alanabit and others, just to clarify, I have currently drafted a letter to the Folklife festival people about this very issue. They asked for suggestions.

It seems that each year at the festival folks with quiet instruments that wish to perform in a casual way or even busk are at the mercy of those who play louder instruments. Folks with instruments that have a louder acoustic volume naturally win in a contest like this. It isn't fair when you consider that the majority of folks at the festival play instuments that are quiet and are being displaced by the minority who have instuments of greater volume. My suggestion was similar to what some of you have stated. Turn down the volume.

I think if you play an instrument that is naturally loud that the festival should place those folks farther away from the highest concentration of performances. In other words determine who is loudest and find some other location, either indoor which would insulate them from hoarding too much audible acoustic performance space or distance them from the highest concentration of acoustic performance locations.

I understand that this year the bluegrass folks are taking the first steps to move away from the festival altogether by starting another event. They were the ones who were instrumental in getting the Folklife festival off the ground in the first place years ago. They've been having trouble with the organizers for years trying to simply get some long overdue respect. This very issue of volume has been their bane for years and no one at the organizational level seems to care.

Some of the acouistic folks have taken to amplifing their instruments to compete with the louder folks. Hence a kind of battle of the volume knobs has been taking place. The festival organizers drafted regulations against amplification and have sent amp squads out to quell the infractions but they've yet to address the issue of organizing the event by volume.

I'm certain they're shy of broaching the subject because it opens a musical can of worms. Everyone has the right to bring their particular folk music out to be heard and the organizers don't want to be put in the position of appearing openly prejudicial. However, something must be done. It's simply not fair that a handful of loud instruments should dominate the small amount of acoustic performance space available at the festival. It's giving those who play quiet instruments nowhere to play and those who choose to amplify to compete a bad rap with festival organizers. And now those who were responsible for creating the event and have supported it for years, the bluegrass folks, are thinking about uprooting and starting all over again elsewhere.

If those who play the loudest are removed from the one main area available to perform acoustically (around the fountain) it would vastly lower the overall din and open up that area to many more performers who play instruments of lower volume allowing a greater number of performances to be heard and enjoyed by all.

I'm not saying that folks who play loud instruments have no place. I'm just pointing out that their volume should not infringe on the performances of others as it presently does. Give those with the most volume an indoor location where they can be heard or a proper outdoor location to perform where the practice of their art is not limiting so many others.

This question, the good of the many vs the good of the few, is the basis for many long and drawn out debates. Here we go again.