A university is a source of unified collected information. It's what you do with that information that counts. To have it made available is to my knowledge a gift to those who are interested in folk music.

I will say this in my experience. Folk music has become a kind of show business where self-styled pundits decide what is legitimate and audiences determine what they think is folk music and support the artists that fit into their classification.

The Woody Guthrie that I knew was open to a variety of different kind of musics if it didn't rely on commercialization to make it happen. In short, if it just wasn't a cash crop. He identified any music that he thought was sincere and from the heart.

There is no reason why this kind of approach can't be taken in the context of a learning center (centre) and the people who have been motivated to explore information regarding folk music in my opinion offer more than those who try to emulate life-styles for which they didn't come by naturally.

As an educator for most of my life (co-founder of the Old Town School of Folk Music) I believe that any center (centre) of learning is to be supported enthusiastically by anyone who cares about the subject of folk music.

Another tremendous advantage of a university of this nature is that it applies a realistic attitude and training for people trying to make it in the music field, something that most music academies associated with universities seem to lack. I like their approach to contemporary and commercial music. Why not have a place whereby this kind of expression can be elevated through informed students?

Way to go! I congratulate the university and the grad students!

Frank Hamilton