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The Special Guests page showcases notable people involved in the music business.
-James P. Goss
 Cover photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers.
Vinyl Lives Reviews: Five Hundred 45s: A Graphic History of the Seven-Inch Single
45rpm records--also known as seven-inch singles--are portable; and, they are loved for their great sound. In fact, some would say that 45s have far better sound than any other format. Some might even say that 45s possess a certain cultural cache--they're hip again. And, oh yeah, some of them have some awesome sleeve art.
In their new book, Five Hundred 45s: A Graphic History of the Seven-Inch Single (Collins Design), co-authors Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz celebrate awesome 45 sleeve art with a vengeance. This is the long awaited follow-up to 45 RPM: A Visual History of the Seven-Inch Record (Princeton University Press, 2002), written with Charles Granata.
 The Smiths. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now Rough Trade, 1984. Designer: Caryn Gough. Photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers.
For this much expanded, affectionate and more comprehensive tribute, Maestro Lenny Kaye kicks things off in the book's Intro: "Appreciated on its own terms, a single--like our individual lifespan--is a world unto itself." That observation pinpoints the process involved for our mind's interpretation of the artwork, a unique window into each (A and B side) song. Stated another way, Kaye explains, "The illustration...creates the mood."
Clearly, the books co-authors and contributors have a passion for what they do. Their life spans and professions envelop the great arch of the 45rpm singles' history and offer heartfelt testimonial to the importance of the 45rpm era (1949 to present), with deep appreciation for the format's heyday, the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Throughout most of the book, each individual cover appears on its own page. For referencing purposes, the books Discography (or,Index) in back contains much of the available artist/label/date information.
 Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz. Photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers.
Both Drate and Salavetz are creative directors and renowned graphic designers. Some of their best known graphics appear on album covers and record sleeves for the likes of Talking Heads, U2, Joan Jett, the Ramones and Velvet Underground. For their new book, Drate and Salavetz were assisted by Brendan Dalton; the discography researcher was Justin Kavoussi. A few short, insightful essays within the collection of covers--by Stuart Goldman, Tom Hazelmyer, Eric Davidson and Bruce Licher--add to the fun.
 The White Stripes. Jolene, Third Man, 2004. Illustrator: Todd Slater; Designer: Rob Jones. Photo courtesy Harper Collins Publishers.
This graphics laden, coffee table-styled book is overflowing with arresting visual images. Produced with an eye toward appealing to casual observers, die-hard record collectors and anyone interested in art, Five Hundred 45s telegraphs the impact of the music inside the package.
Just like the songs, seven-inch sleeves are full of power packed ideas. Dull or daft, full of fun or fury, focused or irreverent, these canvases provide pieces of a puzzle--partial roadmaps to other worlds. Hard to believe now, but for many years, 7-inch sleeve art was one of the few ways for music fans to actually see pictures of their favorite bands.
Arresting, captivating and by turns inspiring, Five Hundred 45s contains something for record history buffs, vinyl collectors and just the plain curious.
The righteous soundtrack is in our minds.
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Q and A with Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz.
Q: Some record collectors are quite emphatic that 45s have superior sound to LPs and other formats. Any comments?
A: Yes, we too agree. Go out and purchase a record player if you don't already own
one. Then go and purchase your favorite CD tune and compare it to the same song on a 45. Play it on the record player (it could even be an old children's Fisher Price turntable!) and you will immediately hear the difference. The 45 does away with the distortion zone found in ordinary records. Words cannot explain it. To appreciate and experience the advanced sound quality, the 45 must be played and listened to.
 Nat "King" Cole. Just One of Those Things. Capitol, 1957. Photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers.
Q: Perhaps there are several Golden Eras of music (early rock, lounge?, punk etc.) that enjoy continued popularity. What era(s) of cover design art do you feel most attracted to personally?
A: (Spencer) I prefer the 1950s [and the] 1970s when I designed for the Ramones,
Pretenders, Talking Heads and Jamie Reid [designed] for the Sex Pistols. I also like the 1990-2010 era with rock poster artists crossing over to 45-sleeve art like Frank Kozik, Jeff Kleinsmith, Art Chantry, Hank Trotter, etc....
A: (Judith): For me, the 45-cover art that I prefer is the 50s, when we had covers of those pretty boy singers, such as Sal Mineo, Elvis; and, of course, those hairdo close-ups of Brenda Lee and Connie Francis. I also like the 60s for the group shots: the Yardbirds, Pretenders, Beatles, Stones, Buckinghams, Love, the Mannish Boys. We get to see how cute some of them were and how dramatic others looked! Also, from the 90s on, [there was an] amazing freedom of creativity--White Stripes, REM, Joseph Arthur, Rocket From The Crypt, The Electric Eels, Devo, The Adverts, so, so many more. You will just have to buy the book to see these amazing sleeves!
Q: During the heyday of the 45rpm format, approximately how many seven inch discs were produced?
A: Interesting little note: From the mid-1950s, through the 60s and 70s, the 45 was in its heyday. In 1955, RCA Victor acquired young Elvis Presley from tiny Sun Records. And so began the invention of the teenager! It was the teenager that made the 45 a best seller! In 1956, Capitol Records opened its new LA corporate headquarters, (conceived by an architectural graduate student named Lou Naidorf) to resemble a stack of 45 records on a turntable.
 The Clash. London Calling. CBS, 1979. Photo courtesy Harper Collins Publishers.
In the peak (U.S.) sales years, from 1973 to 1976, more than 100 million 45s were sold each year. Seven-inch sales peaked in the U.K. in 1979, when an amazing 89 million of them were sold. In the 1980s, when the CD [format] hit the market, vinyl of all kinds began their descent!
The 45 ALMOST died 6, 7 years ago, but, miraculously--because of the younger generations' interest (and the 45s' superior sound quality)--there has been a rebound, as reflected in sales--both in U.K. and U.S. Currently, more then a million 45s are being pressed every year. The numbers will increase as the 45s' popularity grows!
Q: There are quite a few small record labels and independent artists around putting out 45s. Any thoughts about the current scene for 45s--and where things might be headed?
 Ian Dury. Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. Stiff, 1976. Photo courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers.
A: The popularity of bands such as Oasis, White Stripes, Halo of Flies and Vampire
Weekend are reviving sales of the seven-inch. Record companies are beginning to sell re-issued 45s on newly created websites that offer vinyl. There is renewed interest and sales. Turntables are, once again, selling and indie and mainstream musicians are producing 45s for their superior warm sounds and their physical art presence. The 45 Lives!
Q: Discuss some of the early cover/sleeve designers best known for their contributions to
the sleeve/cover art form.
A: In the 1950s: Alex Steinweiss, John Brandt, Phil Stern, Andy
Warhol, Burt Goldblatt --beautiful cover work from traditionally famous artists.
From the 1970s: Barney Bubbles' work for Ian Dury; Spencer Drate's for the Ramones, Talking Heads and The Pretenders; Spencer and Judith's covers for Bon Jovi and Joan Jett; Jamie Reid's for the Sex Pistols' 45 sleeve series; and, John Morton, for his work with The Electric Eels. And, in the 1990s: Jeff Kleinsmith's many Sub Pop record sleeves (profiled in the Five Hundred 45s book); as well as the work of Frank Kozik, Chris Bagge, Art Chantry, Hank Trotter, Coop...There are so many great ones, and they are still coming!
 The Pretenders. Talk of the Town. Real, 1980. Photo courtesy Harper Collins Publishers.
Q. Of the designers represented in Five Hundred 45s, are there quite a few that (by necessity and/or desire etc.) also work in other fields (advertising...promotion)? Is it generally somewhat natural for these artists to also do album covers, posters etc.?
A: Examples of some of these well known rock poster artists were profiled in
Drate and Salavetz's "SWAG" Books. They include, from the 1990s-Jeff
Kleinsmith, Art Chantry, Hank Trotter, Coop, Frank Kozik. The attraction being the freedom to do their art/design for the indie record labels and musicians--without compromise!
Q: Both of you have collaborated on other books. In Five Hundred 45s, you have assembled what may be the last word on 45 sleeve design. Are you satisfied with representing these five hundred...or, do you yet harbor a desire for a follow-up?!
A: We love this book, but there was room for just [these] five hundred. So the next five hundred we love just as much will have to be in Volume 2.There were so many wonderful sleeves that we had to leave out! Can you imagine? This is the first time a visual history of the 45 cover art sleeve was presented in this manner. Yes, of course. There must be a follow-up 45 book series!
One Dime Blues: A Look Inside Music Maker Relief Foundation
The Great American South gets some attention every now and then, like when a hurricane rolls through, or when a series of tornados strikes. Historically, it is a region of our country where the people are overlooked and misunderstood. Understanding takes time, something always in short supply.
An increased understanding and awareness of history depends on our grasp of other subjects, including geography. Mention New Orleans, Memphis or Nashville and most people will easily come up with familiar facts and information. But what about places that are hard to find on a map?
Among other things, New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville are world famous for their music. Yet, beyond the boundaries of these familiar areas, rural Southern life endures --the roots of the music can be seen and heard. Those willing to journey off the beaten path might still discover the South's musical abundance and come to better understand how the region's history informs much of what we hear today.
Such is the case with The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a small non-profit devoted to musicians rooted in the Southern tradition. It is an organization with roots that extend deeply into this region's soil. Based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, Music Maker came into being as a way to bring renewed interest and appreciation to Southern blues and folk musicians. Many of its artists once had viable careers. Struggling to make ends meet, these talented musicians found that the music slowly became less of a priority. The demands of putting food on the table, getting medicine, fuel--any of life's necessities--eventually left the music to gather dust.
In 1994, the husband and wife team of Tim and Denise Duffy started Music Maker. They continue to chronicle, promote and preserve this region's music. The Duffys' work follows the paths of early folklorists and chroniclers of Southern music, like John and Alan Lomax, two generations of early and mid-twentieth century folk and blues music pioneers. The Lomaxes traveled extensively throughout the Southern and Western states, recording and documenting the regions music.
 Denise and Tim Duffy © Duffy. Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
The Duffys' work doesn't just end when the songs are recorded. They're in for the long haul --providing career support to their musicians, getting them food, medicine and fuel, reviving their lives and making their music seen and heard again.
Born in 1963, Tim began his own field recordings of neglected and virtually forgotten musicians beginning in the late 1980s. His first recorded compilation, A Living Past-- parts of which were first assembled in 1993--became a catalyst enabling the foundation to become formally organized and funded.
In 1989, Tim completed his Masters in Folklore at the University of North Carolina. But his immersion into the worlds inhabited by forgotten and neglected musicians began in 1981, when he first moved to North Carolina. Many artists once enjoyed a measure of popularity and success. Living in extreme poverty, their lives a constant struggle to stay alive, daily survival replaced music. One of the first musicians Tim worked with was James "Guitar Slim" Stephens.
In the book Music Makers: Portraits and Songs From the Roots of America, Tim recalls: "Slim was an old blues rounder. He had been everywhere in the U.S. and soon introduced me to a host of blues artists in Greensboro, North Carolina. I drove him to play at house parties and he patiently taught me the subtleties of his guitar style. We spent a great deal of time together at his home and around the city."
 James "Guitar Slim" Stephens © Duffy. Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Within a year, Stephens was overtaken with cancer. Before he died, he instructed Tim to look up "Guitar Gabriel" (Robert Jones, 1925-1996), a good friend who would likely be interested in helping Tim further his work.
Following his graduation from UNC, Tim was looking for work as a substitute teacher. "I awoke one morning with a premonition that I was going to meet Gabe." Soon, a temporary teaching job opened in east Winston, an area of Winston-Salem where Gabriel was rumored to be living. "I asked a few people...but no one would take a white guy to east Winston."
So, once he had the opportunity, Tim asked his class if anybody knew where Gabe might be. "One told me he had been burnt up in a house fire, and another confirmed that he was dead, then a small girl came up and told me that Gabe was her neighbor and very much alive. She gave me directions to a drink house."
As Tim explains: "There are no establishments for working class African-Americans to go downtown and socialize in a city like Winston-Salem. Drink houses are neighborhood places where one can buy a beer and people can get together. The proprietors loan patrons money when their checks run out or give them credit."
After school that afternoon, Tim went to the drink house, where he explained who had sent him and who he was trying to find. The proprietor sent him to a nearby housing project. Tim met Gabriel as he was returning home. "Where you been so long?" Gabe said. "I know where you want to go. I've been there before and I can take you there. I'm an old man and my time is not long. When I die I want you to promise to bury me with my guitar."
 Guitar Gabriel © Duffy. Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Duffy's time with Gabriel further defined the framework for Music Maker, initially designed to assist Southern musical artists struggling to make ends meet. From its earliest beginnings, its mission has been "giving back", finding a way to help--and to right past wrongs. Stories of "helpful" people taking advantage of those less fortunate are as common as kudzu. Indeed, Tim's early agreement with Guitar Gabriel sums up this common tension. "We had a simple management contract: If I ever cheated Gabe, he could shoot me."
Surprisingly, both Tim and Denise were born and raised in Connecticut. Responding to writer Kenneth Johnson in a 1999 article for the Charlotte Observer, Tim said: "I think sometimes it takes an outsider to come into someone's community and point out things of value."
In a recent telephone interview, Tim explained how he found Denise. "We actually met when we were in high school and then we met again at my 23rd birthday party in New Haven." The couple married in 1993. Lucas and Lilla, their two children, have grown up within an inspired and unique household.
In 1986, Tim's father, an attorney, passed away. Many of his dad's friends suggested that Tim keep in touch and to let them know if they could be of help to him. One of those friends was Mark Levinson, "one of the great pioneers of home audio," Tim says. In late 1993, it was Levinson who advised Tim, "who came up with the name Music Maker Relief Foundation and showed me how to fundraise." He also helped Tim put together his early musical sampler, A Living Past. Levinson used one of the first versions of that compilation to demonstrate audio systems in his showroom, generating interest and contributions to Music Maker early on. In January '94, Music Maker was formally launched.
In October of 1995--by chance--Levinson met guitar legend Eric Clapton at a small New York cafe. Levinson explained the idea behind Music Maker and some of the artists that Tim had discovered. Clapton was enthusiastic and within a few weeks, visited Levinson's showroom to hear some of Tim's field recordings.
 Tim Duffy with B.B. King. © Duffy. Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Today, the foundation is a well respected and actively participated in concern, one involving gracious and generous music legends including Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Levon Helm. That's just for starters. But the true lifeblood of the foundation has always been its individual contributors. "It's the $20 to $500 donations that keep us goin'," Tim says.
"Early on," Denise explains, "the foundation was much smaller. There was a big dividing line in 2000. We started the foundation in '94 because Tim was working with these artists, playing gigs in bars, trying to find record deals--doing whatever he could to help the artists and himself to survive. When we started the foundation, the commercial work was not substantive enough and people needed shoes, food, medicine --right now. And so, we had a two-prong approach: continue to get commercial work for the artists; and start doing some fundraising, to pay for these necessary things while we're lookin' for work."
From 1994 to 2000, a five-room farmhouse in the farming community of Pinnacle served as their base of operations. Writing for the Associated Press, Estes Thompson described Music Maker aptly: "The atmosphere...is like a hip welfare agency, fundraising campaign, and jam session wrapped together." Tim accepts the "hip welfare agency" rendering today, though many different roads have led them to where they are. "We're still very much like that. Guys still comin' by. No bureaucratic bullshit. It's very casual and businesslike. We don't kill these guys when they're lookin' for money."
In 2000, corporate sponsorships and a recording contract ended. This brought about a change in the way that the Duffys viewed the foundation: They no longer wished to be beholden to someone else's marketing whims. "We're a stand alone non-profit now," Tim explained, "We're working harder than ever."
Their move to Hillsborough in 2001 brought Music Maker within a short drive of Raleigh-Durham and the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill. "The farmhouse in Pinnacle [was] kind of a romanticized idea: we were starting this very grassroots organization," Denise says, "We rented it for $300 a month. We loved it. It was a farming community and it wasn't too far from any of the artists we worked with in Winston-Salem. But--over time--we did find it isolating, because it was very rural." Plus, they needed office space that was out of the house.
Following their move to Hillsborough, a city of 5,000, they began the process of looking for an office building to buy. Denise, the mom and "business person," explains: "This past year, we ended up buying something that our foundation could afford. I think one of the reasons we're here fifteen years later--doing what we do--is that we've always been very conservative fiscally, and have always kept really low overhead so that we could expand and contract as the economy allowed." In June of 2008, the foundation moved into their new building.
Denise, explaining her business background, says: "In my past life, I had corporate jobs in the apparel industry--when there was one of those in the South--quite a vibrant one. In '94, I was a little burnt out. I said [to Tim] 'I think I could help you figure out this 501(c)(3). You have to deal with the whole business side of this.' I always had an interest in small business." Denise says she learned a lot from her father, a real estate appraiser. "Right from the start, I started working with the accountants and lawyers" filing the forms, and "putting together deals and plans. I just found that very interesting."
With a nine mile drive from their home to work, the offices of their supportive cultural enterprise are "in a pretty humble office building on the northern edge of the Hillsborough historic district," she says. "It also borders a traditionally African-American neighborhood. So that's a very comfortable place for us to be. It suits our work."
Chapel Hill is where Tim completed his Masters. Within the Wilson Library there, Tim's extensive collection of field recordings and related materials has been archived in the Southern Folklife Collection, something that Tim is "real proud" about. "We go from time to time and speak," says Denise, "We do some events there. We have a lot of contact with the students. We really enjoy those kids--there's a lot of vitality." Some of Music Maker's interns attend UNC.
With two other full-time staff besides themselves, their organization may be small but their impact and outreach is extensive. With a core group of about forty "recipient" artists --those who get direct monetary assistance in the form of grants--the thrust of their work is devoted to older musicians (65+) whose annual incomes are less than $18,000. Denise admits that number was "pretty arbitrary"--agreed on while the many details governing operations were being established in meetings with their lawyers and accountants. "I have not had to raise that. The sad truth is most of [our eligible artists] are living on less than $10,000 a year."
Getting performance dates and distribution for an artists recordings is an ongoing primary goal. "We'll take this commercially unviable music like a Boo Hanks or Dr. Burt and we really work hard makin' the best record that they can possibly make [and creating] a professional package--so people take these guys seriously."
"Tim is a great talent," Denise says. "He's really great with the artists, he really understands the music and recording. He's very program and art oriented."
 Tim Duffy, Guitar Gabriel and Captain Luke © Duffy. Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
As the foundation's longtime producer, he has had many different distribution relationships with a variety of record labels. In the past, Mark Levinson helped get Music Maker CDs into Tower Records in New York. The ongoing challenge of getting distribution has always been tough. Recently, Tim got Music Maker artists into many Barnes and Noble music departments, albeit by giving CDs away. "We distribute our own stuff," he says, admitting that "it's been kinda hell the last couple of years. Our biggest current success is in France--Dixie Frog Records. I've produced a bunch of records for them."
Of the two Music Maker co-founders, Tim is the one who's a bit more in the public eye--the recognizable face of Music Maker. He's also an accomplished musician, a guitarist possessed with a good ear and keen desire to capture the sonic essences that contribute to great musical art. As a producer, he is that rare breed--someone who cares and understands the artists and helps them enjoy a renewed sense of their own worth. Discovery, economic assistance, performances, recordings and increased recognition for the contributions of their artists--these are among Tim's many passions, and remain the primary ingredients of the Music Maker recipe. They aren't the only organization devoted to helping struggling musicians, but they are special. Music Maker doesn't forget about the folks that they are dedicated to helping.
"There's so many good organizations out there," Tim says, acknowledging the good work of many different charitable groups. "I think what's different with us is, when we deal with artists, we have an ongoing relationship--most of the time--until they pass. They get the respect that they deserve of knowing what sold, what's going on and having access to their work. I think that's a different model. Instead of just giving them a national Folk Heritage Award and giving them a check, which is great. But usually, that ends and then there's no help on the back end of gettin' the artists gigs or work." At Music Maker, he says, "It's an ongoing family atmosphere."
Past concert tours have included the Winston Blues Revival Tour, which brought their artists to appreciative, capacity crowds in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Austin. Their Congressional Blues Tour, which began in 2004, rolls into Washington, D.C. every spring. European touring dates, usually in the summer, are a Music Maker favorite, with past stops in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Also, the annual Taj Mahal Fishin' Blues Tournament, takes place in Costa Rica. Blues and roots music legend Taj Mahal, another invaluable supporter and organizer, serves as consultant for many Music Maker recordings.
For area performances--club dates, tours and recordings--they do hire younger musicians. This helps with the heavy lifting--and also helps to draw younger audiences. "I can't tour with 15 guys over 80," Denise explains, "I need to have a couple of younger bass players and drummers to carry the bags. We'll hire a combination of young acts and older acts at different events. We find a lot of times that younger artists are instrumental in bringing younger audience members into understanding roots music and gaining their interest."
Not everyone is convinced about the importance of what they do. "When we explain Music Maker to people," Denise explains, "they're either all excited about it, or they just kind of have this blank look of 'What the heck are you talkin' about?'...You have to have passion..."
 Beverly "Guitar" Watkins © Duffy. Courtesy Music Maker Relief Foundation.
One of the things that many music lovers feel passionate about is the blues. As an accomplished guitarist, Tim is also steeped in Southern blues and folk traditions. And, he is intimately familiar with what is known as the Piedmont guitar playing style, the predominant "picking" style this area is known for. While the Mississippi Delta style gets a lot of attention, the contributions of artists playing in the Piedmont style are often overlooked and misunderstood.
In Tim's view, labeling the Piedmont as a "tributary" of the Mississippi Delta style, is just "White people tryin' to figure out what the blues is about. I just don't buy into it at all. The blues came from a long time ago and the music from the Piedmont region--North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia--it's a different style. It's not the hard driving Mississippi style. There's all sorts of styles of blues, from all over the country, that probably came about at the same time--the turn of the last century. So it's easy to say the blues was born in Mississippi. But there's no historic proof that is the case." We don't have just one place to point to on the map. In fact, "more slaves came into Charleston and South Carolina than New Orleans, Louisiana. So it's a big open ended question."
 Etta Baker © Duffy. Courtesy Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Morganton, North Carolina, resident Etta Baker (1913-2008), one of the best known Piedmont stylists, is a very good example of an important musical artist who enjoyed the benefits of her Music Maker affiliation. "Tim is just a wonderful, wonderful person," she explained to David Menconi in the Raleigh News and Observer. "I highly, highly appreciate the help he's given me." Etta Baker is perhaps best known for her songs "Railroad Bill," "Carolina Breakdown" and a tune widely popular in the 1960s, "One Dime Blues."
Another excellent Piedmont-style player is recent Music Maker find James Arthur "Boo" Hanks. As a young man, Hanks learned songs from his father, who played music after working long days in area tobacco fields. In 2006, Music Maker made the first recordings of his work. Two years later, Music Maker helped buy Hanks a new trailer, one with running water, up-to-date electricity and heating. "Most people, when they hear me play, they think it's two guitars," Boo explains. "I say, 'No, it's just me by myself.' They say, 'I don't believe you. It sounds like two guitars to me!'" At 80 years of age, Hanks had never traveled on an airplane. His first plane trip was for a Music Maker appearance at the New Orleans Heritage and Jazz Festival.
 Boo Hanks © Duffy, Courtesy of Music Maker Relief Foundation.
"This area of the country is one of the bread baskets, the Holy Lands of traditional Southern music," Tim says. "Compared to other areas of the country, there's a lot of musicians." It has been and continues to be a part of the world where the music and musicians are accessible.
 Benton Flippen © Duffy. Courtesy Music Maker Relief Foundation.
In the 1980s, when Tim first visited the area and became better acquainted with its music and musicians, he told The Charlotte Observer: 'Shoot, I was in hog heaven.'" "I still am," he says. "I just found a slew of new guys I need to go out and record."
In for the long haul, Denise says she and Tim can't easily look five or ten years into the future and figure out how things will be then. "We're all watching the news, watching how things are gonna look 5, 10 days down the line," she explained in October of 2008, during the onset of the world's lingering financial crisis. "A recession's gonna have a tremendous impact on our organization. First off, when you have inflation in basic life essentials, no one feels that more than the poor, because a greater percentage of their income is spent on those necessities."
In their book, Music Makers, the reality confronting their musical artists is expressed another way: "What seems to make the difference is not the amount of monetary assistance received, but that someone cares and is interested in their musical expression."
Being heard and appreciated is something almost all musicians thrive on. For many struggling artists, it's not about fame or the next big seller. It's about being seen and heard, knowing someone is there--listening.
In promoting rediscovery, Music Maker celebrates our cultural heritage. By bringing their artists to new audiences, the music is heard and given the chance to inform and influence our world.
Visit Music Maker Relief Foundation at www.musicmaker.org.
© James P. Goss, 2009. All rights reserved. Website by FCE Web Design.
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