White River Now’s Chad Whiteaker with Danelle Mauldin of the Carousel Organ Association of America.
The nostalgic, mechanical melodies of carousel organs are set to return to the historic downtown square for the annual Iris Festival in Mountain View this weekend. Danelle Mauldin of the Carousel Organ Association of America recently showcased the evolution of these instruments during an interview with White River Now’s Chad Whiteaker on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ.
While traditional carousel organs rely on complex systems of bellows and pipes, modern versions have embraced 21st-century technology. Mauldin demonstrated a custom-built Austrian organ that, despite its classic wood exterior, utilizes Bluetooth connectivity and SD cards to store over 500 songs.
“The crank actually works the bellows,” Mauldin explained, noting that even electronic MIDI versions maintain a traditional sound by forcing air through physical pipes.
Festival attendees can expect a diverse display of musical history, including a 110-year-old Limonaire organ once featured on a “kiddy carousel” and larger instruments originally used to draw crowds to riverboat docks. The event offers a rare “hands-on” experience, inviting the public to try their hand at playing the instruments. For more information on the Mountain View Iris Festival, click here.
Listen to the full conversation between Whiteaker and Mauldin below:
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