Q. What is "awilder"?
A. It is a Yahoo group for internet discussions on the life and work of the American composer, Alec Wilder (1907-1980). The language is (American) English.
Q. When was the group started?
A. The group was started on August 1st, 2006. It existed previously as the Alec Wilder Mailing List, a privately administered internet forum started on October 1st, 1994, and it grew to 150+ members by the time of the move to Yahoo Groups.
Q. Who is Alec Wilder?
A. He is an American composer. As most group members will know, the work of Alec Wilder combined elements of the jazz, popular, and classical idioms. His compositions number in the several hundreds, covering every medium from chamber to orchestral music to opera, musical theatre, and popular song. He has a small but intensely devoted following, known collectively as the "Friends of Alec Wilder" and dedicated to perpetuating his memory and to presenting concerts of his music. The Alec Wilder Group (awilder) can be viewed as an electronic extension of these activities.
Q. How is the Alec Wilder Group organized?
A. It is a "moderated" group. The owner/moderator of the group is Ron Prather (email: rprather@brandxnet.com). All administration of the group is done through the Alec Wilder Group website:
at Yahoo.
Q. What can be found at this website?
A. A list of archived messages to the group and links to information about Alec Wilder (biography, books, publishers, recordings, etc.).
Q. How do members submit a posting (message) to the group?
A. Send it as an e-mail message to:
-- it's that simple (please include your first and last name). The moderator will then exercise his prerogative to edit and/or annotate a submitted posting before broadcasting it to the full membership.
Q. Why must I include my name?
A. In may online groups, anonymity is the norm, perhaps even recommended for the sake of privacy. But the Alec Wilder Group is not that kind of forum. It is a place where people exchange information, ideas and opinions openly, and with their names attached to their postings. It is also expected that ones first and last name will be provided in a request to join the group.
Q. Is it possible that a submission might be rejected?
A. Not likely. If it should happen that a submission is deemed inappropriate, the moderator will try to resolve the problem privately with the sender, in an attempt to avoid an outright rejection. It should be noted, however, that personal attacks on fellow members will not be tolerated, and such postings will be summarily rejected.
Q. What options are available for message delivery to members?
A. Most members will prefer to get each individual message via email, as it is posted. However, the Yahoo groups provide several options for message delivery to members.
From the Alec Wilder Group webpage:
if you have a Yahoo ID, you can "Sign In" and click on "Edit Membership," then under "Message Delivery" you can select any one of the following:
If you do not have a Yahoo ID, then you have automatically been set for "Individual Email" and you can change to one of the other options only by action of the moderator. He will be happy to make such changes for you if you make such a request to him by email.
Q. What are the advantages to having a Yahoo ID and how is one obtained?
A. In connecting your email address to a Yahoo ID, there are several advantages, including the ability to manage your account information with a personal ID card and to edit your group membership status, e.g., as regards the message delivery options outlined above.
To obtain a Yahoo ID, you start the process by entering the following address in your web browser (then follow the instructions):
NOTE: Replace the bogus email address by yours.
Q. How does one leave the group?
A. You can unsubscribe by sending an email to:
(hopefully, no one will be doing this!)
Q. Is the Alec Wilder Group a formal/informal group?
A. It is an informal group, a group where it is hoped that members might all become friends, not just "Friends of Alec Wilder."
Q. What are the goals of the Alec Wilder Group?
A. They include, but are not restricted to, the following:
Q. Where can sheet music and scores of the music of Alec Wilder be obtained?
A. There are two main sources:
For Wilder's popular songs, theater music and miscellaneous concert pieces (including the Octets and the Airs for Solo Instrument):
For most of Wilder's concert pieces:
Q. What are the titles of the major books by and about Alec Wilder, those that members may want to read or consult on occasion?
A. They include the following:
Q. What are the most used acronyms found in the postings to the Alec Wilder Group?
A. They might include the following:
Q. How should I make a correction or propose a modification or an addendum to this FAQ file?
A. Send e-mail to the moderator (rprather@brandxnet.com).