Jeri, that is an interesting twist - Why Johnnie Does play. Like yourself, I have tremendous respect for those that do and (as I would suspect that many others have) I have always been willing to give up hours, lend books, instruments or anything to help others get started and agree that it takes their effort to carry them through (and some as I believe is the case with one of your youngsters can put some of us older ones to shame - have you chopped his fingers off for me yet? ;-))

It seems a funny thing with folk music, a lot of us "old farts" really want the younger ones to be joining in and let's face it, recognise that they are the future of the music but most of the discouragement comes from their own generation.

Jon