Wow, there's a wealth of information here. M.Ted makes a good point. How will folk music thrive in a world of electronics? That's an interesting question and I think that we already have some examples today. About a week ago I picked up an album by Mary Jane Lamond....which is one of the most incredible albums I've ever heard. She researches the Gaelic folk music of Cape Breton and sets them to "rock or pop" accompaniments. Very interesting...and the singing is not obscured in any way. This is just one examples but there are many modern groups who are passing on folk music. It's funny because my parents play in a popular Celtic folk group here in Niagara and students among their 20's are the biggest audience. A lot of my friends now know all the words to the music that I grew up with in my household because my parents have set in an a venue that is popular for "younger" people. (age is all in your head...LOL) I am convinced that traditional folk music will continue because people are getting bored with the pop crap that comes out on the radio. I myself am 22...have a degree in classical music performance and musicology...but am now devoting all my energies to researching and performing Irish and Canadian folk music. Families no longer get together to sing....it's hard to get people to sing at all anymore (maybe we should have traditional folk music kareoke) but we need to find new venues. Like I said all my friends seem to think its okay to belt out Irish folk tunes with my parents at the local pub....and those pubs are crowded!!! Matthew Adams