June Calling All FP Musicians and Singers. Cultural Exchange Request. org

Trustees: Trustees thru 2014: Jim Gartner, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Lois DeRitter Trustees thru 2015: Joanne Cronin, Steve Humphreys, Bob McNally Trustees thru 2016: Lindsey Meyer, Grover Kemble, Allan Kugel Folk Project Officers: President: Elizabeth Lachowicz Vice President: Barrett Wilson Secretary: Rachel Streich Treasurer: Bill Henderson Newsletter submissions: George Otto E-mail: newsletter@folkproject.org 582 Long Hill Road, Gillette, NJ 07933 Deadline is the 15th Membership, corrections/changes: Eddie Roffman E-mail: membership@folkproject.org c/o Eddie Roffman 11 Butternut Road Randolph, NJ. 07869 Box 41 Mendham, NJ 07945 www.folkproject.org June 2014 www.folkproject org Calling All FP Musicians and Singers (Although my friend, Jenny would bridle at considering that singers not be included within the category of musicians.) Be part of the Minstrel's 39th Birthday show! This has been an ongoing tradition at the Minstrel since the early 80's. It's a chance to perform on the Minstrel stage to a crowd of fellow Projectiles. it's a chance to meet and play with new musicians. And it's a chance to celebrate the core value of the Folk Project that it is an organization in large part of and for players and singers. For those of you new to the Project this year, the basic premise is that we form about 20 musical duos and trios comprised of randomly chosen member-musicians. And then, each group does one song in the show. Groups may add additional member musicians to their ensemble. (Which is especially useful when two non-instrumental singers are paired up.) The groups are chosen on July 4 at our Annual Picnic. And the show will take place at the Minstrel on Friday, July 25, which this year is the actual anniversary of our opening night. You don't have to be a professional musician to be part of this show. If you're comfortable playing or singing in front of friends, then that' exactly what you will be doing. The pairings are completely random. You may be matched with someone more experienced or less experienced than you. For the "pros" this can be the opportunity to support a less experienced musician and help them have a memorable experience. For the amateurs, this will be a memorable experience. If you'd like to be part of this, the first thing to do is mark off the dates in your calendar. Friday, July 4 for the picnic, and Friday, July 25 for the show. (You do not absolutely have to be at the picnic, but it helps a lot to meet your bandmate(s), and start to plan what to play.) Full details will be in the July Newsletter, and will also be sent in mid June by email to those members whom I know to be players and singers. (If you think I may not know you as a musician, contact me at Minstrel@FolkProject.org, and let me know you want to be in the show.) Mike Agranoff Cultural Exchange Request Two high school foreign exchange students, young ladies from Thailand and Korea, have requested homes with real American guitarists. This is a great opportunity for two Folk Project families to share, learn, and enjoy our respective cultures. If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about becoming a host family, please contact Holly Rausch at 973/271-6166 or email writeholly@gmail.com who will be happy to answer any of your questions. Folk Project liaison Mark Schaffer has further details at MarkSchaffer100@gmail.com. QUICK GUIDE TO THE INSIDE Uke New Jersey Too!... 3 New T-Shirts Available... 5 Home-Made Music Parties... 6 NERFA Nuggets... 7 Follow the Folk Project on Twitter... 9 Board Meeting...10 Good of the Order...11

June 2014 The Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series presented by Fri. 6/6: John Gorka with Nalani & Sarina John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential iconic singer-songwriter of the 80 s folk scene. Hailing from New Jersey, but forged in the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene, he honed his craft and persona into an unmistakable image. The shy, wry, insightful, and yes, sensitive singer-songwriter has been copied and parodied. But the old coat he wove still fits, and still suits him well. The old songs ring as true as they ever did, and the new ones are just as good. Openers Nalani & Sarina are a pair of identical twins just out of their teens. They sing high-energy, wordy, pop-oriented songs of their own composition with sister harmonies and an irrepressible charm. They ve sung all their lives. And in the 4 years they ve been performing in public, they ve garnered an impressive resume of gigs such as Bethlehem Musikfest, Godfrey Daniels, and the Black Potatoe Festival. They accompany themselves on guitar and keyboard. Fri. 6/13: Open Stage This is an opportunity for all acoustic musicians to perform a 15-minute set on our stage, and for the audience to be treated to a diverse collection of acoustic musicians. We ve often seen previews of our regular scheduled acts for the first time at Open Stage. For information on how to secure a performance slot, call 973/335-9489, or visit www.folkproject.org/minstrel/openstage. Fri. 6/20: Liza & A.J. with Spook Handy We welcome back Liza & A.J., longtime members of the Folk Project community who moved away about 10 years ago. They present a diverse assortment of songs from their own pens, those of their contemporaries in the Folk World, and the traditional repertoire. Conservatory-trained Liza plays guitar, whistle, cornet, and horn. A.J. delivers prodigious chops on keyboard and a soaring tenor voice. And both are infused with the love of the music that shines in their performance. Opener Spook Handy harkens back to the type of folk performer epitomized by Pete Seeger. He plays songs of his own and other people s writing which involve the listener. There s stuff to sing, stuff to identify with, and stuff to make you think. Many of his songs deal with social and environmental concerns. Fri. 6/27: The Boxcar Lilies with Oakes & Smith Joining the ranks of the great female harmony trios, The Boxcar Lillies (Jenny Goodspeed, Katie Clarke, and Stephanie Marshall) have quickly made a name for themselves with their standout combination of spine-tingling, innovative harmonies and quality songwriting. Accompanying themselves on guitar, clawhammer banjo, concert ukulele, electric bass, and washboard, they have brought their uniquely warm sound and energetic stage presence to venues across the Northeast and beyond. It will be a full evening of harmonies this week with our openers Robert Oakes & Katherine Smith. This Massachusetts duo puts their beautifully matched voices to their own songs as well as some familiar ones. UPCOMING: 7/4: Closed for Independence Day; 7/11: Open Stage; 7/18: Cliff Eberhardt, Erik Frandsen; 7/25: The Minstrel s 39th Birthday Show; 8/1: Reeds, Rhythm, And All That Brass with The Bon Temps Brass Band; 8/8: Open Stage; 8/15: Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche, Dan Pelletier; 8/22: Christine DeLeon, Mike Del Vecchio; 8/29: Uke New Jersey Too; 9/5: Open Stage; 9/12: Finest Kind; 9/17: Modern Man with Bob Cannon The Minstrel is an acoustic music concert series run by the Folk Project, a non-profit folk music and arts organization. We use the facilities of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ. We hold shows almost every Friday, year round, and the second Friday of the month is usually an open stage/audition night. The music we present is folk music in its broadest sense. That is, in addition to traditional American and ethnic folk music (in its purist definition), we welcome music of contemporary, primarily acoustic songwriters, and other types of music more folkie in attitude than in content. Shows start at 8pm; dress is casual. We serve coffee, teas, and baked goods. There is no alcohol or tobacco on the premises. Admission is inexpensive; on our regular Friday concerts we ask $8.00 on your way in and, if you feel the show was worth it, an additional amount at your discretion on the way out, which goes to supplement what we pay the feature performer. Children 12 and under are free. For travel information or information on shows, call 973/335-9489 or visit our website at www.folkproject.org. 2 To volunteer, e-mail volunteers@folkproject.org Sat. Jun. 7: DON FLAHERTY & FINGERPLAY Lisa Bueno: fiddle Helen White: flute Jonathan Brandt: piano Contras Flaherty fosters fast furious fancy footwork for faithful feisty fanatics favoring flirtatious flowing fey figures. Fingerplay flaunts flawless fantastic fabulous fortissimos frequently facilitating fervent fearsome fiddle fireworks. Sat. Jun. 21: BRIAN HAMSHAR & JODY KRUSKAL BAND Bill Christopherson: fiddle Sam Zygmuntowicz: fiddle, mandolin Jody Kruskal: Anglo concertina Ross Harriss: piano, guitar Contras Hamshar shares the ham with the K-rations of the Kruskal Krew krammed with Krispy Kremes and kreplachs kreating Krakatoa krescendoes with kryptonite krumhorns. Fri. Jun. 27: SPECIAL FRIDAY DANCE with DONNA HUNT & PERPETUAL e-motion John Coté: guitar, didgeridoo, feet, vocals, electronica Ed Howe: fiddle, electronic Contras The Hunt for Perpetual Motion is realized as Hunt and Perpetual e-motion team up for a Friday night special at Swingin Tern. Non-dancing children must be supervised at all times. Contra and Square Dancing to Live Music. All dances taught. No partner necessary. Beginners workshop, 7:30pm; dance at 8pm. $10, $5 with student I.D. Soft soles only. First Presbyterian Church of East Hanover Parish House 14 Hanover Road, East Hanover, NJ 07936 From I-287 northbound or southbound: Exit 39, travel East on Route 10 for approx. 3.5 miles. Exit by the Ford dealership ( To River Road/ Okner Pkway ) onto Mount Pleasant Ave. Right at the second light onto Hanover Rd. then immediate left into the parking lot of the Parish House. From I-78: Exit 48 (Route 24 West) to Exit 2B, Route 510 East/Florham Park. Go 1.9 miles and turn left onto Hanover Rd. Turn right into the parking lot of the Parish House just before the road ends at Mount Pleasant Ave. Additional directions are on our website. 973/295-6864 TERN ON THE NET! find us at dance.folkproject.org Presented by the Folk Project 15

Steve Holland & Root Mean Square Feets Don t Fail Me Now! Center Contra: Gender-role free contra dance in NYC. LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th St., Room 301, 7:30pm. Usually 2nd Fri. Open to all. 971/991-0597, 347/275-7983, or www.lcfd.org/nyc or e-mail AmericanFolkDanceNYC@yahoo.com Country Dance*New York: Contra every Sat., English Country every Tues., Church of the Village, 201 West 13th St. (NW corner of 7th Ave.). Sept. June. cdny.org or 212/459-4080 Lambertville Country Dancers: Soft soled shoes only! Contra/English country. Info: 609/882-7733 or www.lambertvillecountrydancers.org Maplewood International Dancers: Recreation House, 124 Dunellen Rd., Maplewood. Mondays 7:30pm, $5. Beginners welcome, partner not necessary, refreshments served. Days 908/273-6468, eves 973/376-7568. njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_maplewood.html Morristown International Dancers: Wednesdays, Mountain Lakes Community Church, 48 Briarcliff Rd., 8:30pm, 7:30pm beginners. $4 member/$5 non-member 973/539-7020 or 973/228-5966, njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_morristown.html North Jersey English Country Dancers: 2nd & 4th Sundays, 2 5pm, Unitarian Society, 113 Cottage Pl., Ridgewood. $8 members, $10 non. 201/445-4497 or 201/447-1136. northjerseyenglishcountrydancers.yolasite.com Palisades Folk Dancers: Twice a month on Sundays, 3pm, Church of the Atonement, Engle St. & Highland Ave., Tenafly. GinnyandHallB@cs.com. Philly Family Folk Dances: Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd., 3820 The Oak Rd., East Falls, PA. 2nd Sundays, 2 4:30pm 215/844-2474 Princeton Folk Dance Group: 7pm, Riverside School, Riverside Dr., Princeton. Tuesdays (except school closings) www.princetonfolkdance.org; 609/921-9340, 609/912-1272; Princeton Folk Dancers: 9pm (teaching 8pm) Fridays, Susan Patterson Center, Stockton St. and Monument Dr. (behind Borough Hall), Princeton, www.princetonfolkdance.org Princeton Country Dancers: Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton, NJ behind the former Borough Hall/police station, near intersection of Routes 27 & 206, Wed. (and most 4th Saturdays) 8pm (intro/basics 7:30), $8 Wed., $10 Sat. ($5 seniors & students), 609/844-0459 or 609/275-7275, e-mail!"#$%&'()'*+"',. Performer listing at www.princetoncountrydancers.org, pickup band musicians welcome. PCD English Country Dance series: Second Saturday of the month, 8pm; intro/basics at 7:30. $10 ($5 seniors & students). Info: 609/844-0459, www.princetoncountrydancers.org Scandinavian Folk Dancing: Bound Brook. Alt. Thursdays, See skandinoje.org for info. Swingin Tern: Sat. Jun. 7: Don Flaherty & Fingerplay; Sat. Jun. 21: Brian Hamshar & Jody Kruskal Band; Friday June 27: Special Friday Dance with Donna Hunt & Perpetual e-motion Valley Contra Dance Society: 7:30pm (lesson at 7pm), 2nd and 4th Saturdays, Unitarian Church of The Lehigh Valley, 424 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA. $10 ($5 students). www.valleycontradance.org, 610/868-7432; Uke New Jersey Too! On Friday and Saturday, August 29-30, we will return to the Mansion in Morristown, NJ! Following the same basic format as last year, we'll start on Friday night with a movie and a concert, followed by workshops, open mics, vendors, jams, camaraderie all day Saturday and finish up with another concert on Saturday night. As an added bonus this year, we plan on extending the festivities into Sunday with a Jam In The Park, hosted by the Morristown Uke Jam, a local ukulele Meetup group! This year s lineup will feature the following: Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer The Stringbusters (Pete and Maura Kennedy) Jim and Liz Beloff Stuart Fuchs Honor Finnegan Uncle Zac We will once again have ukulele vendors, jams, an open mic, on-site food vendors, and much more. Workshop descriptions and schedule will be posted as soon as we get submissions from all of the performers and make our choices. We are working out a deal with a nearby hotel for a special rate, with info coming shortly. It will likely be around $80 per night. Special early-bird pricing until June 15, $65 for the entire event! After June 15, Friday Night $15, Saturday all day and night $65, Full Event $75. If there are any spots left, Saturday concert-only tickets will be made available in early August. Children 12 and under are free, and all attendees 16 and under must be accompanied by a paid parent or guardian. Special situations and circumstances will always be given the utmost consideration. Our aim is to have a fun, stress-free festival for everyone and our main focus is the Joy Of Uke! When in doubt about absolutely anything, no matter what, please call 908/229-1214 and we ll work it out. More info at folkproject.org or email ukenj@folkproject.org. Minstrel Admission Price Rise in July The Minstrel has always been known as the best bargain in acoustic music in New Jersey. We have always kept our door price as low as practical to assure that as many people as possible can afford a live concert of professional quality music, and to encourage people to take a chance on acts with which they are unfamiliar. But time and inflation take their toll, and our rent is going up as of July 1. So the basic door price will be going up to $9.00 starting in July. Still the best bargain in acoustic music in New Jersey. Wanted: Graphic Artist Mike Agranoff is looking for someone with graphic skills to help in publicizing the Minstrel. The Minstrel currently has a program in place wherein about 75 people have volunteered to post Minstrel fliers in their local supermarkets, libraries, community bulletin boards etc. They post the fliers that sit on the Minstrel literature table, except in color. Those are very informative for those people already familiar with the Minstrel with lots of descriptive text about each act. However, with all that text and tiny pictures, they are not very eye-catching to entice new people to come to the Minstrel. He's looking for someone with graphic skills to create a more attractive poster to use for that purpose. We would supply the names, websites, short descriptions, and photos of our performers for each month, and that person would create a boiler-plate template with the Minstrel's address, website, and contact info, and then add in the details for each of the shows for the month. If anyone has the skills and interest to do that to help spread the word, please contact Mike at More on dancing at the Country Dance and Song Society www.cdss.org 973/335-9489 or Minstrel@FolkProject.org. Many thanks in advance for your help. 14 3

All Venues That s Fit To Print Albert Hall/Sounds of the NJ Pines: Country/bluegrass/folk every Saturday. 125 Wells Mills Rd. (Route 532), Waretown. 609/971-1593 or www.alberthall.org Acoustic Café: Our Lady of Mercy Church, 2 Fremont Ave, Park Ridge, NJ, 8pm, 201/573-0718, www.cafeacoustic.org; Bluegrass & Old Time Music Assoc. (BOTMA): Every 3rd Sun. from Sept. thru May, Embury United Methodist Church Hall, 49 Church St, Little Silver, NJ. 1-5pm. $4 for BOTMA members, $5 non-members. Info: www.newjerseybluegrass.org Borderline Folk Music Club: Usually at New City Ambulance Corps Bldg., 200 Congers Rd., New City, NY. 2pm, Info: 845/354-4586, borderlinefolkmusicclub.org; Celebration House Concert & Workshop Series: In Clifton; address given with reservation, 973/879-8568 or celebrationhouseconcerts@yahoo.com. Workshops usually 3:30 5:30pm; concert usually 6:30pm. Concert $15; workshop $20; concert and workshop combo $30 Coffee With Conscience: 1st United Methodist Church of Westfield, 1 E. Broad St. 8pm info 908/412-9105, Concerts4Causes@aol.com; upcoming performers: tinyurl.com/7vyfgrr-.sat. May 31, David Wilcox. Community Theater at Mayo Center for Performing Arts: 100 South St., Morristown, NJ, for tickets/info call 973/539-8008, www.mayoarts.org, shows at 8pm Crossroads Coffeehouse: 8pm, Crossroads Community Church, 104 Bartley Rd., Flanders. 973/786-7940 or 908/879-7739; Ethical Brew Coffeehouse: Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, 687 Larch Avenue, Teaneck, NJ, 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm), $20 online/$25 at door, 201/836-5187, www.ethicalfocus.org/ethicalbrew Fanwood Performance Series: 7pm, Patricia M. Kuran Cultural Arts Center, 75 North Martine Avenue, Fanwood. www.fanwoodperformanceseries.org Folk Arts Fridays at Ethical Culture: 516 Prospect St., Maplewood. 2nd Friday (except June-Aug.). Bring instruments and voices for singing, playing, quilting, crafts. Run by Lisa Novemsky and Anja Moen, www.essexethical.org or 973/763-8293. Godfrey Daniels: 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA 610/867-2390, www.godfreydaniels.org. Good Coffeehouse: 53 Prospect Park W. at 2nd St., Park Slope, Brooklyn, doors open at 7:30, music at 8pm, 718/768-2972 or www.bsec.org The Hillside Cafe Coffee House: 45 Hillside Cres., Nutley. Doors open 7:30, show at 8pm. 973/667-7055 or info@hillsidecafe.com, www.hillsidecafe.com; Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club: Fair Lawn Community Center, 10-10 20th St., Fair Lawn 8pm. 201/384-1325. www.hurdygurdyfolk.org; Sat. Jun 7: Catie Curtis, Jenna Lindbo Mannion s NJAMP Acoustic Jam: EVERY Thursday, 6pm, Mannion s, 150 West Main St., Somerville 908/203-9700; meetup.com/nj-acoustic-music-in-the-park Morris County Center for the Arts: Darress Theatre, 615 Main St., Boonton. 973/334-9292, www.darresstheater.com Morristown Uke Jam: Ukulele playalong and jam, 7pm every 1st Wed at Anthony s Pizza & Pasta, 47 S Park Pl, Morristown (on the Green in warm weather). Info: meetup.com/morristownukejam; Mark 973/978-0751, MarcoDtheUkeman@gmail.com. Music at the Mission: West Milford Presbyterian Church, 1452 Union Valley Rd., W. Milford, 973/728-3081, www.musicatthemission.org, CLOSED for the summer Music on Main: 7:30pm, Woodbridge. www.woodbridgeartsnj.org, 732/634-4500 x6497; CLOSED for the summer (see Woodbridge Wednesdays) NJ Friends of Clearwater Circle of Song: Eatontown Community Center, 72 Broad Street (Route 71), Eatontown, NJ 07724, 732/869-9276; Sun. Jun. 1, 2pm, Lydia Adams Davis 4...Horses Sing None of It! A folksy non-commercial public access TV series featuring a surprising variety of guest performers, hosted by Ralph Litwin. All types of mainly acoustic music, storytellers, dancers, others. Schedule available at www.folkproject.org. Seen on: Cablevision Morris area, Sun. 7:30pm ch. 21; Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), New York City, Thurs. 2:30pm on Time/Warner Cable ch. 34 and on RCN Cable ch. 82; also broadcast via streaming video on the web at www.mnn.org (popup players 34/82 http mms); Service Electric Cable TV Allentown, PA, Thurs. 9:30pm ch. 50; Staten Island Community TV (SICTV) Thursdays 7:30pm ch. 35; Fargo Access (www.cityoffargo.com/cable) on Cable One, Fri. 6:30pm & Mon. 3pm ch. 12 in Fargo, ND; Cablevision 67; RCN 82; Verizon 42. Also streams via www.bricartsmedia.org/community-media/bcat-tv-network. Mendham TV: Mon., Wed., Fri.: 8am, 2pm & 8pm; Tues., Thurs., Sat.: 7am, 1pm & 7pm (same episode all week) on Comcast ch. 22 or 25 & Verizon ch. 22 or 25; Comcast Central NJ 2, 3:30pm Friday, Ch. 280; simulcast on Comcast Northwest NJ (Hunterdon County area) ch. 21. Watch archived shows on youtube.com/hsnoi. Want to Be a Morris Man? Starting May 27th, The Morris Men in Chatham (the local chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society the largest men's a cappella singing society), is offering a free 6-week singing course for men of all ages and abilities. The course will be held in Chatham on Tuesday evenings. The course is ongoing, and one can join at any time in the 6-week period. They currently have about 25 active members and are looking to grow. All lessons and materials will be provided free of charge. For more information, please contact Bobby Weitzman at chefrobert987@gmail.com or 973/224-5376. Members Gigs & Friends Mike Agranoff: Sun. Jun. 1, 7-10pm Radio Nowhere, WMSC radio, 90.3fm, Montclair, NJ 07042, www.wmscradio.com, radionowhere903@yahoo.com; Sat. Jun. 7, 8pm Zed Music Series, a private home in Livingston, call for reservations and directions, 201/306-8744 Blue Jersey Band: Sat. Jun. 7, 10am-noon Pennington Farmer Market, Rt 31 at Rosedale Mills, Pennington, NJ; Fri. Jun. 13, 7pm Cafe 420, First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown, 420 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown, 2-set show, www.bluejerseyband.com; Wed. Jun. 18, 8pm (as Blue Jersey Contra Band), Princeton Country Dancers with Hilton Baxter; Sat. Jun. 21, 11am-2pm Country Gardens Garden Center Farmer Market, 42 Robbinsville Edinburg Rd, Robbinsville, NJ; Sat. 28, 10am- 1pm West Windsor Farmer Market, Vaughn Dr at Princeton Junction train station Christine DeLeon: Thur. Jun. 19, 6:30-8pm Madison Sidewalk Sounds, 34 Main Street, Madison, madisonddc@gmail.com or 973/937-8084 Gallagher & Mills Duo (Guitarists Jordyn Gallagher & Cheryl Cronk): Sat. Jun. 28, 7:30-9pm Yolandas Cocina Cubano, 605 Main St, Boonton, NJ, 973/794-6555 Mara Levine: Sun. Jun. 22, 2-5pm opening for Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, Borderline Folk Music Club Annual Bluegrass Concert, 200 Congers rd, New City, NY, Reservations required, $15 members, $20 non members, solz1@optonline.net, www.borderlinefolkmusicclub.org, 845/354-4586 13

12 Join the Folk Project Cut out this handy dandy membership form and mail it, with your membership fee, to Eddie Roffman, 11 Butternut Road Randolph, NJ 07869. Info: membership@folkproject.org Choose at least one: New Renew Skip to my Lou Do Be Do Be Do Name Address Home Tel. Work Tel. E mail 1: E mail 2: Do you play or sing music? [ ] For fun [ ] Occasionally perform in public [ ] Professionally or semi-professionally Help us save Trees and save Energy! Choose to receive your Newsletter via Email! [ ] Receive Monthly Newsletter via Email [ ] Receive Paper Newsletter (Save $5.00 from each membership category with our GO GREEN enewsletter Discount!!!) Choose your membership category below: [ ] Individual membership @ $25/yr ($20 for GO GREEN enewsletter) $ [ ] Family membership* @ $30/yr ($25 for GO GREEN enewsletter) $ Names of additional family members: Or please consider supporting the Folk Project with a Premium (Supporting) membership! [ ] Bard Premium Membership @ $50/yr ($40 is tax deductible) $ (Receive 1 special DVD featuring blues performances from Horses Sing None of It) [ ] Balladeer Premium Membership @ $100/yr ($80 is tax deductible) $ (Receive 2 special Folk DVD s of great performances from Horses Sing None of It) [ ] Troubadour Premium Membership @ $250/yr ($200 tax deductible) $ (Receive 5 special Folk DVD s of great performances from Horses Sing None of It) [ ] Star Performer Premium Membership @ $500/yr ($400 tax deductble) $ (Receive 10 special Folk DVD s of great performances from Horses Sing None of It) Multiple Year Membership (you do the math) $ Total amount enclosed: $ Make your check payable to: The Folk Project *Family membership is one basic or supporting membership plus $3 for each additional family member/banjo. Save a Tree Sign up for E-Newsletters Our monthly newsletter is now available in electronic version. Advantages of receiving the E-Newsletter? You will receive it earlier each month You will be less likely to misplace it This will save trees, energy, and reduce greenhouse gases You will save the Folk Project almost one dollar per month Sign up at enews.folkproject.org Outpost In The Burbs: At the Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church St., Montclair 973/744-6560. Doors open 7:30pm, concert at 8pm. www.outpostintheburbs.org; Fri. Jun. 6, Forever Ray (Ray Charles Tribute) with Jazz House Kids; Fri. Jun. 13: Indigenous, Danielia Cotton People s Voice Cafe: Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist, 40 East 35th St., NYC, www.peoplesvoicecafe.org or 212/787-3903; CLOSED for the summer Pinewoods Folk Music Club: 444 W. 54th St., #7, New York, NY 10019, 718/651-1115, www.folkmusicny.org; Every Monday: Irish Traditional Music Session, 8-11pm at the Landmark Tavern. Visit web site for details. The Place: House Concerts, 3pm pot luck, 4pm concert in Livingston. sugg. donation $15 20; RSVP hopeandjoy@verizon.net or 973/992-7491; The Prallsville Mill: Rte. 29, Stockton, NJ (5 miles north from New Hope and Lambertville). Visit www.veryseldom.com or email Concerts@VerySeldom.com for more information. Princeton Folk Music Society: Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton, 8pm, 609/799-0944 $15/Members $10/$3 kids under 12. www.princetonfolk.org; CLOSED for the summer Sacred Bean Coffeehouse: Flanders United Methodist Church, Park Place and Hillside Avenue, Flanders, 973/584-5426, raywinch.net/coffeehouse.html Sacred Harp Singings: Much info at www.fasola.org; 2nd Sun.: 2pm, St. Paul s Church, 199 Carroll St., Brooklyn. 718/293-2848; 2pm, Montclair Friends Mtg., Park & Gordonhurst. 973/509-2165; Midweek singing Wednesdays, 7-9:30pm, St. Peter s Episcopal Church, 346 W. 20th St. nycsacredharp.org/localsingings.html Sanctuary Concerts: The Presbyterian Church, 240 Southern Boulevard, Chatham. Most concerts 8pm, www.sanctuaryconcerts.org; CLOSED for the summer Skylands Native American Flute Circle: meets at a home in Panther Valley. Info: Allan Johnson 908/850-5772 or ajflycasting@optonline.net Stony Brook Friends of Old Time Music Jam: Mannion s Pub & Restaurant, 140 West Main Street, Somerville. Starting around 7:30pm, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays each month. 609/924-5353 or visit www.diamondcut.com/oldtime; The Uptown Coffeehouse: www.uptowncoffeehouse.org New Location: City Island Community Center, 190 Fordham S. lower level, City Island, NY. 5pm,$15, under 12, $5; Walkabout Clearwater Coffeehouse: United Methodist Church, 250 Bryant Ave., White Plains, 914/949-2146, www.walkaboutclearwater.org Woodbridge Wednesdays: 7:30pm, free summer concerts at Parker Press Park, 400 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ, http://www.woodbridgeartsnj.org; Wed. Jun. 18, Catherine Russell; Wed. Jun. 25, Karikatura, The Sea The Sea ZED Music Series: 1st Saturdays, 7pm pot luck, 7:30pm Open Mic followed by featured performer. Jun. 7, Mike Agranoff. Donation $8. Open Mic spot/seat/directions: Tom 848/219-1868 or Shari 201/306-8744, ZedMusicSeries@gmail.com or korensteinshari@yahoo.com New T-Shirts Available Our new bright blue T-shirts with guitars on the front and a list of all the Folk Project's activities on the back are now available. Some of you may have seen them at our Acoustic Getaway. Gloria Friedman will have them at the Minstrel in June. You can also contact her about getting the shirts at some other convenient time. Contact Gloria at gloria.1001@yahoo.com or 973/295-6864. 5

June Home-Made Music Party Sat., 6/14, 5pm Judy Hagan & Ken Galipeau s 37 Valley View Drive, Rockaway NJ 973/983-6611 "Kenny G Birthday Bash" featuring Betsy Rose & The Chicago Fire at 9pm This month's party will be at Ken & Judy's place where we will help celebrate Ken's 60th Birthday (No presents please). We will get an early start this June 14th with festivities starting at the unheard-of hour of 5pm. Judy will be cooking up a storm for the throngs of folk project members and their guests. We will make HOME-MADE MUSIC all day and into the night. And to spice things up even more, at 9pm we will have a 45 minute set by the spiciest of them all, Betsy Rose & The Chicago Fire! Please bring the usual food, drink, beverages, snacks, etc., to share as this will be a long folk rockin' party. Don't forget your instruments and voices and a Birthday Song for Kenny G! Directions from Route 80: >Take Exit 37 (either way) Rockaway/Hibernia and make left onto Greenpond Road, >Go up Greenpond until you reach Sanders and make a left, >Go to end of Sanders and make a right onto Omaha >First right onto Valley View Drive. House down the street on right hand side next to the woods >Look for a white picket fence! Please remember to park on the street and NOT IN THE DRIVEWAY. Please leave your shoes at the door. BONUS Home-Made Music Party! Sat., 6/29, 8pm the Roffmans Every month, our Bonus Home-Made Music Party takes place at Eddie and Robin s place, 11 Butternut Rd., Randolph. 973/328-7742. Bring song, voice, instruments and food/bev to share. Note: Eddie and Robin keep Kosher. Non-kosher items can be shared on the kitchen table; bring serving utensils. Directions: >From I287 Southbound: exit 36, Ridgedale Ave. Keep right at fork, follow signs for and turn right at Ridgedale Ave., go 0.7 mi. Follow directions from Ridgedale-Hanover intersection below >From I287 Northbound: exit 36B, W Lafayette Ave. Right at light onto Ridgedale Ave., go 0.9 mi. >From Ridgedale-Hanover Intersection: Left onto E Hanover (westbound), go 4.6 mi. Turn right at Black Birch Dr. (just past traffic light at Shongum Rd.) go 0.8 mi. Turn right at Butternut Rd., second driveway on the right. FP Annual 4th of July Picnic Fri., 7/4, 2pm the Roffmans Mark your calendars early! The annual 4th of July picnic will be held, as usual, at the home of the Roffmans'. See above for directions. Come prepared to enter your name in the hat if you want to participate in the Minstrel's 39th Birthday show (see front page for more information). Full details about the picnic next month. Want to Learn TV Production?... Horses Sing None of It! Looking for Cablevision-Area Volunteers The Folk Project TV series, Horses Sing None of It, needs volunteers who have an address in one of the following towns: Allamuchy, Boonton Town, Boonton Township, Chatham, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Hopatcong, Jefferson, Madison, Mine Hill, Montville, Morris Township, Morris Plains, Morristown, Mt. Arlington, Mountain Lakes, Mt. Olive, Netcong, Parsippany Troy-Hills, Picatinny, Randolph, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, Roxbury, Stanhope, Victory Gardens, Wharton. Residence in the Morris Cablevision service area qualifies you to receive Cablevision's free technical training in video production which is required before you can handle the equipment to be a technical volunteer and help produce the show. Interested? Please contact one of the producers: Sandie Reilly reillymagic@yahoo.com or Ralph Litwin ralphlit@juno.com. 6 Good o the Order/ Community News This is a place to share news about memorable events and challenges you have faced in the past month with your Folk Project Community. Please send items to Barrett Wilson, bighim04@yahoo.com Mike Agranoff had a gig recently in Detroit, where he had some time to sightsee, said hello to former FP Board members Larry & Robin Kaufman, and visited the Henry Ford Museum, which was spectacular. Mike came away thinking Detroit, unlike its popular image, is really a great place! And at the recent New England Folk Festival Association's annual festival, Mike had an encounter with a half dozen high school kids gathered in one of the jam spaces swapping Tom Lehrer songs. Since he had known the lyrics to every one of Lehrer's songs when he was their age, he couldn't resist joining the party. Eddie Roffman has been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and will have corrective surgery soon. He also has been building his bike chops, some weeks racking up seventy or so miles, in order to get ready for a planned personal New York state bike marathon this coming July. Stay posted! Joanne Cronin is looking forward to a wonderful Finger Lakes vacation this August, when she ll be renting a cottage on the shores of Cayuga Lake. Scooter Ferguson has been asked to be a NERFA showcase judge at this November's annual conference. Quite an honor way t go Scooter! Lois DeRitter had a nice surprise recently while at her local Unitarian Society, when she came upon fellow Folk Project member Grover Kemble doing a gig. Wendy Keilin has landed her first ever solo gig on Uke! Congratulations. She s also finally completing a first ever video for her business The Prosperous Artist. Lindsey Meyer thoroughly enjoyed herself during a recent visit from Deb O Hanlon. Elizabeth Lachowicz got a treat recently when she received an invitation from the Montclair Film Festival to see the film No Cameras Allowed. She reports finding the film fascinating, and the event was made even better by the presence of her son Thomas. Mark Schaffer recently traveled to Washington DC with his wife Robin for a bit of sight seeing. He came away impressed by two things in particular: first, the pandas at the zoo, and secondly (and most unexpectedly), the FDR Memorial, which he felt was an excellent remembrance of the man and his times. Cecilia Rowedder recently performed with her community chorus, and felt the event went very well. Barrett Wilson is just returned from a three-day Hammered Dulcimer workshop on the shores of beautiful Seneca Lake in New York. He s also looking forward to his first paying Hammered Dulcimer gig later this month. Representatives to Folk Alliance Wanted The Folk Project is a member organization of the Folk Alliance International. FAI is the organization that produces a national conference and regional conferences (such as NERFA) that serve as clearing houses for folk performers, venues, and other related businesses and enthusiasts. As a member organization, we are entitled to up to 12 individual Folk Project members who can serve as representatives of the Folk Project to these conferences. We are looking for such members. There are no explicit duties or responsibilities to that position, but there are several benefits. Those benefits are advantageous to anyone who would like to attend those conferences, and especially advantageous to any member performers who would like to showcase there. Showcase artists are required to be members of the Folk Alliance. And you would be able to use your Folk Project Representative status instead of purchasing an individual membership in Folk Alliance. And all our Member Representatives will get the FAI email newsletter to keep informed of that organization's doings. Any current FP member who would like to be Folk Project Representative member to the Folk Alliance, please contact Mike Agranoff at Minstrel@FolkProject.org, or 973/335-9489. 11

10 Folk Project Board Meeting May 6, 2014 Board Meeting: The Summary The meeting was called to order at 8:03pm at the home of Dave and Doreen Sherman, in Highland Park, NJ. Present: Dave Sherman, Lindsey Meyer, Rachel Streich, Paul Fisher, Grover Kemble, Bill Henderson, Eddie Roffman, Lori Falco, Lois DeRitter, Mike Agranoff, Jim Gartner, Joanne Cronin, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Barrett Wilson, Scooter Ferguson, Mark Schaffer, Leigh Walker, Jean Scully, and Allan Kugel. Absent: Bob McNally, George Otto, Sandie Reilly, Steve Humphreys, and Mike DelVecchio. Guest: Wendy Keilin. April 2014 Minutes were accepted with corrections. TREASURER S REPORT: As of 4/30/14, we had approximately $29K in combined Checking and Money Market accounts, reflecting cash receipts for the upcoming Acoustic Getaway Weekend. OLD BUSINESS NERFA: The day was a huge success due to the incredibly hard work of a small but dedicated group of FP volunteers. (NERFA had requested that we keep our volunteer staff down to a maximum of 6 people so as to minimize expenses.) Wendy estimated that there were approximately 115 attendees for the day program of workshops and lunch, and her idea to admit members of the general public for the performers showcase at 4pm for $10 brought in another 30+ audience members. NERFA was very impressed with the FP s handling of the day s event. Mike A. noted that the FP is a member organization of the Folk Alliance, and we have 12 Folk Alliance individual memberships available for Folk Project members who want one. You must be a Folk Alliance member in order to participate in a NERFA performers showcase. If interested, please speak to Mike. 2015 NOMINATION SLATE: Elizabeth reminded us that the terms of the President, Treasurer, and several Trustees will all be expiring as of December 31st, and it's not too early to start thinking now of possible candidates. If any committee chairs are thinking of stepping down at year end, please speak to Elizabeth. COMMITTEE REPORTS ACOUSTIC GETAWAY: Mark reported that we are 35 slots away from being fully booked with 3 weeks to go. Lindsey suggested opening up day passes; Mark would prefer not to, as he would prefer the community of a camp full of full-weekend participants, but as he said, he has lofty goals and low standards. MEMBERSHIP: Things are in place says Eddie. Membership reports are being uploaded to The Cloud, so that if he gets hit by a bus we will still have the data. John Lamb fixed the membership sign up on PayPal, and now it works great. SPECIAL CONCERTS: The Marc Berger house concert was disappointing only lightly attended, and only 3 FP members in the audience. Scooter will begin referring singer-songwriters wanting to book house concerts to Zed Music Series and to Dave for Home-Made Music Parties, so as not to compete with those venues. Sycamore Slough String Band's (David Gans band) concert at MUF is this Saturday. Preparations for Uke NJ II are proceeding as planned. He has signed contracts for all performers. Early bird tickets for full-weekend will be $65 available through June; after that, they ll be $75. Performer contracts for the year-end Jonathan Edwards/Lucy Kaplansky concert have also been signed. Scooter is planning a Halloween concert in conjunction with the Internal Affairs Committee for a show similar in format to the Valentines Day show, with time slots available for performers to sign up, and performers and audience in costume. If successful, he ll make it an annual event, with profits from Halloween and Valentines Day shows going to Internal Affairs to pay performers at Home-Made Music Parties. INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Dave reminds us that this month s Music Parties will be on the 3rd and 5th Saturdays. The June Party will be at Ken Galipeau s in conjunction with Ken s 60th birthday, and a start time of 5pm. July 4th Picnic will once again be at the Roffman s. SWINGIN TERN: Leigh reports there was a good double dance on 4/5/14, with Brooklyn Swing Ensemble and Bob Isaacs calling advanced dancers in the afternoon and a general dance that evening. On Friday, 6/27/14, there will be a special dance with Perpetual E-Motion, with Donna Hunt calling. They will also be appearing at a double dance in December. Meeting adjourned 10:03pm. Next meeting on June 3, 2014, at Allan Kugel and Cecilia Rowedder s home in Highland Park, NJ. NERFA Nuggets On April 5th, the Folk Project helped organize and run the NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance) One-Day Conference in Chatham. This was a great opportunity for performers and organizers to discuss and learn about the business of folk music. FP President Elizabeth Lachowicz assembled notes from various participants to document the valuable lessons learned from the experience. The newsletter will be publishing excerpts from these notes in the next several issues to help spread the word. From the "Taking your Coffeehouse to the Next Level" Workshop Top Ten Mistakes turned into Top Ten To Dos from Gina Auriemma, Outpost in the Burbs 1. Price Correctly; not too high or too low. Small differences in price, for example between $25 and $32 can make a big difference. Example: The same artist got no response at $32 and the show lost money; but made money later at $25, while paying the same performer the same amount of money. 2. Always find the right volunteer and keep them in the job. Let a volunteer go if they re wrong for the job. Show special appreciation for volunteers, including throwing a party, sharing the wealth, e.g., raffle off CDs, let them have input to booking. 3. Think Big, Act Small: create shows for the largest common denominator to attract audience, but make the performance and the venue feel intimate and personable. 4. Be a fan, not a fanatic: Don t book performers just because you love them. Book them because your audience will love them. Go for the draw, not your taste. 5. OPM, Other People s Money: Fundraise and seek sponsors to bolster the performers budget. 6. Take full advantage of social media. 7. Socialize and network. Walk through the crowd, greet and meet at the door and on breaks and on the way out. 8. Respect: the artists, agents, volunteers, audience and other local venues. You will do business with them again and again. They will talk to others about you. 9. Research: ask your audience what they want, learn what artists are hot and who draws. Learn the financials: who makes money and how they make it. 10. Enjoy the work. That s why you do it. Your audience knows if you re not enjoying yourselves. Five Tips from Scott Sheldon of Sanctuary Concerts 1. Do the homework: identify what performer sells tickets. Get on the mailing lists of successful venues, and magazines like Sing Out!, No Depression and Acoustic, etc. Ask your audience whom they want. Is a performer overexposed in your area? Join Pollstar for $300 a year and get their database of ticket price, audience size, etc. Get on social networks and connect with publicists. 2. Buy low, but give extra to the performer at the back end, when the house is fuller. Give the performer a special thank you, like a meal in the beginning and a goody bag at the end. It is very appreciated and remembered. Keep the ticket price low and sensible, $25, $30. These are lower than the $70 tickets for the same performers elsewhere; although higher ticket prices, have been successful on occasion. Give away the rest: meaning Scott gives away mints as people leave concerts; and gives two inexpensive appreciation concerts toward the end of the season. 3. Reward Volunteers: meals with performers; a free trip to a concert for the volunteers. 4. Make the audience comfortable the MCs are close to invisible. 5. Get the audience invested. Pick 6 Music Club is a subscription that makes people devoted. An advisory group of 75 people gives advice and keeps people invested. A $1.00 CD party to buy and trade CDs makes things fun. A wine & cheese meet-and-greet for corporate sponsors. Make the environment fun. 7

FP Calendar: June 2014 For venue addresses & contact information, see Venues, Feets, or Gigs 1/Sun. EVERY SUNDAY: 7pm, Music You Can t Hear on the Radio. WPRB 103.3FM; www.wprb.com; www.veryseldom.com EVERY SUNDAY: 7 10pm, Radio Nowhere. WMSC 90.3FM Montclair or streaming at www.wmscradio.com or www.live365.com/wmsc EVERY 1ST & 3RD SUNDAY: 6pm, Open Irish session. Dublin House, Red Bank EVERY 1ST SUNDAY: 2-4pm, NJ Friends of Clearwater Circle of Song Mike Agranoff: 7-10pm, Radio Nowhere, WMSC radio, 90.3fm, Montclair, NJ 2/Mon. EVERY MONDAY: 7:30pm, Maplewood International Dancers. Maplewood, njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_maplewood.html 3/Tues. FP Board Meeting: 8pm. At Allan Kugel and Cecilia Rowedder s home in Highland Park, NJ EVERY TUESDAY: 7pm, Northwest NJ Acoustic Jam. Westside United Methodist Church, Hopatcong. 973/770-0179 EVERY TUESDAY: 7-9:30pm, Open Mic, Anthony s Pizza & Pasta, 47 S Park Pl, Morristown, 973/285-5464 EVERY 1ST & 3RD TUESDAY: 7:30pm, Stony Brook Friends of Old Time Music Jam. Mannion s Somerville. www.diamondcut.com/oldtime/ 4/Wed. EVERY WEDNESDAY: 7:30pm, Morristown Int l Dancers. Mountain Lakes Community Church. 973/539-7020, njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_morristown.html EVERY WEDNESDAY: 8pm, Princeton Country Dancers, Contra Dance, $8 ($5 seniors & students). More info on Dance page. EVERY WEDNESDAY: 7:30pm, Down Jersey with Jim Albertson. WSNJ am1240, am1440 and www.wsnjam.com; members.aol.com/downjerseyjim EVERY WEDNESDAY: 9pm, Open Mic, McLynn s Restaurant, Springfield. 973/258-1600 EVERY 1ST WEDNESDAY: 7pm, Folk Open Sing. Ethical Culture Society, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 212/636-6341 or 718/788-7563 EVERY 1ST WEDNESDAY: Morristown Uke Jam; meetup.com/morristownukejam; Mark 973/978-0751, MarcoDtheUkeman@gmail.com 5/Thur. EVERY THURSDAY: 6pm, Mannion s NJAMP Acoustic Jam. Somerville. 908/203-9700; meetup.com/nj-acoustic-music-in-the-park ALTERNATE THURSDAYS: 7:30pm, Scandinavian couple dancing. Bound Brook. See skandinoje.org for dates/info 6/Fri. Minstrel: John Gorka with Nalani & Sarina Outpost in the Burbs: 8pm, Forever Ray (Ray Charles Tribute) with Jazz House Kids 7/Sat. Swingin' Tern: Don Flaherty & Fingerplay Zed Music Series: 7pm pot luck, 7:30pm, Open Mic followed by featured performer Mike Agranoff.. 848/219-1868, 201/306-8744, ZedMusicSeries@gmail.com EVERY SATURDAY: CD*NY: 8pm, Contra dances. NYC, www.cdny.org Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club: 8pm, Catie Curtis, Jenna Lindbo Blue Jersey Band: 10am-noon, Pennington Farmer Market, Rt 31 at Rosedale Mills, Pennington, NJ 12/Thur. NJ Songwriters Circle: 7pm. Dave Kleiner s, 32 Williamson Ave., Bloomfield. 973/429-0288 13/Fri. Minstrel: Open Stage Outpost in the Burbs: 8pm Indigenous, Danielia Cotton Blue Jersey Band: 7pm, Cafe 420, First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown, 420 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown, 2-set show, www.bluejerseyband.com 8 14/Sat. FP Home-Made Music Party: 8pm. At Judy Hagan & Ken Galipeau's in Rockaway NJ, 973/983-6611 EVERY 2ND SATURDAY: 8pm, Princeton Country Dancers, English Country Dance, $10 ($5 seniors & students). More info on Dance page. 15/Sun. Newsletter Deadline: Send stuff to newsletter@folkproject.org 18/Wed. Woodbridge Wednesdays: 7:30pm, free summer concerts; Catherine Russell Blue Jersey Band (as Blue Jersey Contra Band): 8pm, Princeton Country Dancers with Hilton Baxter 19/Thur. Christine DeLeon: 6:30-8pm, Madison Sidewalk Sounds, 34 Main Street, Madison, madisonddc@gmail.com or 973/937-8084 20/Fri. Minstrel: Liza & A.J. with Spook Handy 21/Sat. Swingin' Tern: Brian Hamshar & Jody Kruskal Band Blue Jersey Band: 11am-2pm, Country Gardens Garden Center Farmer Market, 42 Robbinsville Edinburg Rd, Robbinsville, NJ 22/Sun. EVERY 4TH SUNDAY (EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST): 2-5:30pm, Sacred Harp Singing, Montclair Friends Meeting House, 289 Park Street, Upper Montclair, NJ; gssh.hostoi.com Mara Levine: 2-5pm, opening for Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, Borderline Folk Music Club Annual Bluegrass Concert 25/Wed. Woodbridge Wednesdays: 7:30pm, free summer concerts; Karikatura, The Sea The Sea 27/Fri. Minstrel: The Boxcar Lilies with Oakes & Smith Swingin' Tern: Special Friday Dance With Donna Hunt & Perpetual E-Motion 28/Sat. Bonus Home-Made Music Party: 8pm, at the Roffmans, 11 Butternut Rd., Randolph. 973/328-7742 ALMOST EVERY 4TH SATURDAY: 8pm, Princeton Country Dancers, Contra Dance, $10 ($5 seniors & students). More info on Dance page. Blue Jersey Band: 10am-1pm, West Windsor Farmer Market, Vaughn Dr at Princeton Junction train station Gallagher & Mills Duo (Guitarists Jordyn Gallagher & Cheryl Cronk): 7:30-9pm, Yolandas Cocina Cubano, 605 Main St, Boonton, NJ, 973/794-6555 Follow the Folk Project on Twitter Starting in May, Folk Project now has a presence on Twitter. Jean Scully created a Twitter account whose handle is, strangely enough, @TheFolkProject. For those folks not using this form of social media, it allows us to send out short messages of 140 characters on any topic; the messages can contain just straight text or links to websites or even photos or videos. Users on Twitter can choose to "follow" other users; everyone who follows us can see our tweets (similar to friending someone on Facebook). In addition, we can "tag" other users in our tweets, which will then lead to those users' followers seeing our tweets. For example, Jean tweeted about the Sycamore Slough special concert; by tagging David Gans, his 8,904 followers saw our link to the special concert page! It's like being able to piggy-back onto performers' mailing lists and get the word out about our events to a very focused audience; for example, Jean has tweeted info about the Spring Acoustic Getaway to fans of the various performers scheduled to appear, with links to videos and webpages. Although we've only been active for about a week, we already have 150 individuals and organizations following us, and several of them have begun passing on our tweets to their followers. In addition to being a publicity goldmine, Twitter is also a great information source! Jean has uncovered links to lots of great venues, musicians, and music organizations and publications that will be great resources for our members. If you have an event that you'd like Jean to tweet about, please send her the info at jean.scully@verizon.net, or follow her on Twitter at @jeangaijin. 9