Frequently Asked Questions

[tda...@news.delphi.com]

REC.MUSIC.FOLK
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
version 0.1

INTRODUCTION
This is very much a first draft of a proposed FAQ for RMF. I am
sure that my information is incomplete; I welcome all contributions
and constructive criticism and will gladly update this file. In
particular, I have made the notation [?] where I feel uncertain or
that the information could be more complete. Mail any additions or
corrections to TDA...@DELPHI.COM.

Please note:
1) How to use various features of the Internet or Usenet is beyond
the scope of this document. Look elsewhere for instructions in
using mailing lists, anonymous ftp, gopher, etc.

2) This list is meant to be useful, but no list can be compre-
hensive. When in doubt, ASK. Net people are, as a rule,
helpful, and asking questions is a sign of intelligence...

3) Net information is the opposite of being carved in stone.
All information in this list is presented "as is". Given the
nature of the medium, I expect this information to be
outdated before it's written. C'est la vie virtuelle ;>

4) Many thanks to all the people who work so hard to gather and
organize information. Especially helpful in this process have
been Doug Henkle of Univ. of Wis.- Oshkosh who has contributed
much to the folk music files at uwp.edu, Alan Rowoth of the
Liverpool (NY) Public Library, the archives at NYSERNET and
the folk_music list, and Leo Breebaart, the moderator of
rec.music.info and poster of much useful information.

Terry Dawson / tda...@delphi.com / Dec. 7, 1993

CONTENTS

Q1: What is folk music?
Q2: What folk music information sources are available via Usenet?
Q3: What other network resources, including musical FTP sites &
archives, are available?
Q4: What are the best sources for discographies?
Q5: Where can I find lyrics/guitar chords/tablature for songs?
Q6: What mailing lists are available for folk music?
Q7: What computer bulletin boards contain useful folk info?
Q8: What is _Rise Up Singing_?
Q9: What other print sources have useful information?
Q10: Where can I find places to play / see live folk music?
Q11: Where can I find artists' schedules?
Q12: What are some good or recommended artists or albums?
Q13: Where can I find information about an artist?
Q14: What's all this about Stan Rogers, then?
Q15: Why worry about copyright? This is folk music.
Q16: What are some good mail order sources for recordings,
songbooks, or musical instruments?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1: What is folk music?

A1: It's what I mean when I point to it and say "that's it".
_Dirty Linen_ magazine ads answer this with "Who cares?"
Big Bill Broonzy once said "all songs is folk songs".
There is no one single, objective and comprehensive
universally accepted definition. With that caveat, folk
music is traditional music from an oral rather than
written tradition, plus modern music, usually acoustic,
in the same spirit as the traditional. Folk tends to be
a popular music of the common people, usually not requiring
electricity, amplification, or large numbers of people.
Folk music concerns itself (though not exclusively) with
common cares and concerns, frequently through stortytelling.


Q2: What folk music information sources are available via Usenet?

A2: This question is answered in detail as part of the regular
posting in rec.music.info and news.answers. Briefly:

Newsgroups:
rec.music.folk - the main source

rec.music.dylan - related interests
rec.music.celtic
rec.music.country.western

alt.banjo - other good stuff
alt.guitar.tab
alt.music.bela-fleck
rec.arts.wobegon
rec.music.info
rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic
rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature

This is not meant to be exclusive: interested persons should
explore the whole rec.music.hierarchy and whatever portions
of the alt. hierarchy that are relevant to personal tastes.

Many periodic or FAQ articles are available for anonymous ftp
on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu in the directory
pub/usenet/news.answers. Useful files from rec.music.info
include:
List of Internet Musical FTP Sites
List of Internet Musical Resources
List of Usenet Musical Newsgroups
Submission guidelines for rec.music.info
Welcome to rec.music.info!
Look for these in news.answers and rec.music.info as a good
overview of Usenet music resources.


Q3: What other network resources, including musical FTP sites &
archives, are available?

A3: Most of the online information is stored at a few sites
which may be accessed via ftp, telnet or gopher. A recent
exception is the Digital Tradition database of songs.
This is accessible via World-Wide Web and is searchable
via hypertext searching software. Telnet info.cern.ch

A complete list of musical ftp sites is periodically posted
in rec.music.info and news.answers. Those listed here
are a folk music subset of that list.

The two most wide-ranging are at NYSERNET in New York and
University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

casbah.acns.nwu.edu [129.105.113.52]
Look in /pub/acoustic-guitar for issues of Acoustic Guitar Digest,
maintained by Joe Germuska (j-ger...@nwu.edu)

celtic.stanford.edu
Has celtic music information and discographies via anonymous ftp.

ftp.iastate.edu [129.186.150.150]
daily mirror site for ftp.uwp.edu.

ftp.maths.tcd.ie [134.226.81.10]
pub/music/, maintained by John McDonagh (morp...@maths.tcd.ie),
is a relatively small archive site with some lyrics and
guitar TABs. It is not as big as Nevada, and has only a few
lyric files but it is more of a site for those who like
'Gothic' music or some of the more alternative music.

ftp.nevada.edu [131.216.1.11]
Guitar tablature, chords and lyrics to many songs for a wide range
of musical tastes. Submissions copied from books are not allowed.
Directories /pub/guitar and /pub/bass, maintained by James B.
(jam...@nevada.edu)

ftp.uwp.edu [131.210.1.4]
The directory /pub/music is maintained by David Datta
(da...@cs.uwp.edu) and contains many useful information,
not limited to folk music. The site is gopher-accessible.

/pub/music/lists contains information on mailing lists
related to many artists, some of which are not part of the
Musical List of Lists (see Q6).

The file /pub/music/folk/folk.music has an index to all the Folk
Music, Bluegrass, Old-Time Music, Country Blues and Fingerstyle
Acoustic Guitarist files. Available via anonymous ftp or gopher.
Discographies, bibliographies, lyrics, guitar chords and more.

ftp.vast.unsw.edu.au [149.171.224.9]
/pub/guitar-lessons - archive for the guitar lessons mailing
list, maintained by Kevin Elphinstone <kev...@vast.unsw.edu.au>

nysernet.org [192.77.173.2]
Accessible via anonymous ftp, gopher, and telnet (by connecting to
nysernet.org and typing "nysernet" as a login name, no password is
necessary). Areas include:
dirty_linen
lyrics
discographies
artist_cals
fanclubs
Files are contained within the directory /folk_music. Check in the
directory /folk_music/dirty_linen for the huge monthly tour calendars
and the ASCII version of their excellent Guide to Folk/Roots/Acoustic
Music Publications (GUIDE2.TXT).

theory.lcs.mit.edu [18.52.0.92]
pub/wald/concert-calendar, maintained by David Wald
(wa...@theory.lcs.mit.edu), is an online calendar of (mostly)
folk music concert listings in New England.


Q4: What are the best sources for discographies?

A4: In addition to the ftp/gopher sites listed above in Q3, try
_Phonolog Reports_, available in larger record stores and
libraries -- this will list titles currently available.
Mailing lists devoted to an artist are an excellent
source as well.


Q5: Where can I find lyrics/guitar chords/tablature for songs?

A5: The ftp/gopher sites listed above in Q3. The newsgroups
alt.guitar.tab and rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature
are also good sources.


Q6: What mailing lists are available for folk music?

A6: There is no single source listing all the relevant lists
available. Try the uwp.edu ftp site in the directory
/pub/music/lists as well as the:

Musical List of Lists-presented and updated by The Cleveland
Free-Net Music SIG. Send corrections to ml...@wariat.org
For the most recent MLoL mail mlol-r...@wariat.org.
For any problems, or to get an update made, mail
mlol-...@wariat.org. Entries are four lines: 1) the name
or topic of the list; 2) the address for requests to join
a list; 3) address of the list manager (only mail the
manager with problems); 4) comments or special instructions.

One interesting aspect of the lists is encountering some of
the practicing musicians who participate. Some of the
better known current examples include: Christine Lavin,
Bob Franke, Andrew Ratshin, and Peter Berryman. Here are
a few selected examples:

BGRASS-L "Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Discussion"
- list...@ukcc.uky.edu (where else?)
Mngr: UKA...@UKCC.UKY.EDU: Frank Godbey

Blues Newsletter
- mojo...@shell.portal.com

Leonard Cohen
- lcohe...@unix.sri.com

Enya
- enya-r...@boulder.colorado.edu
Mngr: t...@boulder.colorado.edu : Tim Hunter

folk and celtic harp
- [?]
Mngr:

FOLKDJ-L "Folk and Bluegrass DJs"
-list...@psuvm.psu.edu
Mngr: TM...@PSUVM.PSU.EDU: Tina Hay

folk_...@nysernet.org (New American Folk Music discussion List)
Folk_music is a moderated discussion list dealing with the music
of the recent wave of american singer/songwriters. List traffic
consists of tour schedules, reviews, album release info and
other information on artists like Shawn Colvin, Mary-Chapin
Carpenter, David Wilcox, Nanci Griffith, Darden Smith, Cheryl
Wheeler, John Gorka, Ani DiFranco, and others. To subscribe,
send mail to <list...@nysernet.org> with this request
SUBSCRIBE FOLK_MUSIC Your Fullname
All questions, requests for information, etc., should be sent to
the moderator Alan Rowoth <al...@nysernet.org>. Submissions are
accepted by mail to <folk_...@nysernet.org> or by fax
at 315.474.2766.

Folktalk
-lists...@leo.vsla.edu
Mngr: sha...@leo.vsla.edu : Scott Hammer
Unmoderated discussion of topics of interest. More open and
freewheeling than the moderated folk_music list.

Guitar lessons
- guitar-less...@vast.unsw.edu.au
Mngr: Kevin Elphinstone <kev...@vast.unsw.edu.au>
Weekly guitar lessons

Dan Hicks
- sram...@sedona.intel.com
Mngr: sram...@sedona.intel.com : Steve Ramirez
Discussion on Dan Hicks (Hot Licks,Acoustic Warriors), past & present.

Indigo Girls
- indigo-gir...@cgrg.ohio-state.edu
Mngr: spe...@cgrg.ohio-state.edu : Stephen Spencer
Discussion of Indigo Girls and related artists' music, tour info, etc.
Regular and "digest" (compiled once every 24 hours) formats are
available, specify "regular" or "digest" in subscription request.

IRTRAD-D
TRAD (the electronic Irish Traditional Music Newsletter) is prepared
in the Music Department of University College, Cork, Ireland by Paul
McGettrick ARAR6013@IRUCCVAX and Hammy Hamilton ARMU6001@IRUCCVAX.
It is a monthly digest - mainly of messages sent to the unmoderated
IRTRAD-L list - and is posted to all IRTRAD-D subscribers. The
following command should be sent to LIST...@IRLEARN.UCD.IE
to receive IRTRAD: SUBSCRIBE IRTRAD-D your full name

IRTRAD-L (Irish Traditional Music List)
To subscribe, send to <LIST...@IRLEARN.BITNET> Please note
that this command must NOT be sent to the listaddress
(IRTR...@IRLEARN.BITNET) To post a message, send it to:
IRTR...@IRLEARN.UCD.IE

Lute
- lute-r...@cs.dartmouth.edu
Mngr: w...@everest.cs.dartmouth.edu : Wayne Cripps
Archives and lute tablature are available via FTP at
cs.dartmouth.edu under "/pub/lute"

Van Morrison
- van-r...@death.corp.sun.com (subscription requests)
Mngr: z...@death.corp.sun.com

Richard Thompson
- [?]
Mngr:


Q7: What computer bulletin boards contain useful folk info?

A7: BBS's of interest to musicians and the music trade:

Blue Hills 207/374-2303 tour info for P,P & M
207/374-5161

The Folk Musician BBS 716/467-2422 extensive giglist
with venues and contacts

NewGrass City BBS 301/414-2358 up to 14400 Baud
301/414-2383 up to 2400 Baud
online files and news

The Point 215/635-4830 subscription service


Q8: What is _Rise Up Singing_?

A8: A songbook of 1200 songs, published by Sing Out, and including
lyrics, chords, and sources. It's fun to browse, topically
arranged and wonderfully useful; accessible via six indices
(or a half dozen indexes). The songs are excellent
selections and the book is an essential part of a folkie's
library. Occasionally controversial because some people
treat it as gospel (hey, remember the "folk process"?) or make
it the central organizing principle of their music or
get-togethers, to the dismay of some others.


Q9: What other print sources have useful information?

A9: There are a number of good print sources offering a variety
of information. Unfortunately, there is not a good, up to date,
comprehensive, biographical and bibliographic guide to the
music and musicians [somebody tell me I'm wrong, here!].
The titles below represent a semi-arbitary selection.

The file GUIDE2.TXT, available from the NYSERNET ftp site
(nysernet.org) in the directory /folk_music/dirty_linen is
extensive (over 30 pages) and lists many useful periodicals,
general and specialized, with notes.

Douglas H. Henkle (hen...@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu) of the Univ. of
Wisconsin - Oshkosh, has contributed much scholarship to folk
music. The archives at ftp.uwp.edu include an extensive
bibliography of sources.The file is at /pub/music/folk/bibliog
and is also gopher accessible.

Books:

Baggelar, Kristin and Donald Milton, _Folk Music: More
Than a Song_, Crowell, 1976. Alphabetical list of singers,
musicians, festivals, organizations, publications, and
instruments. Encyclopedic with lots of entries, but dated.

_Folksongs of Britain and Ireland_ Schirmer Books 1975
Mammoth compilation (824 pp.) of traditional songs
Each section (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)
contains introduction, guide to pronunciation, notes
on the song texts and variants, and bibliography.

Harris, Craig, _The New Folk Music_, White Cliffs Media, 1991.
Lists nearly 100 performers with photos and in-depth
interviews. [not seen but reviewed in the folk_music list]

Lifton, Sarah, _The Listener's Guide to Folk Music_,
Quarto/Facts on File, 1983 out of date, incomplete
and too short, but still one of the best single sources
available. Divided by nationality and including
essays on types of music and instruments with
representative artists and discographies.

Lomax, Alan, _The Folk Songs of North America, in the
English Language_, Doubleday, 1960. Mammoth and
substantial (656 pp.) listing of more than 300 songs
with words, music and historic notes. Includes
bibliography, guitar guide, discography.

_Rise Up Singing_ [see Q8 above, address below]

Sandberg, Larry & Dick Weissman, _The Folk Music Sourcebook_,
Knopf, 1976. Topical book in four sections: "Listening"
includes 5000 recordings in discographies by topic and
artist, with reviews; "Learning" is books, including
collections, songbooks; "Playing" has information about
many instruments (banjo emphasis); "Hanging Out" lists
organizations, festivals, archives. Many source notes
and good essays. Outdated but good information.

Silber, Irwin, _Folksinger's Wordbook_ (2d ed.) 1973
a nice complement to _Rise Up Singing_, contains many
lyrics and chords.

Periodicals:

_Dirty Linen_, bi-monthly covering "Folk, Electric Folk,
Traditional and World Music". No doubt, this is the
"big tent" of folk magazines. Several indepth articles
on artists each issue, good coverage of festivals,
LOTS of album reviews. Includes tour schedules.
Slight emphasis on celtic music. Subscriptions $20/yr
Dirty Linen
PO Box 66600
Baltimore, MD 21239-6600
7402...@compuserve.com

_Fast Folk_ It's a magazine! It's a CD! It's both...
back issues $15-$20 each plus P & H
Fast Folk Musical Magazine
P.O. Box 938
Village Station
New York, NY 10014

_Folk Roots_, monthly. Similar to U.S. Magazine _Sing
Out_ in balanced coverage of revival and traditional
music, but without publishing songs and with greater
coverage of European and world music. Subscriptions:
31 pounds (foreign)
Southern Rag Ltd.
PO Box 337
London N4 1TW UK

_The Living Tradition_, a new magazine from the UK, covering
traditional and "new traditional" folk music, including
British and Celtic. For free preview issue write:
Inform
PO Box 1026
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire KA2 0LG UK
They'll appreciate it if you include an International
Reply Coupon (available from post offices for about $1)

_The New England Folk Almanac_ is a bi-monthly, 24 pg newspaper
style publication edited by Scott Alarik. Lots of info
on performers, reviews, and an extensive NE Calendar.
Subscriptions are $15/yr (6 issues)
F.A.N.-Folk Almanac
PO Box 336
Cambridge, MA 02141

_Old-Time Herald_, quarterly covering "old-time" music,
traditional American folk and bluegrass. Good serious
treatment of the subject. Subscriptions, $18/yr
Old-Time Herald
PO Box 51812
Durham, NC 27717

_Sing Out!_ a quarterly, includes songs published in each issue.
Wide-ranging and interesting with many reviews and columns.
Venerable and interesting, worthwhile. Publishes other useful
info such as _Rise Up Singing_, maintains research center.
Subscriptions $18/yr
Sing Out
PO Box 5253
Bethlehem, PA 18015-0253

_ZMN (Zassafras Music News)_ is a quarterly publication from
and about songwiters and performers. Memberships/Subscrip-
tions available at $7/yr or $12/2 yrs. "Sounding board"
membership $35/yr.
Zassafras Music News
PO Box 1000
Gravette, Arkansas 72736-1000

There are *many* other specialized magazines for special
interests and instruments. Ads in the general interest
magazines are a good way to identify these, beyond the
aforementioned GUIDE2.TXT file.


Q10: Where can I find places to play / see live folk music?

A10: [?] This question works on several levels: personal, local,
organizations, clubs, coffeehouses, bars, festivals, all
are places to play and see folk music.

On a personal level, look for others in your area. Music
stores, libraries, or information & referral centers may be
able to refer you to a folk group. Colleges or churches
may operate coffee houses. Once you have found people,
you may have a ready source, or you may need to organize
activities like song circles and sponsor house concerts.

Public radio stations are often good sources. Check for
local and state broadcasts. Some states may offer toll-
free numbers for coffeehouse and concert information.

There is a list of "Open musical jam sessions" regularly
posted to rec.music.folk. The list is copyrighted by Rich
Kulawiec, 1992, 1993. The Folk Musician BBS 716/467-2422
maintains extensive listings of venues that hire musicians
(and much other useful info). See also the next question.

_Sing Out!_ magazine in the U.S. does a good job of
noting upcoming festivals, with an extensive listing
for three months. The _Dirty Linen_ calendar has an
"Events" section which lists selected festivals many
months in advance. The big festivals are generally
discussed well in advance on the net, so be watchful.[?]


Q11: Where can I find artists' schedules?

A11: There are several places:

_The New England Folk Almanac_, bi-monthly, includes an
extensive NE Calendar (see Q9). NE calendar also from
ftp site (see Q3) and on the Folk Musician's BBS (see Q7).

_Dirty Linen_ magazine, bi-monthly, has an extensive U.S.
calendar. Available in print or in ASCII via anonymous FTP
from nysernet.org. Look in directory /folk_music/dirty_linen
the for the huge monthly tour calendars. Also available on
Compuserve (GO POINT), GEnie (page 135 in the Music
Roundtable), and on the New Grass City BBS (301/414-2358),
which contains other information of interest.

The folk_music mailing list concerns itself heavily with artist
information and frequently has posted schedules


Q12: What are some good or recommended artists or albums?

A12: This is very much a matter of taste and subjective, but
there is an annual poll conducted here in r.m.f. by
k...@netsun.cl.msu.edu (Ken Josenhans) of Michigan State
University. Each January since 1987, he calls for votes on
favorite albums of the year; he has generally done extensive
statistical tabulation of the poll results. It is unknown
if these are archived anywhere. [?]

In addition, there was an informal poll in 1992, asking
r.m.f. people to name their top ten albums of all time.
While dozens of artists and hundreds of albums were
mentioned, the following were the most frequently named
artists:

7 times--
Fairport Convention

6 times--
Dylan, Bob Seeger, Pete Gaughan, Dick

5 times--
Gorka, John Mitchell, Joni Rogers, Stan
Staines, Bill Hurt, Mississippi John

4 times--
Griffith, Nanci Bok, Trickett & Muir
Collins, Judy Peter, Paul & Mary

3 times--
Bothy Band Paxton, Tom Morrissey, Bill
Brown, Greg Rush, Tom Wolf, Kate
Franke, Bob Steeleye Span Jansch, Bert
Ian & Sylvia Thompson, Richard (& Linda)
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken"

For modern U.S. artists, the compilations done by
Christine Lavin provide a good introduction to a number
of singer-songwriters. These include: "On A Winter's
Night", "When October Goes" and "Big Times In A Small Town".


Q13: Where can I find information about an artist?

A13: There is no good single source of artist information. Ask
and there may be someone here who knows the answer. Join the
folk_music mailing list, where a lot of artist info is exchanged.
Some artists may have mailing lists or discographies available,
See Q4, Q6. The "birthdays" file at uwp.edu indexes
biographical information from a variety of print sources.


Q14: What's all this about Stan Rogers, then?

A14: There are a number of artists mentioned here frequently,
but Stan Rogers seems to be a special case. For a long
time there was little or no information avaiable about him
There release of a new album and a biography in the past
few months have changed that.

If you've never heard any of Stan's music, find some and
you'll understand the fuss. Stan was a Canadian singer-
songwriter who recorded six albums and was beginning to
attain wide popularity when he died in an airplane fire in
1983. His powerful songs and untimely death have given him
a larger than life status and mystique: "Saint Stan".

Stan is survived by his wife and children, his mother
Valerie, who has continued to market his records, and his
brother Garnet, who accompanied Stan, but has emerged
as a strong artist and performer in his own right.

The address for Valerie, source for Stan's and Garnet's
records, is:
Valerie Enterprises
R.R. #1
Hannon, Ontario
L0R 1P0 Canada


Q15: This is folk music. Why worry about copyright?

A15: The following remarks pertain only to the U.S.A., since the
compiler is totally ignorant of copyright laws in other countries.

Folk music which is truly traditional is in the public domain
and belongs equally to everyone. Songs written by contemporary
composers are intellectual property and bread in the mouths
of the writers. Giving away what does not belong to you or,
worse, selling it (via recording or paid performance) is a
copyright violation and real theft of intellectual property
UNLESS royalties are properly paid, under U.S. copyright law.

Copyright laws vary from country to country and worse, between
countries. In the U.S. you can legally copyright something
merely by including a printed statement of copyright on physical
copies. Copyrights may be registered with the Copyright
Office in the Library of Congress for increased legal protection.
Recording artists can obtain rights to perform a song through
this same office. Public performances for money generally
require payment to organizations which represent artists,
such as ASCAP and BMI. Whoever organizes performances (not
the performers) has the responsibility to see that any
necessary payments are made.

Netiquette seems somewhat ambivalent [?] on the posting of
copyrighted material, such as song lyrics. While this may
be technically illegal, it does not involve any cash, and
might be construed as not in any way damaging to the
composers. Certainly many song lyrics and chords reside in
FTP sites and are thus widely available, despite
possible copyright problems.[?]


Q16: What are some good mail order or online sources for recordings,
songbooks, or musical instruments?

A16: Elderly Instruments Andy's Front Hall
1100 N. Washington PO Box 307
PO Box 14210 Vorheesville, NY 12186
Lansing, MI 48901 518/765-4193
517/372-7890 orders MC/Visa $15 minimum
publishes separate catalogs
for acoustic instruments, Ladyslipper
electric instruments, books PO Box 3124R
and recordings, has news- Durham, NC 27715
letter on used instruments 800/634-6044
recordings by women
Alcazar some gift items
PO Box 429
South Main St. White Swan Music Inc.
Waterbury, VT 05676-0429 1705 14th Street Box 143
800/541-9904 Boulder, Co 80302
800/825-8656
Online record stores:

Compact Disk Connection (CDC)
lists more than 75,000 CDs, searchable by artist, title,
song title, performer, category; many with ratings.
Discount prices. Telnet to holonet.net, enter CDC at
Member Name prompt.

Compact Disk Europe
lists over 100,000 imports from Europe and Japan. Dial
408/730-8138 up to 9600 bps 8N1.

[Ken Josenhans]

>Q6: What mailing lists are available for folk music?
>

>Richard Thompson

administration address is lists...@listserver.njit.edu
posting address is r-tho...@hertz.njit.edu
owner is Brian White b...@hertz.njit.edu

Oyster Band

administration address is oysters...@blowfish.taligent.com
posting address is oys...@blowfish.taligent.com
owner is Christophe Pettus c...@blowfish.taligent.com

There's also a Boiled in Lead list, but I don't have the info on that
one.

>Q12: What are some good or recommended artists or albums?
>
>A12: This is very much a matter of taste and subjective, but
> there is an annual poll conducted here in r.m.f. by
> k...@netsun.cl.msu.edu (Ken Josenhans) of Michigan State
> University. Each January since 1987, he calls for votes on
> favorite albums of the year; he has generally done extensive
> statistical tabulation of the poll results. It is unknown
> if these are archived anywhere. [?]

Well, they were all on my hard disk, last time I looked...
I've been mailing copies out occasionally by hand -- that all-important
personal touch so often lost in today's mechanical society -- but
I suppose I should see about getting them installed in somebody's
archive somewhere, for Posterity.

I'm really undecided on whether I'm going to continue this series of
polls this year. Maybe if I fix up something with Foxbase to record
the votes it won't be so much of a chore to tabulate everything.

I'm also undecided what to do about rec.music.celtic, as far as the
poll goes.

>Q16: What are some good mail order or online sources for recordings,
> songbooks, or musical instruments?

Best source I've used for British Isles folk releases:

Projection Records Mail Order
19, Mount Pleasant
Crewkerne,
Somerset TA18 7AH
UK

(Payment with Visa eliminates currency hassles.)

And, finally, the most asked question on the net:

Q17: What's that music in the Volkswagen commercial?
(Answer should quickly lay out Clannad, Enya, the family
relationship.)

--
--Ken Josenhans
Internet: 1302...@msu.edu