A combo of House Concerts and jam (playing together or a sing around) makes a lot of sense to me. I see folk music as a social outlet, a chance to share with others. I see folk music as accessible music for anyone who wants it. It's worth it to work hard at House Concerts.
Performing never seemed like work to me. It was often exhilarating and sometimes very
difficult.

Did you ever have a gig where you are playing to an unsympathetic audience and while you were performing ask yourself "What am I doing here?" Then other times, in the zone, the time goes by fast and you're lifted up by the audience.

Earning a complete living as a performer at this time is damn near impossible. I know two performers who were making a living (not in the music industry) but their careers went bye bye when Covid hit.

Having known a great many Lefty leaning folk singers in my time I can honestly say that none would ever take orders from the Kremlin. This goes for the many folklorists, recording people and musicians I've met that the Left has fostered.. The connection with American folk performers on the Left and the former Soviet Union or KGB is extremely unlikely or non-existent.

Most of the aforementioned became disillusioned with the Soviet Union as did Paul Robeson
who went over there. I even talked to Pete Seeger before he died and he wouldn't even
accept Gorbachev calling him an "apparatchik". The Soviet experiment failed in a big way.
It's amazing how many people today don't understand that and are still fighting a Cold War.
Russia is a Capitalist country.