Max, in the Red Cross, research proved that the biggest reason people did not give money to the Re Cross was because one asked them to! So we learned, always ask. Always make the case for donations. So your press info should include the non-profit side as well, and emphasize that the Mudcat is supported by the generosity of the people who patronize it. Also highlight the corporations that support through your creative arrangements with them.

I am so sorry I did not see this earlier, I can write that kind of stuff, but not at night, in the AM when I am fresh, and the AM is already committed to another deadline for work. But the opportunity to help preserve a precious cultural heritage with today's modern tools-- by supporting the scholarly work of the Mudcat-- is an angle that should get in there. Comparisons with people who made field recordings are entirely appropriate-- HearMe alone is a fantastic, living, almost daily preservation work in itself, never mind the songs added regularly and the research that goes with them.

At the Mudcat, we sing the songs and tell the stories behind the songs. We make sure that the folk tradition grows along with our amazing culture and is not left by the wayside. And we use state of the art tools to keep the art of the old songs alive. As well as making it possible for new singers and songwriters to flourish during their formative time, with the resources of more experienced artists freely available. It creates access that used to require long treks for the spread of the songs. A rich atmosphere that fosters creativity as well as excellent scholarship. Best of both worlds.

Because of your work to make Mudcat work so simply, it is a place where the classics and heart of the past live as though just created, brand new, seamlessly side by side with new talent-- the artists of tomorrow's classics in the process of being born into the traditions. Your design of this makes it the best place to see the new spring from the old, and the old spring to new life.

~Susan Hinton Mansfield, PA motormice@hotmail.com