There is such a difference between folk and pop music that it brings up an obvious point, folk music isn't meant to sell. It's an expression of a culture, a tradition of music that has an organic base. It's not manufactured for the marketplace. There are, however, revivalist folkies who would like their music to reach a wider audience. Nothing wrong with that. But to do this, they have to be willing to accept that they are in show business and treat their careers as part of that. If you have a CD to hock, you are in the recording business, like it or not. Even if not on hit radio or TV, the revivalist folkie must court his/her own audience who sees value in what they do. The folks at the Folk Alliance apparently understand this and provide business classes for folkie entertainers who want to build their audiences. But I still submit that this has little to do with folk music.

Frank Hamilton