Thanks for the excellent suggestions, Mr. Sandy! We shall have a very cozy, acoustically-marvelous room brimming over with instruments of every sort. Reminds me of the Folk Music Museum (?) in Claremont, CA. It's a shop, yes, but one where you can handle the merchandise to your heart's content.

At the time of the Patons/Barton & Para concert, I was kinda shy and not nearly as knowledgeable about folk music. So I just sat in the audience and listened happily, and sang along when invited. Bought several tapes afterwards, too, which I still own.

To anyone who lives in the LA area or plans to visit soon: there's a great festival coming up soon in Calabasas, the summer solstice traditional music festival. It's running again after several years' absence. It is held the last weekend in June at Soka University. (misty-eyed, now) It's where I learned the joys of shape-note singing.

Folksie