"Music created to sound like old time or traditional music but which were created last month or are created to speak to a particular event, political position, social injustice, etc. These can be wonderful and powerful but I try to keep these seperate from what I call old timey and don't really like "folk" as a description of that catagory."
The music has to evolve as well to live on and I like much of the new music being played. Some of it I don't like - a matter to taste and open mindedness I guess. I was blown away with the strong music The Horseflies played when I first heard them, but some of the stuff they did I couldn't handle at all. I'm not too fond of a young modern pop singer/songwriter trendy type act suddenly putting a funky version of Reuben in their repetoire and selling 10,000 or more CD's and everybody raves about this old time style discovery. However, even so- it does get something about the music in the mainstream for people especially young listeners to get curious about, and perhaps they will have the initiative to search out the really good old time music players and singers.
"I think part of the problem is that old-time music isn't at its best when it's just being listened to"
Well that depends - listening to some old time jam sessions can be pretty bad often, and playing in some can be just as bad. I have a slew of great listening old time music CD'S modern and old recordings that really turn my crank, and some recordings that are terrible for the average music appreciation listener - so I guess if an unkowing folkie gets a hold of the latter , all could be lost.