Now available is “The Flying Piano Roll Man,” the memoirs of “Hi Babit,” a piano roll maker, a pilot, and an inventor.
Now 93, Babit tells the story of his life from birth until present. The Flying Piano Roll Man divides the author’s life into four time spans: 1917–1930, 1931–1940, 1941–1945, and 1946 – to the present time. In three different chapters, the author also highlights his piano-roll years, his flying years, and his invention ideas. In detailed description, this volume narrates the author’s experience with his first piano teacher, his first job, and other work experiences that molded him into the person he is today.
A person who wears multiple hats, the author has composed music, written songs, written lyrics for songs, made the master arrangements for piano rolls, done artwork when he was young, written articles for magazines, had a photo business, had a leather craft business, had a nail head business for clothing, was a clothing cutter in the garment line, learned flying and became a land-sea-glider pilot with a commercial rating, tunes pianos every day, rehearses shows and conducts them, played with many bands and in many restaurants, and much more.
Babit notes that his flying career began in 1960, first with floats, then wheels, then gliders. “I got my private license in two months, and my commercial rating a couple years later. Yes, I did a lot of flying.”
The book is available at Amazon.com and other bookstores.
