I'm very excited about the way this release idea has come together. All of the Mudcatters notions starting from some kind of "virtual release" party through to being able to purchase CDs so that Rick and Heather get the most possible out of it have all come to fruition.

The release built around the radio show is a perfect idea because it connects this whole community to celebrate Rick's new CD with him no matter where you are. We're doing it at the Borealis office because it's big enough for folks to drop in, say "Hi" and pick a few tunes if they would like to. The CIUT studio is a tad too small for this. And speaking of CIUT, they are fully on the bandwagon and supplying all the support they can for this effort. Big thanks!!

The plans at the moment are this:

The virtual release party will take place on February 16th. It will be an extended broadcast of "Acoustic Workshop" from 7PM 'til 9PM EST. This will be streamed to the internet as usual. We will of course be featuring the CD, but there will also be performances by friends who will drop in.

There will be a toll-free number for people to call in and we'll be able to receive emails and read them on air. You'll also be able to order CDs during the broadcast through the phone or email and charge it to Visa or Mastercard if you'd like. You should know that Borealis has agreed that in doing this you'll be purchasing the CDs from Rick and Heather - that means they'll be getting the lion's share of the proceeds. It would be nice if more record companies were this fair-minded!

We'll be letting you know the number and email addresses as soon as they're settled on. We'll also let you know the coordinates for the Borealis office in case you'll be able to be in Toronto and attend.

Stay tuned for further details!

Cheers,

Paul