It's good to read what you've been doing in the Marion E. Wade Center,
Corsair_Caruso!
I'm one of those here who have written about music and Tolkien; and I've no doubt that many more will also be interested in your research into
The Road Goes Ever On.
I laughed when I read that you were able '
to help correct some errors in the Wade Center's transcripts of these letters, including deciphering some of Tolkien's less legible marginalia and some incorrect Tengwar!'.
Your reference to the '
lots of great materials' there illustrates the dangers of research; you can come across lots of interesting information, that sadly you can't use in what you're writing...
That's happened in any research I've done.
I also think when involved in research of Samuel Johnson's saying, '
The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man will turn over half a library to make one book'.
All the best!