G'day Franz,

Sorry, when I wrote:

"Alan of Australia's (no longer supported by Mudcat …?) MIDItext program"

I probably should have written:

"Alan of Australia's (no longer supported by Mudcat ... or Alan …?) MIDItext program"!

We haven't heard from Alan on Mudcat for some time ... and I haven't met him about the traps, in Sydney, recently. Maybe his computer work has swallowed him whole. It's a pity not to have this handy app running ... indeed, updated and improved, on Mudcat. Alan's app (MID2TXT.EXE) converted a simple MIDI file into a text string that could be e-mailed - or posted in a Mudcat thread - and then, using the second small app (TXT2MID.EXE) you could turn that text string back into a workable MIDI file. Admittedly, the file you get is now a fairly early version ... and not necessarily supported by the latest music programs - but all that could be corrected by a bit of updating by the right computer whiz (not me!).

The need to separately e-mail MIDIs to MMario complicates matters that should be made easier by this modern technology that brings us the opportunity to swap words, tunes, fact, history, ideas and the joy we find in traditional music and song!

Anyway, I certainly do know the pleasure that comes from solving the little mysteries of folksong ... that's why I have been Mudcatting for some six years now ... even enduring the odd "flaming", for my efforts, along the way. I find that Mudcat is a wonderful 'touchstone' in editing and publishing Mulga Wire / Singabout; the magazines of the Bush Music Club (Australia's oldest "folk music club" ... celebrating our 50th anniversary this year).

Ideas that flow from my Mudcat conversations always work well in the magazine context - and help flesh out a view of the other side of the world for us Antipodeans.

Regards,

Bob Bolton