Hardi and I finally figured out where we draw the line on choice of material and responding to requests. We discovered this quite accidentally while talking through what has been a long-term problem within our little jam pals group, and which until now we could not see clearly. This has been a real problem at nursing homes in particular.

We thought it was about the TIME periods involved, and our age in relation to them. Nope!

Chances are, if it was ever on a Top Forty chart, in any time period, genre, language, etc., or on any similar scale of popularity, we don't do it, and don't want to learn it, either. (Unless, of course, it's a parody, and now I wish we had taped the dozen or more we created to laugh over as we figure this out. All gone now! All I can recall is "Has Everybody Had My Gal?")

We may not be able to say clearly what folk or acoustic ARE, but we know what WE are NOT. We are NOT what you will ever see advertised on late night TV as "Let's go back to the classics of the ---- period/genre/sound!"

Oh we LISTEN to that stuff and tap our toes and everything. And sing along if invited. But it does not float our musical boat enough to make us reach for instruments.

What we want to do will always tend to be whatever was not quite the "accepted" THING in its own culture and context.

You?

Genres? Political sensibilities? Time periods?

Stuff like that.

Tell tell tell.

~Susan