I got started with ki hoalu thanks to meeting Mark Nelson in Seldovia, Alaska in summer 2003. He did a 90-minute slack-key workshop, and I was instantly hooked - it totally derailed my studies of ragtime and Piedmont country blues. I did some self-study via books and DVD, then made it to AMC in February 2006 for the first time. I probably joined here shortly after that, and have gained a lot of knowledge and interaction from folks around da 'patch. I too hope it lives long and prospers....