Brian,

I don't know exactly when your mentor programs started but when I joined NSAI in the 80's it was already there. It was part of the reason to join NSAI. Some of my first mentors were Sherril Blackman, Don Schlitz and others. It was not as an "official" mentor to the chapter workshops but was part of NSAI from the beginnings in the 70's with Kristofferson. I was one of the first people Gracie talked to about the chapter workshop mentors which were called "Adopt a Shop" but that idea was around for a few years before from Bart Herbison and actually Maggie Cavender had talked about it before that.

The main reason NSAI was put together was as an advocacy group for songwriters. So I am sure great minds think alike.

I did a JPF group in Orange County once and most NSAI groups have JPF members in them. The reason I started doing internet forums are because all of these people kept showing up and asking me to.

Like most things musical, there are a lot of similar ideas going on at the same time.

MAB