Letters To The Editor March 2019

- And the Issues Keep Rolling in! - To the Editor: I have grown tired of the way people use the word “issue” to mean a problem; there is nothing wrong with “problem!” However, I am delighted with the consistency of the issues—particularly in newsprint—of The Syncopated Times. Thank you for your diligent and heart-felt work. David Sager Laurel, Maryland Thank you so much for your kind praise! And I feel the same way about the word “baggage.” “Baggage” can be a very useful thing. For instance, you can hide all your “issues” in your “baggage” when company comes over. Problem solved! - Ed. - Is Ragtime Unknown? - To the Editor: I’m constantly saying to myself, “I should make sure I’m up on my Syncopated Times subscription.” I suspect I am but enclose a renewal anyway. The title of my program From Rags to Wishes has been retired. New World Roots in its place often sounds a lot like FRTW, but I’ve made it somewhat more multicultural and usually sprinkle in music from the Caribbean. Frequently I’ll play something from Trinidad instead of ragtime. Ragtime had a great run in the 20th century but is largely unknown in the 21st. Few people know anything about it. Although I still play it and go to festivals, I don’t think it makes much of a difference. I won’t ramble on. Thanks for all you do. Mike Schmitz Carmel Valley, Cali