Laura

Nice question. So's the reverse - can you be a folk singer if you sing well? The Living Tradition review of the CD I made with Mick Pearce said I'm not a folk singer but a singer who sings folk songs....

If you're trying to earn money as a performer, yes I think you have to sing well, but if you're just singing to enjoy yourself, you just sing. If you can carry a tune and the words, that's fine. Getting over the emotions and feelings beats classical musical criteria for judging whether a song works for a folk music audience.

Your dad was a great singer, who had a huge influence on anyone who heard him (well, on me, when I was a teenager, anyway). But you are you and can just sing what you want to

Kitty.