety of music while preserving the mechanical soul of the instrument.

Below are photos from the organ’s construction—an incredible blend of craftsmanship and musical engineering.