Exactly, Jack (who IS called Jack).

Over-simplification and narrowing of the definition cause far more damage to the body of traditional music than any over-broad definition ever could. Ask the hypothetical person-on-the-street what they think of "folk music" and one likely response is "Oh, you mean like campfire songs . . . 'May the Circle be Unbroken' and 'Down in the Valley." and another is "Oh, protest music . . . Bob Dylan and Donovan (or something)" That's the result of a overly narrow definition. Both of those little nitches are folk music of a sort, but by no means exhaust all the incredible variety. So I'd rather see Jewel and Shawn Colvin marketed as "folk-singers" than cultivate some kind of hyper-exclusivity that would lead people who haven't been exposed to think that "folk music" is some kind of archaic, long-dead form.

B.