Just a quick note to wish all readers of this column a very happy and healthy new year! May 2009 live up to the promise that is in our hearts and lets hope we can gather together one year from today to reflect on a year of progress!

Today (January 2nd) marks the final broadcast of “The Session” on WFDU-FM. I started this program in January of 2000, originally as “The Sunday Session” – an early morning Celtic music program. As the show began to build an audience, we moved time slots to enable more people to tune in.

As many of you know, I became the president of The Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club in 2007. During the past year I added a few more projects to my plate, including seeing my first article published in Sing Out! magazine. Not to toot my own horn, but I was also honored with a Folk Alliance Nomination as a broadcaster and I embarked on a few other folk related projects for radio as well as in other media.

WFDU was presented with an opportunity to produce a weekly radio program that will be underwritten by Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck. The best time slot to air this show would be on Friday afternoon, which would mean moving “The Session” once again. After discussing the situation with the management of WFDU, I felt that it would be best to end the series.

It was not an easy decision, but I feel it is for the best. Personally, I can now devote more time to some exciting projects that I’ve wished to complete, and I realized that much of the music heard on “The Session” is also part of the “WFDU-FM’s Traditions” playlist. I will most certainly continue with “Traditions”, a show that I created in 1980. I take great pride in the fact that “Traditions” is the longest running show on WFDU, and every Sunday Bill Hahn and myself present the diverse and exciting world of folk music to audiences in the NYC area, and also around the globe thanks to the Internet!!

I hope you can tune into “The Session” for the final broadcast today at noon Eastern Time. You can listen online at www.wfdu.fm . I’d like to thank everyone for their support of the show for the past 10 years, and I look forward to many more years of presenting music on WFDU-FM on “Traditions”.

One reminder – the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music club will kick off 2009 by presenting Cathie Ryan in concert on Saturday January 10th. Usually the Hurdy Gurdy concerts are held on the first Saturday of the month, but due to the holiday we felt it would be better to have the show on the second Saturday this month.

Tickets sales have increased during the past week, and I would not be surprised to see this show sell-out! Don’t get shut out – order your tickets online today at www.hurdygurdyfolk.org ! Ordering online is safe and fast, and you will guarantee a seat at the show! The Fair Lawn Community Center can only hold 170 people in the intimate theater, and this will be a unique opportunity to share an evening of music with the critically acclaimed Cathie Ryan. Hope to see you there!!

XM’s folk music channel “The Village” (Channel 15) returned today!!! It is great to hear folk music back on XM. Let’s hope that the decision makers at XM will not be so foolish in the future and keep “The Village” on the air 24/7, 365 days a year!! If you are an XM subscriber, be sure to e-mail them and let them know how much you enjoy “The Village”.

I must admit, during the hiatus, I sampled a number of other channels. I became hooked on their 40’s channel, which actually includes big band and jazz sounds going back to the 20’s. The Coffeehouse channel wasn’t bad either, although a little too “pop” for my tastes. Perhaps I need to try the decaf!!