No, Dave, I don't think that 282 has received sufficient answer or answers to his concern. His question may, or may not, have been xenophobic in origin but his point was numerically correct. The lack of involvement by Americans in their musical heritage starkly pales with that of British folkies. Ther are a preponderance of English posts because there are so many English folk venues and so few American clubs. 282 seems to blame the British, somehow, for American indifference. Little does 282 realize that there are thousands of venues for traditional music in the US which go under the radar of fanzines like Sing Out and, dare I say, Mudcat.
I have been a full time professional folksinger for almost fifty years and I rarely appear at clubs or big festivals. My audiences are young (schools, libraries, camps, museums, fairs and galas), old (nursing homes, retirement facilities, travel clubs, outings), and in between (civic events, state and county fairs, ethnic orginizations, shopping malls, company parties, country clubs). I have not had to be on the road for years. There is so much work just in my area, and I'm not the only folksinger doing these jobs.
When I lived in Ireland (thirty years ago) I worked in folk clubs throughout the British Isles and I loved it. The venues were many and the audiences were receptive. You guys have it all over us when it comes to the club scene. But, for the purpose of making a living without living out of a suitcase, Philadelphia is to folksingers what Washington, DC is to lawyers.
That Mudcat does not concern itself with the kind of jobs that I do, jobs that are more plentiful in the US than in the UK is, perhaps, why 282 sees so few Americans on these pages.
Just a thought.

                           MIke