SAM, Southwest Acoustic Music, began in 1988 with a three act concert at the Paradise Valley Community Center. At that time, we called ourselves "the Great American Rolling Folk Music Revue and Medicine Show”. Our business card cited:  Rick Dyer - coordinator, and Maxine Jewett - snake oil consultant.

In 1989 we applied for non-profit status.  Recognizing that the IRS is short on humor, we cut the snake oil consultant and demoted me to the president of the Southwest Folk Music Association, under which we incorporated in 1989.  Finally in the mid 90's, the board of directors decided to DBA as Southwest Acoustic Music (SAM).

Our function has morphed over the years.  In 1988 there was a shortage of venues, so we put on concerts at the Paradise Valley and Deer Valley Community Centers, the Bank One Center and a Saturday night coffeehouse at the Dobson Ranch Branch of the Mesa Library.  We provided the music for the Beer Gulch festival and participated in the Encanto Park Folk Traditions Festival.  We also had our own coffeehouse venue, the Led Zither for a year.  All while publishing the hard copy edition of our monthly newsletter, the Acoustic Scene.

Suddenly, every coffee venue in town was featuring live acoustic music, so we morphed again into an information distribution organization. Our newsletter became a 24 page monthly magazine.  Then with the advent of computers, e-mial, and the web, we went from hard copy to our SAM Alerts and a web site, www.southwestacousticmusic.com, which is where you are right now.  With my semi-retirement, we are in the process of determining how best to proceed.

Maxine Jewett, President (at least until the end of 2009)