I like FA, and I go most years to present and enjoy. I love the people I see there, and the genuine love of music, and the energy. But one thing does bother me. It's the relentless marginalization of traditional music.

Just because the Grammys don't know Levon Helm from a traditional musician doesn't mean Folk Alliance should be making the same mistake.

Just because the Grammys turn the "traditional folk" category into a back door for any rock star who chooses to make an unplugged album and put a couple of folk songs on it, doesn't mean Folk Alliance should.

If "we" as the folk community can't nominate traditional musicians in the traditional musicians category, who will? Why should anyone? We've basically said traditional music isn't even interesting to the folk crowd, and we've said that any famous rock star who sings a folk song is automatically better than 99% of the traditional musicians out there.

Including John Wort Hannam, similarly, sends the message that any singer-songwriter who puts a mandolin in his arrangements is not only a traditional folk musician, but a better traditional folk musician than...well, than any actual traditional folk musician except perhaps Joel Mabus.

I have no problem with Folk Alliance taking a broad approach to what "folk" is. But at least give traditional musicians one category!