Okay, I'm not so grumpy now.

Per capita, it's hard to beat the efforts of some small towns to present and embrace music. In my town of roughly 7500, there is a decent celtic festival (www.celticfestival.ca), a celtic kids camp, adult celtic college, a new blues festival which promises to be annual, a regular concert series (Sue Foley, Ellen McIlwaine, and Rachel VanZantan are up next), a regular weekly open mic or two, weekly piping down of the sun in the summer months, a summer concert series in a park and in the town centre, occassional concerts in church and community halls, a town band, legion band, several regular performing groups of various styles around the area, several church choirs and praise bands, likely a dozen piano teachers, and teachers of other instruments, an active high school music program, music for young children, musical theatre, recitals, seasonal music programs, coffee houses (some even at the high school), and lots of one-off music events.

We're not unique this way, lots of smaller communities do the same. Greatest? Hard to compete. But damn good for the size.

Peace, Mooh.