Just Plain Folks Music Organization
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Just Plain Folks Music Organization (often referred to as Just Plain Folks, or simply JPF) is a website and community founded by Brian Austin Whitney with the intent of helping anyone involved in the music industry to network, share their experiences, build relationships, and grow. It is not exclusive to independent musicians or amateurs, as many members of the organization (such as Celldweller and They Might Be Giants) are highly successful. To this end, the community has many local chapters which meet face to face each month as well as members in every US State and in over 100 countries around the world which correspond primarily on line or via the organization's website.
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[edit] Membership
Just Plain Folks is home to over 48,500 members in 50 states and over 100 countries. As the organization open to anyone, the community enjoys a great variety of members, from hobbyist songwriters, to studio musicians, engineers, producers, publishers, and others. Level of professional exposure and experience is also variable; some members have considerable industry standing and have won Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards, Academy Awards, and other similarly prestigious honors, while other members have have no commercially released work.
The organization sends out a monthly newsletter, "Just Plain Notes", to all members. Written and put together by founder Brian Austin Whitney, the newsletter includes a range of material from essays and editorials, to general music and JPF news, discounts or deals, announcements, success stories, quotes, and of course contributions by members.
[edit] Forums
The JPF website has a thriving message board with discussion topics ranging from lyrics, songwriting, and business affairs to technical issues, music theory, and more. As JPF has chapters in every state and around the world, there are discussion forums based on geographical location as well. Of the subforums available, the Lyric Feedback sections are most heavily used, with a total of three identical forums in place because of the massive traffic they receive on a daily basis.
[edit] Just Plain Folks Music Awards
Since 2000, Just Plain Folks has hosted a large-scale, non-profit music awards program that has been run five times to date; in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006. In the latest iteration of the awards, over 350,000 songs and 25,500 albums were submitted for consideration. The awards are split into several general categories; the Founder's Awards, Song Awards, Album Awards, Video Awards, and Lyric Awards. These categories are then split further. The Song and Album Awards are given in over 70 genres, from more traditional ones such as Rock, Pop, and R&B, to less mainstream genres like Salsa, Surf, and Industrial. The awards are not necessarily run on a yearly basis due to the massive effort required to collect and evaluate all of the submissions, which is primarily volunteer-based. In 2006, the award ceremony was held on November 4th at the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, California. The next awards process will take place in 2008 and is expect to involved over 500,000 songs and 50,000 artists and writers.
Previous winners and nominees have included well known label and talented indie acts like They Might Be Giants, Janis Ian, Tiffany, Dennis DeYoung, Andrew Gold, Johnsmith, Susan Gibson, Jonell Mosser, Steadman, Rachael Sage, Michael Jonathon, The McKrells, Consolidated, The Kurstins, Mary Gauthier, Wishing Chair, Jennifer Marks, Jennie DeVoe, Michelle Malone, David Lamotte, Mindless Faith, SMP, Bob Malone, Erika Luckett, Cindy Alexander, Kerry Getz, Michael Manring, Vicki Genfan, Seth Horan, Noelle Hampton, Collide, Jody Whitesides, Kate McDonnell, Kristy Jackson, Matt Hamovitz, Leslie Ritter and Scott Petito, Cheley Tackett, Don Campbell, Tim Grimm, Soul Seekers, Freebo, Dave Nachmanoff, Peter Mayer, Marc VonEm, Willie Nelson, Lori McKenna, John Beland, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Jim Photoglo, Dave Mackenzie, E.G. Kight, Myshkin, John Margolis, Zoe Lewis, Harold Payne, Adie Grey, Eric Colville, Carbon Leaf, April McClean, Pepper MeShay, Dave Pahanish, Dave Potts, Tammy Edwards, Melody Guy, Steve Fox, Eclipse, Zen for Primates, Faith Rivera, David Z, NASA, L.A. Carpool, Lisa Haley, Kris Delmhorst, Anne McCue, Deb Talen, KJ Denhart, Jenny Bruce, Karen Ires, Ahmad Jamal, Wild Mango, Severin Browne, Steve Tannen, Greg Tannen, Grant Lee Phillips, Stan Ridgway, Holly Figueroa, Steve Seskin, Nancy Moran, Gary jules, Joe Rathburn, Throwing Toasters, Carla Ulbrich, Alan O'Day, Brooke Ramel, Amber Brooke, Sekou (tha Misfit), Ta-Ta, Ordinary Peoples, Spookie Daly Pride, Amelia White, Dave Carter, Tracy Grammer, Mark Erelli, Richard Berman, Craig Carothers, Spook Handy, Shandy Lawson, Ali Handal, Jennifer Tefft, Tomo Iwakura, Tom Kell and the Mission, Rivertribe, Amy Speace, Colleen McFarland, Muriel Anderson, Bayne Gibby, David M. Bailey, Bird York, Cynthia Biggs, Celldweller, SKAMP, Jane Jensen, Rachel Stamp, Liz Larin, Danielle Lo Presti, Martha's Trouble, Keith Sykes, David Olney, Eve Selis, Cary Cooper, Jo-EL Sonnier, Ina May Wool, The Poxy Boggards, Bonnie Rideout, Beethoven's Wig, Zak Morgan, Billy Jonas, The Animators, Bicycle Thieves, Lazlo Bane, Single, Fisher, Vienna Teng, Colin Hay, Jag Star, Jay Graydon, The Dreamsicles, The Kennedys, Kate Taylor, Marina V, Jenny Toomey, Melissa Ferrick, Kristy Kruger, Sara Hickman, Sam Shaber, Jill Sissel, Charlotte Martin, Carole Fredericks, The Soul Stirrers, Buzz Poets, Jimi Hazel, The Tokens, Michael Allen Harrison, Tito Puente Jr., James Lee Stanley, Kenny Edwards, Gabriel Mann, Peter Himmelman, Jack Tempchin, Scottish McMillan, Brother Luke, Two Loons For Tea, Paul Kamm and Eleanor MacDonald, Kevin Meany, Diane Zeigler, Danny Schmidt, Bill Danoff, Greg Tamblyn, Jeddrah, St. Paul, Cary Cooper, Sheila Marshall, Travis Larson Band, Adrienne Young, The Hot Club of Cowtown, John Davis, Preston Reed, Minton Sparks, Brooke Fox, Sony Holland, Eric Schwartz, David Peterson & 1946, Karen Bentley, Gretchen Peters, Russell Smith, Les San Culottes, Brendon Cassidy, Nina Storey, Angela Johnson, Groove Society, Darrell Scott, Mari Iijima, The Merritts, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Robby Benson, The Bicycle Men, The Saw Doctors, Prodigals, Bad Haggis, An Dochas, Vertical Horizon, Art Garfunkle, Steve Dorff, Cris Williamson, Lowen & Navvaro, BoyMeetsGirl, Ali Matthews, The Mamasitas, Mal Rodgers, Templeton Thompson, Jude Johnstone, P. Hux, Jimmy Bowskill, Jeremy Cohen, Mark Wood, The Innocence Mission, Supertweaker/Solamingus, Daniele Groff, Perry Botkin Jr., Jo Davidson, Amy Fairchild, John William Davis, Steve White, The Gypsy Hombres, Die Warzau, Donal Hinely, Nils Jiptner, Craig Taubman, Julie Silver, Cecilia Noël & the Wild Clams, Jim Gaffigan, Matthew Lee, Tom Kimmel, Tom Prasada-Rao, Nils Lofgren, Jim Femino, Grayson Wells, Gor Mkhitarian, The Hoo-Hah Conspiracy, Autumn's Child, Lou & Peter Berryman, Fast & Dirty, Jessy Moss, Danielle McKee, Peeland-Z, Ace, Sir Mix A Lot & DJ Girl 6, Biggie Irie, Jasmine Cain, Danielia Cotton, Samsara, Square, Entrain, The Dempseys, Kate Campbell, Poco, Victor Hugo, Woody Mann, Laurel Zucker, Richard Freitas, Queen Sheba, Tom Neilson, The Atlantics, Zircon, Christine Lavin, Lawrence Smith, Kim McLean, Techung, Kiki & Herb, Jamie Laval, Dr. Floyd's Radio Adventures, Aaron Rosand, Ransom Wilson, Hover Chamber Choir of Armenia, Spin 66, Mike Birbiglia, Solovox, Hungry March Band, Anne Heaton, Gandalph Murphy, Harry Manx, Bryndle, Kacey Jones, 50 Foot Wave, The Dazz Band, Andy Offut Irwin, Autorickshaw, The Sawdoctors, Storm Large and the Balls and Chris Young.
In 2008/2009 there will be over 100 different genres of music recognized from around the world.
Sponsors of the JPF Music Awards include companies such as CD Baby, Discmakers, and TAXI.
[edit] Just Plain Folks Roadtrips
Since 1998, the organization's founder Brian Austin Whitney has traveled extensively through North America and Europe meeting musicians, songwriters and music industry professionals of all levels and backgrounds. During the trips he often conducts interviews, sets up networking events, music showcases featuring local artists and visiting the many local chapters of the organization. Since the first trip, over 15,000 musicians have performed at one of their showcases. Visits have included stops in every US State except Alaska and North Dakota, as well as France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, The Vatican and Monaco.
During the local showcase events, any musician of any level is invited to perform a song or two, meet their peers and spend an evening making music for the fun of it. All genres are welcome and the shows often include wide variety of styles and approaches from German Death Metal to Polkas, Dust Bowl Folk to Inner City Beat Poets, Twangy Country to Space Age Electronica and more.
