This thread has got me to thinking a lot about who I am musically. I'm not yet completely certain

I have always been drawn to folk music. I learned Clementine (see thread of this name) at an early age because it was a "cowboy" song and I was really into cowboys. I also was drawn to the Robin Hood and Arthurian tales, but then had no musical sources to draw on.

And I, along with most of you folks on Mudcat, grew up with a lot of trad material; fairy tales and nursery rhymes are all pieces that nobody ever wrote.

I used to refer to myself as a singer of folk songs, but for many years now I have had to add the word "traditional" so as to differentiate myself from the singer-songwriter set.

Although I play concertina and guitar, I consider myself to be a singer first and foremost; I had a lot of songs in my head long beforrre I ever picked up a guitar.

Most of the folks in our weekly session both sing and play an instrument, some only play, some only sing. While most of the music we make is traditional English, Scottish, Irish and American, we have been known to do bluegrass, C&W, old timey, and a lot of contemporary songs written in a traditional style. But mainly, we have a lot of fun -- Tom