The "folk scare" of the 1960s is what has had a positive impact on folk music in America. When I perform, I throw in some old folk stuff like "Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Irene Goodnight, Worried Man, and people are into it. They know the words, sing along, have a good time, and are entertained. It's because commercial folk music hits are part of the American fabric. I get requests to do MTA, Tom Dooley, etc., but I will not exclusively do this type of folk music. But mixing it in will help you interact with your audience because even the casual fan knows these types of songs.

The best and truest folk music is what reaches the casual fan.