This concept for a self-sustaining Scholarship seems to me to be a part of the 'wave of the future'. What is offered here is a very basic outline of how it is intended to work. Although the following papers are copied from "Future Folk" Music files, and refer to our specific Goals, it is an idea highly adaptable for a variety of facilities.

We offer the outline so that any interested persons, groups, or facilities, can adapt it to their own specific aims. Of course, we would welcome interest in aiding us toward our Goals, but the idea is not owned by us, and is freely offered to any who can apply it to their needs. We believe that those in the Folk and Country music fields especially may need to prepare a form of future support for those who follow their path.

It is believed this type of Scholarship may suit future needs better than relying on Government or Corporate funding. Such funding is increasingly going to Science and Technology fields. As this concept is essentially a student-funded method, once it is underway, it offers recipients a sense of pride in being able to contribute to future students who share their goals, in a continuing line of succession. Hopefully, we may inspire some of our present performing artists, with successful careers, to use this idea as their form of 'giving back', by looking forward, and aiding some future aspirant to carry the Troubadour torch.

Initial start-up does require an initial fund - a 'seed-fund' established, and continuing operation would require an enduring Office of Guardianship, and a Promotional Team to promote use of donated musical works as an income-producing source for funding. These issues will be dealt with in greater detail in later pages.

What follows are papers from "Future Folk" records as the concept evolved. A full legal form would need to be worked up as fitting the particular facility applying the concept. Our outline is very basic framework.

(1) Creation and circulation of Future Folk music.

(2) Setting up of Troubadour Scholarship Fund, to sponsor young musicians/performers who have affinity for Future Folk concept, and a dedicated Troubadour role. This will initially be funded by income from "Future Folk" Music, when sufficient income makes it possible.

When sufficient funds are 'in hand',a Trust will be set up to handle continuing percentage of income, operating under original guidelines of the project. A major percentage of income will be applied to this Fund.

Some will have to be applied to operating costs of "Future Folk" Music. We intend to keep this as minimal as possible, having no desire to become 'big business'.The Scholarship is the Goal,and certain products of "Future Folk" Music, will remain property of the Scholarship Fund for fund-raising use.

(3)The Scholarship offered will provide a three year special education format, which will include three concurrent Courses.

(a)Music: specializing in aspects appropriate to Troubadour role of musician/songwriter/performer.

(b)Business: specializing in aspects appropriate to Troubadour career, as described above.

(c)Martial Arts: training in non-aggressive Martial Arts, for purposes of self-defense. This would include Oriental Philosophy of non-aggressive use, and the Spiritual attitude attending such training.

These three aspects of training/education are intended to prepare the Troubadour to follow their career with ability to handle life experience as it is in the present world. The latter two Courses provide a type of training/education often missing in the life of the artist, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation.

Due to expense of this arrangement, it is likely that the Scholarship will only be offered to one recipient at a time, every three years, unless the Fund grows to an extent which will allow an extended program.

What type of student would best qualify for this Scholarship ?

Qualifications for recipients will be based largely in the personal attitude toward their art. Are they based in a sense of 'service' to people ? Are they conscientious about the 'role model' influence they carry ? Of course, they would have committment to music career already established. However, this need not be developed to an expert state, so long as a basic talent is there, and a true sense of dedication.

"Future Folk" should never be locked into an era or a formula. It should essentially always be communicative. Simple forms are used to allow greater area to adapt to individual style, so that anyone can enjoy singing the songs. Lyrics should remain focus, and music be stylized as a proper setting for the words. This amplifies the 'communicative' quality. The more intmate the delivery, the better for fellowship rapport. Also, such simplicity of form, and clarity of delivery, offers a form easy to memorize. This best serves the "Long Road" song, as something that people can 'put in their pocket' and carry down the Road with them. This is a portable music.

"Future Folk" is intended to be in touch with the times in which the Troubadour lives, and also aware of the Future 'movable frontier' toward which they move. These aspects, and the very important dedication to carry the heart and soul of shared experience, as we move down the Long Road, are the main characteristics of the type student to be sought for the Scholarship.

To continue the Scholarship in a self-sustaining manner, each recipient would be required to contribute one artistic product of their art - a song - recording of a song - or other such material. This will be owned by the Scholarship Program. All receipts from use of such materials will go into the Scholarship Fund to sponsor future recipients.

In this way, each graduate of the Program can take pride in knowing they have contributed to future young Troubadours in an evolving Tradition. An Honor Roster would be displayed on premises of the facility hosting the Program, listing all contributers, and each would receive a medal of recognition for their part. They will also be recognized on the Copyright as creator of the work, although ownership of the work would remain with the Scholarship Fund. In this way, the contributer will be able to include the donated work in their creative resume`.

Periodically, a collection of these contributions would be recorded for Fund-raising sale. At any time, any artist desiring to perform these donated works, could do so by application to the Fund Guardians, and agreement to pay reasonable percentage of royalties to the Fund. This would be negotiated relative to the existing standards at time of application.

It is suggested that, rather than set up a separate facility to implement the Scholarship, it would be best to work with a College or University receptive to the Program as here outlined. This would ensure that each succeeding Administrator would be legally bound to implement the Scholarship in the stated manner. It is also thought that this type Scholarship might be especially useful to small, or start-up, facilities.

(1)An initial Fund would be required to serve until the self-sustaining aspect can begin. This might be accumulated via songs created prior to Scholarship set-up, with ownership signed over to the Fund. The success of this, as income-producing, would be dependant on promo efforts to have known artists record such songs.

(2) To successfully use song products for funding, certain points must be considered. Song products must be appealing enought to 'mainstream'to be marketable in a broadscale sense. They must also have a quality of human identification along Life's Way, if they are to be time-spanning. Once a concept of the thoughtful song has gained a momentum of affinity, this will be easier to achieve.

(3) There must be a Promotional Team, to make contacts with known artists, viable outlets, and keep the songs before the public. There could possibly be, within the facility, a recital program to showcase the songs, and periodically record a Collection for Fund-raising.

(4)On the Honor Roster, all who contribute to Fund-raising would be mentioned, including the donating students, showcasing talent, known performers who use the songs as an aid to Fund-raising, and the promotional team associated with the income-producing form. It should be considered an honor to be associated with an evolving Tradition.

(5) A continuing "Office" of Fund Guardians should be set up, which would act in guiding, overseeing, and handling commercial use of the songs for the Scholarship Fund. This "Office" should be set up in such a way that legal function and responibility remain intact through time and successors.

This concludes this part of THE ROAD SONG PAPERS. Two sections of the original collection of 1999-2000 were not included here, for the sake of brevity.

They are "Troubadour Trails", which is a narrative and song collection used to show how Troubadours might have used them, and a section titled "Lyrics In Search Of Music" - which included part of the "Songs For The Long Road" Collection, with reference as to how and why the lyrics came to be written.

These will be offered separately at a later date, as will other writings.

I hope you have found some worthy thoughts about the value of Folk Music throughout time, and that your appreciation of the Troubadour Archetype has increased.