Hello, I'm Stanislove, an acoustic Blues musician living and working in Seattle. I'm also President of Victory Music, a non-profit musical-education organization founded in Washington state in 1969, which hosts family-friendly acoustic open mics for everyone from nervous first-timers to seasoned veterans of the traditional- and acoustic music circuit.

Kids are most welcome (especially if they can show up some of us old pros; we love that). Passing on the music we love to new audiences and younger generations is what we live for and are happy to do for nothing.

Unfortunately, doing it for nothing does not apply to the services and certifications required to maintain legal status as a tax-exempt non-profit; for those expenses---state- and federal registrations, P.O. box, Dropbox archiving, Zoom account, ConstantContact mailing list, domain and web hosting, equipment storage---we need money to survive.

Before Covid-19 cleared out public spaces early in 2020, Victory Music had hosted as many as five regular open mics per week or -month, from Tacoma to Everett to Renton to Bellevue. These events were important revenue sources for Victory Music, whose expenses then ran about $3,000 per year. We were able to cover them until last May, when our bank account began to run low. Some Board members have been paying running fees out of their own pockets in a bid to keep the lights on; but that is of course unsustainable. Even lowering annual expenses to $1,000 would still leave us broke without your support

That is where you and your family and friends come in! Please visit our Facebook page and [www.victorymusic.org] to learn more about us, and perhaps add Victory Music to your Christmas- or year-end gift list.

Victory Music's traditional venues have been in malls, coffee shops and book stores, where children are typically more welcome than in taverns. We are currently limited to cyberspace for our weekly open mic, but it doesn't take more than 2-3 people to run one in real space. We simply need to survive to return to brick-and-mortar venues in the greater Seattle area. In the meantime, drop in our weekly virtual open mic via Zoom to jump in and participate. Every Tuesday from 7:00-9:00pm PST; Meeting ID [81044826067] no password needed.

Thank you for your interest and your generosity in keeping "small" arts alive! All the Best from myself and the Board of Directors as you enjoy a safe, fulfilling holiday season and prepare for a great 2024,

Stanislove