Just a couple of thorts. I once had the pleasure of attending a small-room talk by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Someone asked if he were distressed that he was writing in a dying language (Yiddish.) He answered that if you know anything about Jewish history then you know that there is a great difference between 'dying' and 'dead.'

Same here.

I agree we can help by sharing - encourage song circles, singalongs, etc instead of "performances." Start them yourself, or if you are a performer, step off the stage into the crowd. Turn the passive "audience" into active participants.   When you have kids visit your house, stop in the middle of dinner & sing a real children's song - "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" or "Hole in the Bucket" or any of hundreds. I've had great success with that.

I'm saddened that school music programs have been cut to crap - yes the notion that one can be "allowed" to sing just for the love of it has lessened - I hear that even in NYC, many attendees fear to sing in song circles unless they are trained performers. But that doesn't necessarily affect the production and spread of folk song.

Perhaps, like some endangered animals, the species will survive in transplanted milieux -- American folksong is big in Germany and the UK, eg.

One thing - the US has long been very rare among developed nations in offering minimal governmental support for folk arts. When you attend political meetings for candidates for office, ASK them about their stand on this. I'm pretty sure they won't have one since no one ever asks. Ask. [You _do_ attend political meetings and challenge candidates, right? Can't complain unless you participate, right?]

We ran a successful national campaign re sapping the Library of Congress' Folk Music services and another here in Florida on similar issues. Sing out! March! Strike! Picket!

Or sit back and complain.