Major funding for Musicians in their own words comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Additional support comes from NPR, PRI, and WLIU-FM, Southampton, NY.

Special thanks to all the musicians who have shared their music and their stories. Michael Ramos, Abigail Washburn and Cyro Baptista have been generous in also allowing their music and voices to be a part of this website. That's Cyro scatting samba rhythms and improvising with animal calls, Abigail plucking her banjo and thinking of China, and Michael remembering a formative trip to the Pan American Ballroom in rural Texas. The music on the home page is "Cyrandeiro," from Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey. The "On the air" page includes tunes from Loteria de la Cumbia Lounge, the first CD from Michael Ramos's project, Charanga Cakewalk.

A particular inspiration for Musicians in their own words has been the late Keter Betts. His graceful manner of bringing out the best in those around him is a model for so much of what's most important in music, and in life. Song of the Sideman is dedicated to his memory.

Thanks also to the mentors, colleagues and friends whose generosity, creativity and expertise have contributed in many ways to Musicians in their own words. A few of you are: Jacquie Gales Webb, Jeff Ramirez, Anna Wilson, John Barth, Betty Gross, Wally Smith, Carlos Gimenez, Neenah Ellis, Molly Murphy, Avie Schneider, Kitty Eisele, Bob Anderson, Valeska Hilbig, Tom Huizenga, Barb Smalley, Ellen McDonnell, Heidi Schultz, Jeff Towne, Edward Lifson, Arthur Schulman, Elizabeth Eckman, Dmae Roberts, Donald Baker, Jennifer Deer, Shea Shackelford, Madhulika Sikka, Ele Ellis, Kathy Merritt, Joan Rose, Tara Anderson, Hawk Mendenhall, Melanie Berzon, Murray Horwitz, Johanna Zorn, Julie Shapiro, Diane Brace, Michael Arnold, René Marie, Todd Holzman, Laura Bertran, Fred Wasser, Robin Gradison, Walter Watson, Steve Lickteig, Alice Winkler, Flawn Williams, Keith Weston, John Dankosky, Steve Yasko, Mikel Ellcessor, Felix Contreras, Rick Mattioni, Bill Miller, David Furst, Marc Steiner, Aaron Henkin, BH Hudson, Barrett Golding, Mike Rosensky and Anne Eckman.

And special thanks to these public radio stations: WAMU, KUT, WFUV, WVTF, WCVE, KCSM, WNCU, WUNC, WLIU, WBEZ, KUOW, KLCC, KNAU, WVPE, WNCW, WYPR, WTMD and WNPR.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Cyro Baptista image: Eleanora Alberto
Cecilia Bartoli images: Decca/Simon Fowler
Camille images: Banu Cennetoglu
Jerry Douglas image: McLachlan Management International
Renee Fleming image: Decca/Lord Snowdon
Clarence Fountain image: Steve Sherman
Albert Kuvezin image: Hayden Voigh
Yo-Yo Ma image: Michael O’Neill
Christian McBride image: John Abbott
Michael Ramos images: Triloka Records/Michael Ramos
Ernest Ranglin images: Telarc/Richard Mallory Allnutt
Poncho Sanchez images: Berkeley Agency
Arturo Sandoval image: Telarc/Michael Kane
Joseph Shabalala image: Heads Up Records
Abigail Washburn images: Bob Delevante

Many thanks to all the artists' agents and publicists for the use of these photos, and for doing so much behind the scenes to make things go smoothly with the Musicians in their own words interviews.