Matthew,

Definitions of Folk come and go, but I am surprised that this thread has got this far without a single mention of The Digital Tradition collection.

It would be well worth your while to download it and study it as it reference previous collections and includes modern works.

By the time that you have studied its many thousand songs, some of your questions may have been answered.

Personally, I don't believe in STUDYING folk music I think that we should be out there singing and playing whatever WE think is folk music.

Joan t W.