Did I ever get a surprise when I tried sweetbreads! I also sent back the chicken fried steak thinking they left out the chicken!   Of course, I did breathe a sigh of relief when the waiter explained what spotted dick actually was made of.

Look, I do understand the concerns and it pisses me off that traditional music does not get more exposure at these events. As a radio host, I find it nearly impossible to please an audience these days - if I focused soley on the music that all of us (including myself) grew up with as true "folk" music, I could probably fit the entire audience into a studio. Not that I pander to prevailing tastes - I happen to see a connection and I happen to feel that there are important songs that should be heard. I am finding it easier to blend both. Deb made a good point, there does seem to be a reluctance from artists to dip into the traditional songbook of our country, but I do see signs that is changing. Groups like Crooked Still might not be to your liking, but they keep it alive.

While someone in this discussion accused me of being an apologist, I do see the "fit" that contemporary songwriters have in the tradition.   The American Heritage definition, #1, describes music made by a common people of a region or country, passed down through an oral tradition.   Well, the audiences AND the musicians that support contemporary singer-songwriters are part of that "common people" of a very distinct region - it is just that the region is no longer defined by geography and it utilizes tools that were not available years ago.   There is a distinction between this and "popular" music.   When Bat Goddess said that much of what is being written "in the style of traditional folk" - I have to ask, what tradition? There are many, and new traditions evolve.

I realize that this discussion was not meant to define folk, and I do understand Barry's point of view much more clearly than when we first began this discussion.   I am just of an opinion that this is not an issue that will bring doom and gloom the the "traditions" and that traditional folk music styles will remain active and preserved for future generations.    Traditional folk music was not meant to be an exhibition sport anyway, and if people like Barry and others can keep it alive through weekly sessions and sings, then we are indeed lucky.