The oud (rhymes with "mood") is a popular musical instrument in many cultures from northern Africa to southwest Asia, enjoying the same status in these countries as the guitar enjoys in Europe and the Americas. The oud, which dates back to the seventh century, was also the ancestor of the Europeanstyle lute that had its heyday during the Renaissance. Many guitar players are familiar with the lute, but probably fewer with the oud. As the marketing director for Your World Instruments (www.yourworldinstruments.com) you'd like to encourage guitar players to consider the oud. Some might want to just explore another musical heritage. Others might want to expand their sonic palettes, so to speak, giving their music a broader range of sounds. Your task Write a brief email message that encourages guitar players to try something new. (Or something old, more precisely.) The people to whom you will be writing have heard from the company before, many are past customers, and all have opted-in to the email list. The call to action is encouraging these musicians to click through to the website to watch videos of expert oud players and to learn more about these storied instruments.