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2021: Let the good times roll!

We are ALL starving for more positivity in our lives. I think I have something to feed that hunger fellow Musicians & Songwriters!

Just Plain Folks has some big plans for the coming year. Below are the first 4. I'd love to have volunteers to help out and expect me to reach out to many of you for help.

1. JPF Roadtrip Showcases.

We hold community Showcases in each town we travel to around the world. Each night we used to average 30 artists and bands. Though we welcome audiences, our primary goal is for you to meet EACH OTHER. We need to build strong community bonds and sharing a song and an evening in the same room, in person or virtually, is a fantastic way to introduce yourselves.

Removing the shroud of the internet, seeing faces and hearing voices is critical. You can assess where people are in their career arc and connect with those who you might know the name of, but haven’t met, discover a promising new artist you could take under your wing, or finding new collaborators and see where it goes.

We have done these events all over the USA and Canada and Europe and we will be adding countries from around the world as well (India, Taiwan, Mexico as well as South America and Africa etc. I am looking at you!).

We are excited to be doing this again! People have found lifelong friends, band mates, co-writers and even marriages have resulted from our thousands of events.
I plan to launch the first of these before the end of January on our YouTube channel. (Please subscribe to the Just Plain Folks YouTube channel. Look for the Red Hat logo).

2. We will be hosting workshops where you can ask questions of guests and they will teach important things like technology, recording stuff, songwriting tips, etc.

If you have the expertise to share, can hold an audience’s attention and would like to volunteer a lesson to get us started, we are happy to promote your other offerings in exchange as we've done with experts for 35 years!

3. We will be doing interviews and profiles of working musicians, especially those who are STILL working or making at least part of their living from music in these difficult times. We need to share any tips or tricks more than ever.

I am really looking forward to this. I have some folks in mind to start out, and if you think you have a story to tell, ideas to share and you can hold an audience’s attention, send me a PM with your story!

4. As we progress, we will be re-launching our Just Plain Folks Chapter programs.

Chapters focus locally, helping connect artists, writers and industry folks in each region. Usually, Chapters hold local events such as showcases and partner with local venues for meeting places and to help sustain those who help the local artist community. While the world is on lockdown, we will meet virtually.

We once had OVER 100 active chapters around the world. This requires volunteer coordinators who can help gather locals to participate and who are organized enough to sustain it.

If you'd like to volunteer to be a chapter coordinator in a city or "area" let me know. Even virtually, I think it will be fun and productive.

All of this is doable because we have done it in the past without any of the tools we have now. We had no Internet, Email or Cellphones let alone Zoom and Stream Yard when we started in 1985!

Want to be part of something to bring people together? You won't regret it! Join us!

Like our Facebook.com/JustPlainFolks page, join our Just Plain Folks on Facebook group, join our website Message Board at JPFolks.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel: Just Plain Folks. It is all free, so what are you waiting for?

Learn, Succeed, Thrive! We're All In This Together. Just Plain Folks