Yeah, that's it to me. Folk music is what the folks do. whenever someone grabs his git or whatever he does at the camp fire or maybe at home, and others listen to it and join in and deliver some other pieces of music, then it's folk music. there may be some traditional styles or song heritage. but don't forget o'carolan was a court musician, like orlando di lasso or haendel. vivid folk music reflects "commercial" or "main stream" music and blends it with everything allready contained in it. and in the end you will find that songs by modern pop artists have become a part of folk culture in the same way songs of steven c. foster or some dead middle age court poet are.