"I do think that someone genuinely interested (young or old) would persist past this..."

As I have. It IS hard work at times though, frankly.

A fourth factor which I perhaps should have mentioned, is denial. Melissa mentions people bemoaning the lack of young folkies; but when I brought this up on another thread recently a number of contributors claimed (apparently in all seriousness) that folk clubs and festivals were packed to the brim with young audience members AND performers, that folk music was more popular with the young than at any time including the '60s revival, and that if I didn't know that I should "get out more". Well, all I can say is I've been to scores of folk clubs and a good few festivals in the last 5-6 years, and it just ain't so. And I'm afraid I can count the number of people my age (27) and younger who I know personally, who listen regularly to folk music, on the fingers of one hand. If it were possible to talk a problem like that out of existence simply by denying it, that'd be great...however, we have to deal with the position as it is, not as we'd like it to be.

Melissa, thank you for posting, BTW.