May I ask you to clarify your position re professionals? Do you agree with those who think it is wrong per se to make money from folk / traditional music? Is your objection based on the fact that, to make money, professionals have to promote themselves, and you object to promotion? Do you feel that professionals are de facto not workers so should not sing folk songs because thy don't live 'normal' lives? Do you only object to middle class professionals? Do you object to people who write new material in a trad style, because this debases and dilutes the real tradition?
I know people like me offend you and I'd genuinely like to know why. We're not so different in terms or musical skills, social grouping or even appearance. So what is it that makes you angry with us?
You see, I see a wonderful enriching symbiotic relationship between the professional and amateur elements of folk - which I believe has existed for centuries.
I don't see it as an either/or black/white situation either. It's a greyscale with people moving up and down at different times of their lives and in different activities, and I see creativity, promotion, gain, integrity and emotion bursting out at every point of the scale.
I belive that professionals enhance the music and enjoyment of amateurs, and vice versa.
I responded to Diane's post on fRoots because I'm genuinely perplexed by this resistance to professionalism I see from the likes of your good self, and also by the sniping I get from the likes of WLD and Dave Sissons because of how I was raised (something over which I had no control, incidentally).
I love what I do and I think I do it quite well, but threads like this really do make me feel I should find another job.
If your views are in the majority I'm wasting my time and depriving my family of my time and income for nothing.
You see, I can appreciate even the most dire perforamce for non-performance reasons, while also admiring the flashiest git on the block for his very flash. I can love even bad old songs for their antquity, and equally admire bad new ones for their originality. I can find quality wherever it lives, and all is fascinating and worthwhile to me.
I believe there's room for all, as long as the behaviour and the performance is suited to the occasion.
If money is changing hands (as it always has, sometimes literally sometimes in kind, in folk and tradarts) then the show should match the price, and all parties should behave professionally.
But if people are playing for love or fun, then rules still apply - but now they are about manners and respect - which would include being sensitive to how your performance is really going down.
After that, for me, its all about history and music and stories and community.