Thanks Wilco48,

Sometimes in a class I will stop playing altogether and just sing. This way the people in the class can see that they can make music by themselves and not have to rely on a "leader". As soon as the class sees that, the levels of skill are increased. It's funny how even a teacher can inadvertently intimidate a student by their proficiency on an instrument. Sometimes I remember that as a teacher I am also a student. The idea is not to make great soloists but to have people experience the joy of making music together. The beauty of folk music is that this can be done on a simple level.

Frank