I've been lurking for the past week or so, and I figured that it's high time I post something. I'm new not only to this community, but to folk music in general. Ken Schatz has been gradually introducing me to these gorgeous songs for the past few months, and I've recently fallen madly in love with the songs, the sound, the style, and the community as a whole. I was actually at last night's wonderful shanty sing at South St. Seaport - thank you to anyone who attended for a lovely evening of song.

I think that this is a good time for introducing young people to traditional folk and enhancing the community. I'm a seventeen year old high school senior, and though I've never been quite the average teenager in my musical tastes, I immediatly appreciated this music and quickly fell in love with it. I shared a few songs with a friend, who shared a few songs with her friend, who shared a few songs with his friend, and they quickly came to the collective realization that if they're going to drink beer and stare at the Charles River, they may as well sing some shantys while they're at it. They're currently in the process of forming a folk music society at Berklee College. There's also a new traditional music ensemble at the University of Connecticut, if the flyers littering the music building are to be trusted. It may sound absurd, but because of that silly Pirates of the Carribean movie a few years ago, pirates are very "in" right now. My sister is the president of the Harvard Pops Orchestra, and they're doing a pirate themed concert next month that might (if I can successfully convince her) include a few shantys. When I play shantys for friends or talk to them about it, they immediatly get excited because, well, they like pirates (I invited a friend to last night's shanty sing, and her response was "Ooh! Can I wear a peg leg?!"). It may be a little silly, but I think it would be possible to take advantage of the pirate frenzy and start introducing more young people to traditional music. There is an audience out there for it. Exceedingly good songs are exceedingly good songs, you know? We just need to be introduced to them.

So...thanks for keeping the songs alive and for sharing your extensive knowledge. I look forward to learning more beautiful, thrilling songs and the history behind them and becoming a part of this wonderful, vibrant community.