Hi Greg
I do think that there's been a great "turning around of the festival". The line for one is great. I'm happy that there's a Fado singer who so talented & she's local too & is, I believe, very connected to sea music. There a fair representation of both US & non US bred talent & some that cover non English speaking cultures that are approate to sea music & not just because they sung in a bar across the street from where a ship was being built. There's also a covering of the singer/songwriter/contempory genre & a heathly dose of trad. A new direction is the presenting of a few 'Fisher Poets', which is an expansion in covering the traditional culture of the deep water sailor. There's no word yet on symposium presentors but hopefully classical composers won't be listed. The advanced listing of a line up is far better than last year when even the performers didn't know much until it was almost upon them. That itself states that the festival is healthy & strong & being well (or the very least much better) managed & that folks can now plan in advance which takes from the draw if they can't. It the this part of the festival that counts, that people care about, that folks come for. The workings of the festival doesn't matter if the festival isn't worth attending.
I do agree with some of your points but they should be left to SMF list & not a public forum. I just posted there. Maybe there should be a pre & post gathering of SMF at Mystic as a part of the festival. More of this on-list, maybe?
Anyway this year is a turnaround so I'm very excited already & am waiting to hear more on volunteers. And hopefully well being seeing you all there.

Barry