"a style, of contempoerary introspective for lack of a better word easy listening singer songwriters not sounding like traditional folk at all have pushed their way into our limited traditional folk record bins and limited media and festival space"


I've heard this arguement before. Does it occur to you that the reason singer-songwriters "pushed their way" into folk record bins, media and festivals is because the community evolved and with that the tastes and needs evolved.

Sure, you can say that because of this change, people are ignoring traditional music.   Are they really? From what I'm seeing, the following for traditional music (in all the diverse styles that can be considered traditional) is still strong and people support it to the level they choose.

You have to remember that 50 or 60 years ago when there was a huge commercial interest in all things traditional, the success created the singer-songwriters who would create songs that could not found in the canons of the various traditions.   The initial interest in traditional music came about because there was a need to preserve these songs, and the popular music of the day did not serve the needs that some ears were looking for.

Interest in traditional folk music has STRONGLY influenced popular culture and we should be rejoicing that it is no longer unusual to see guitars on television or hear songs that deal with real life situations. The influence of the folk revival can still be felt, and there is NO danger of losing what preserved - and there is no danger of losing what continues to be created by a new community.