Avialantic

Eco-Music:
If there is a more important cause then protecting the planet on which we live, I can't imagine what it might be. It's not just a matter of aesthetics, though that's good enough for me. Our very survival depends on Earth's components such as water, atmosphere, plant life, and the songbirds who not only entertain us in spring but provide far more effective and safe insect control than any technology, plus vital pollination (yep - it's not just the bees, though they are vital too). It's not that hard - sound environmental practices create value - new technologies, new jobs and good health among other things. Why was it patriotic in World War II to conserve oil and other materials but in the war on terrorism waste and overconsumption are not only acceptable but appear to be entitlements, used to justify the sale and exploitation of our public lands, rolling back environmental protections, and subsidizing the oil and timber companies in their destruction of our beautiful country? This is a music page though, so please visit my Tree-Hugging page for topical links.

Where We Live - A collection produced for the Earthjustice Clean Air & Water campaign featuring 17 notable artists including such notables as Maria Maldaur with Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson.

Al Petteway - The Waters and the Wild - I found this album at the Center formerly known as Horsehead - the Wildfowl Trust of North America's Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center. On this CD, Al portrays with his impeccable finger-style guitar some of my favorite haunts on both the Maryland and Virginia ends of Assateague Island, the Potomac, and other Maryland and Virginia treasures. Of course, you don't have to be from this part of the country to enjoy the music, and Maggie's Music * features other albums by Al Petteway and other outstanding artists.

Pete Kennedy - all of the Kennedy's albums are my favorites of course, but his solo album, Shearwater stands out with me for the title cut if no other reason. My first encounter with Greater Shearwaters in a Winslow Homer-like soon invoked memories of Pete's Shearwater and I played it immediately upon arriving home.Although Pete's interpretation was not directly of the bird, his music captured the bird's undulating flight perfectly, and there is a connection. Maura's enhancement of Faure's Pavanne entitled Angels Cry on the Angel Fire album also stands out for me. Of course, you'll have your own favorites, and you can find them all on the Kennedys web site - which reminds me - I'm falling a bit behind in acquiring their CD's. Pete and Maura don't get back to Maryland often enough and I know I'm not the only one who misses the old days at Columbia Lakefront.

Laurie Lewis
Laurie's Birdsong CD, as the name implies, features a bird motif, and all profits are donated to the Audubon Canyon Ranch. Among the songs featured, The Wood Thrush's Song epitimizes the plight of our song birds. This is a bird whose song on a spring morning surpasses any sound I've ever heard, a sound once common but now I wonder each year if I will hear it again as the Wood Thrush population continues to decline precipitously as a result of our careless destruction of its habitat.

RMMGA (rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic newsgroup) - East Coast (and other) Gathering photos.
is a community of acoustic guitar enthusiasts, most of whom are excellent pickers (if you ever have the opportunity to acquire any of RMMGA's CD projects don't pass it up!) but even 3 chord fumblers like me are welcome. A few visits to the group will reveal expertise, helpfulness, compassion, contentiousness, wisdom and folly, weird political views, i.e. different than mine, bizarre humor of course, and a most surprising level of civil behavior for a newsgroup. Oh - they get a bit rowdy at times, but suffice to say that in my nearly twenty years of online experience (remember acoustic modems?), there is only one other group that in which I have participated for more than a few weeks (AvSIG on Compuserve). I have met many RMMGA members in three dimensional form and they're pretty tolerable in person too. In fact, many have become good friends.

I anticipate that I will not be able to sample the output of all who are listed here so I hope you will investigate their web sites. I'm sure you will find something to your liking. Unless, of course, you don't like acoustic guitar music, and how could that be?

Sheli Aarden
Sheli showed up at RMMGA a couple of years ago, timidly plucking the strings and shyly singing original songs. Now she's doing her own coffee house gigs and she and her daughter Melissa both have great CD's.

Michael Brett
It's an honor to be in the same room with these people, let alone attempt to play guitar in their presence.

Gary Cook - I hereby declare Gary an honorary member of RMMGA. It's been an honor to hang out and try to play with Gary at Annabelle's and the CCLC in Lubec, Maine, and I can't recommend highly enough his CD, The Letter."

Rick Del Savio
Free chord/melody arrangements to 'White Christmas' and 'Christmas Time is Here.' Also, 'When You Wish Upon a Star', 'Giant Steps' and lessons covering arpeggios, scales, exercises and more. All free.

Howard Emerson
Howard has two great CD's and everybody's waiting for more.

Robert Harding
Our nylon-string player. Robert's classical performances are phenomenal.

David Kilpatrick - Troubadour Travel Instruments
Furnishing the wandering minstrel with stuff made for wandering, including budget priced instruments ideal for celtic sessions, campfires and playing at home. There's a link to David's music and CD's there too.

El McMeen
El offers a first-rate collection of CD's, concert and instructional DVD's, free MP3's and more. Look for his special Holiday offers and other attractions in the little white box.

Larry Pattis
"#1 on the Instrumental/Acoustic/New Age Radio Charts!" doesn't say it all but it's a start. "Hands of Time" certainly deserves that accolade, but "Random Chance" and Larry's other work are every bit as enjoyable. I'm listening to "Random Chance" as I type this.

John Pearse
A well-known name both for his music and his remarkable strings and other guitar products.

Jeff Sherman
sure glad Jeff makes it to the East Coast Gathering but it would be worth a drive to Ohio to hear his music

George Wirth
Where it says "Order the CD "The Lights of Brigantine" - DO IT! An outstanding work of craftsmanship in songwriting, performance, and sincerity. Don't want to take my word for it - visit and explore George's site and get to know him a bit.

Iain Matthews Perfect Pitch
I discovered Iain around 1972 with the Matthews Southern Comfort album and although I have more of his albums than anyone else's, I still can't keep up with this guy's prolific output. All of his fans ask the same question: "As good as he is, why isn't he famous?"

Leah Finkelstein
Had the pleasure of hearing Leah in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and immediately bought her CD. Outstanding songwriter, and solo or with her group, an equally outstanding performer.

Mike Nesmith Of course I knew of Mike from the Monkees but it was around the same time - the early Seventies - I was introduced to Iain that I was exposed to Mike's solo work (by the same friends). I haven't counted lately but it's probably no coincidence that I have almost as many of Nesmith's CD's as Matthews.

Eco-Music	RMMGA	Favorites
Sales of these items either directly benefit environmental causes or hopefully, will induce you to do so.	Music pages by my Rec.Music.Makers.Guitar. Acoustic newsgroup friends.	Well, they're all my favorites. These just don't necessarily fit in the other categories