Thanks for saying that, Susan. "Let's not deify Rise Up Singing." After reading some of the messages regarding RUS, (I'm not that impressed with the book), I began getting the impression that there is an informal "cult" of RUS, complete with jargon and "rules". My maternal grandparents homesteaded in Eastern Montana in the 1920's and 30's. My grandfather played fiddle and sang and "called for dances". My grandmother played guitar, piano, and sang. EVERYONE sang. No one had radio, records, dancehalls, operas, theaters... they had sage brush, rattlesnakes, dust bowl and hard times. They sang and played music for the joy and relief it gave them. In a meadow where there was a spring, my grandpa made a cistern and built tables so neighbors could get together for picnics and dance and make music. They would meet at each other's claim shacks, move the table and chairs back, and dance to their own music. This is the way I feel about singing together. You do it as part of life, the way people think now of turning on the tv, going to a movie, or listening to tapes. By the way, this grandfather of mine was interviewed by Charles Kuralt on the Road. He was a prospector, and when he died, he was still living on his claim on the Yellowstone River. People would float the river by putting boats in at his claim. He told me once that he would sing a Lake Michigan boat song to them, and say,"Bet you never heard that one before!". Alice in Montana