I disagree with this statement
"If there is no commercialisation to a degree then the artists ( whose skill level is phenominal nowadays) do not sell CD's or dowloads, do not get any air play, or show some booking agent at the opposite end of the country what is happening in the distance between Orkney and Lands end, do not stimulate us all to look at folk music in a different way or think, I am determined to improve even just a little."
people can improve these days by going on to you tube, and getting lessons for free
many of us have been looking at folk music in diffrent ways but making money has not been the motive, it is because we are interested in the music and been determined to improve not because it means more money but through a pride in the job.
I could have made a lot more money if I had decided to sing popular music, i deliberately chose not to, because I WANTED TO SING MUSIC THAT I LIKED, AND THAT HAD SOME SOCIAL COMMENT .BEING COMMERCIAL DOES NOT STIMULATE ME TO THINK.
Ican think plenty and take on new ideas without being commercial, furthermore if i never had another gig again I would still play the music i love, that is why i chose folk music in the first place,it was not to make loads of money