Eligibility: The Cohen/Grappel Recording Endowment provides a Grant of up to $7,500.00 for producing an autoharp recording. Any autoharp player(s) or Group featuring the autoharp, that has not previously produced an autoharp featured recording, is eligible to apply for the Grant. An Applicant who has previously participated in a recording project with the autoharp in a minor role or a recording viewed as insignificant due to the age or limited availability of the recording, may still be considered eligible at the discretion of the Endowment Committee. Any additional autoharp players performing in this project must assume a minor role and otherwise satisfy these same eligibility rules.

Recording Project: The Recording Project will be professionally recorded and include at least 12 cuts or 50 minutes of music. The recipient will submit a replication and distribution plan for approval of the Endowment Committee which may be a mixture of physical and digital distribution methods. Normally, at least 100 physical copies (CDs) of the recording will be planned, and, along with planned digital distribution options, included as part of the recipient’s application. The Recipient will have one year from the date of the Award notice to finish the Project. Any genre or style of music is eligible. Autoharp must be featured on at least 75% of the recording. Vocals and other instrumentation are eligible and encouraged. Attribution to MLAG and the recording grant must be included in the graphic material that accompanies the sound files, in whatever medium is used.

The Endowment Grant can be used for all phases of the recording process. The Endowment Committee will issue payments to the recipient on receipt of applications for payment, in order that the recipient may make payments as needed to the professional recording studio, mixing/mastering resource, graphic designer, replication company, session musicians, etc., upon completion of each stage in the recording production process.  

Licensing fees will be eligible for Endowment funding, but it is the Recipient’s responsibility to obtain the proper licenses where required. Neither MLAG nor the Endowment Committee will bear any responsibility for failure to properly license any copyrighted material.

The CD Graphics should include a credit for the MLAG Recording Endowment. Two copies of the finished CD should be provided to MLAG for our archives.

An early bird weekend ticket to the MLAG event (in the year following the reward) is an allowed expense if the Recipient wishes to participate in a release party and/or lead a workshop which will showcase the new recording and offer sales opportunities.

After  production and all recording expenses are paid, advertising for the project is an allowed expense until the end of the Project year.

The Committee may withhold or terminate any further payments if it deems that the recording milestones are not being acceptably met. If the recording project is not completed by the next MLAG, the Endowment Committee shall have the option to terminate any further payments and to require that the outstanding amount already paid out be returned to the Endowment Fund.

Project Selection Criteria

Each year, the Endowment Committee will consider awarding a Recording Project Grant from the Applications submitted. Applications not selected may be re-submitted for consideration in the following year. Of the current Applications, the Endowment Committee will decide who, if anyone, should receive the Award, based primarily on the Project that shows the most potential for showcasing the technical mastery and the musical artistry of the autoharp. While the most scrutiny will be given to the autoharp performance, technical and artistic criteria will also be applied to all elements of the recording project. For the Endowment Committee to make a fair and informed Award decision, it is in the best interest of the Applicant to provide as much detail as possible to reflect the full concept of their project.

While financial need is not a condition of Eligibility, an Applicant’s resources (or lack of resources) may be considered by the Endowment Committee when deciding between two otherwise equal projects. By accepting the Grant Award, the Recipient agrees to the rules and conditions of the Recording Endowment. Unless stipulated by the Applicant, each Application will be considered eligible for three years from the original date.