I will vouch for Deb - she did the right thing with the CD-R's. It hooked me!!!

I should mention that I know of at least one nationally recognized folk show that won't accept CD samplers. The host's reason, which I understand completely, is that with all the CD's that are being released he does not have the room to store "incomplete" recordings.   While this may seem unfair, everyone should be aware of the volume of CD's that we receive. While it takes time to listen to the recording, finding space for a CD is even more challenging. Why use room for a 3 or 4 song sampler when he could fit an entire album that he might play more cuts from?

I've personally licked that problem by using Jewelsleeves (www.jewelsleeve.com) to store all my CD's. It cost me several hundred dollars to do, but I can now store 4 times the number of CD's and I can access them much easier.

The number of CD's being released opens up another issue to consider. When I started doing my radio show in 1980, we would receive a dozen or so LP's each month.   Now with the technology to make better cost effective recordings at home, I receive about a dozen CD's a week on average. Finding the airtime to play all of it is impossible, and I find myself rotating more artists but playing each one less frequently. I wish I had more airtime!!

It is actually a good dilemma. I am overwhelmed by the number of GOOD recordings I receive and want to share with my audience.   Mudcat alone has provided me with enough recordings to program the show!

The dilemma that I do face is trying to balance my desire to "help" promote artists with the desire to "promote" folk music.   I play a lot of music from musicians who have day jobs and do this for fun and a love of the music. THOSE are the people who keep folk music a living tradition.   The "professional" artists play an equally important role.   By presenting the music in a more formal setting, they help to inspire and educate the rest of us.

Folk music is probably the most challenging, and ultimately rewarding, genre to program for radio.   Unlike hip-hop or jazz or other genres, we have this important link to the song.   I remember a brief chat I had with Pete Seeger (I'm not trying to name drop here) when I first started doing the show. He told me that folk music was not something that you play on the radio - it is the music that a mother sings to her child. It took me a few years to understand what he meant. Of course I realized that folk music was something that came from people - not necessarily professional songwriters, but what about people like Pete who recorded and wrote music? Weren't they considered "folk" music? I think the answer is that "folk" music is meant to inspire others and develop a sense of community. Give people the tools to make their own music. That is what I've tried to do on my program.

Once again I am sorry for getting on a soapbox and for rambling on about my personal choices in programming a show. I usually don't like to talk about my experiences or thoughts about my show in public because I realize thay are boring and out of context of what we discuss on Mudcat. However, I felt that with this topic my examples might help others who read this into getting an idea of what ONE program host thinks. Forgive me for this airing of my laundry. I won't bore you again!!

I cannot stress enough that these are just MY opinions and EVERY host has their own set of standards and criteria.   Check them out!!

Ron