Hi Linda, thanks for your inquiry!

It's surprising how most of the Groups associated with particular states tend to languish.  Some I have actually deleted because of no interest for years, after an initial enthusiasm by a handful of members. Your suggestion was considered by several of the site moderators.

Rather than having a new group created, I suggest that you make a new discussion in the General mtn dulcimer forum, here:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/general-mountain-dulcimer-or-music-discussions

(click the plus+ button to start a new thread)

Put 'Maryland' in the title, and ask for others to chime in if they live near you.  You might get a good response, and you can always continue the discussion there as long as you like, if others join in.

Thanks!

--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Linda, proposals for groups go to the site owner Strumelia and she discusses them with the Moderators.  I'm sure we'll talk about your idea.  I can tell you, though, that a lot of the groups get started with a fair amount of activity and then go dormant.  Most of the state-centered groups are really small and don't have much going on.  When I posted about a month ago in the California Group to publicize a dulcimer festival in Berkeley, I noticed that the last post was me a year ago announcing the same festival! No one had posted in a year!  The largest state group is Michigan with 60 members, but even there the last post was 2 years ago.  And some state groups are really small. Indiana, for example, only has 12 people.

I am of mixed sentiment on this. I can understand the desire for a central place to find people in a local area, but I also fear that too much content gets hidden in groups and now we have too many groups with too little going on.  I joined the California group for exactly the reason you explain, and yet it hasn't worked out too well.

I'm sure Strumelia will get back to you.

--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator

As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie