Press Release

By

Patrick J. Demerath

Music for the Younger Dancers

The American Callers’ Association in its attempt to be of service to all callers, dancers, and associations has provided current, timely, and effective information on new dancer recruitment, winning ways to retain club dancers, and pitfalls that drive square dancers away for most of 2001- 2006.  ACA really appreciates the positive comments, encouragement to continue, and contributions from callers and dancers all over the country and from abroad to continue these initiatives. ACA will continue to provide information that will help the square dance community recruit, retain and retrieve square dancers as well as encourage the dancers to speak out on the cumbersome dance programs.

ACA advocates that square dancing has the potential to be of interest to all demographic age groups including people who are in their teens and are in their twenties. One of the problems that ACA views making it difficult to relate to and attract dancers from this age group is that the current music both Patter and Singing Calls are not using music which relates to these groups. ACA was recently notified that SharpShooter Music with its sister labels of Fine Tune and Gold Wing music is studying the possibility and feasibility to think outside the box by creating a co-op that will produce music that will relate to dancers ages 15-25. 

SharpShooter music is currently studying the possibility and feasibility to produce and deliver youth targeted music via CD’s and Mp3 formats. The music will be produced and released as both Singing Calls and Hoedowns. The music will produce full studio quality instrumentation music, which is designed and researched to appeal to the dancers in the teen age and twenties year groups. 

          ACA encourages SharpShooter music to pursue this project as a service to square dancing, which WILL relate to younger dancers and increase recruitment of younger dancers.   The music will readily appeal to youth clubs and may be excellent music for all callers to use when they perform for schools, youth groups and other social activities.

         SharpShooter music would like to invite callers and dancers to visit their website at http://www.sharpshooterrecords.com for more information and email Rick Hampton at rickcaller@yahoo.com  with your opinions and suggestions to let him know if you as callers and square dance leaders believe this would contribute to building square dancing.  

     The American Caller’s Association is very grateful to SharpShooter music for its initiatives in creating music that will relate to younger dancers. The American Callers’ Association is willing to share its recruiting ideas and work with all national, state and local callers associations to develop a simplified one-floor dance program.

Any individual, club, caller, or association who wishes to communicate his/her opinions on this subject is encouraged to contact the American Callers’ Association at Loulet@aol.com or Dr. Patrick Demerath at pdemerath@troy.edu. Please visit our website and newsletters @American Callers.com/news.