Rob Harper wrote: > Each caller or musician selected gets a travel allowance that will get them > to Atlanta and back.
Let me unstintingly applaud this aspect of Catapult. Too many showcases ask performers to pay for the privilege of appearing, whether or not there’s a credible vetting process. I once paid a substantial amount to be in a showcase for schools, libraries, and recreation departments, with very little return. And of course there’s the National Square Dance Convention: Every one of the hundreds of callers must pay the same as a dancer to get in ($60 next year) after paying for travel, lodging, and meals for 3 to 5 days. No one even gets a schedule grid unless they buy a $10 program book. (Admittedly the organizers have high expenses; the event is held in a big city convention center. They used to be able to spread the cost over 20,000 attenders or more; lately they’ve been getting closer to 4,000.) Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com>
