"No, because hip hop, raggae and punk are genres, while folk is a collection of genres, but is not a genre in itself. This also applies to classical. Waltz, march, aria, rondo and scherzo are genres, while classical is a collection of those genres, while it is not a genre in itself."

As someone else pointed out above, a genre can have subgenera. Thet doesn't stop it being a recognisable genre.

Classical music remains an identifiable genre, despite the fact that the music of John Cage or James Tenney sounds nothing like Handel. A programme of classical music could include everything from early music to graphic scores, yet still be considered classical.

Whereas a festival of folk music that featured Amyl & the Sniffers and Kanye West would be a bit unusual to say the least. I'm not sure those acts *want* to be thought of as folk and would want to play it. People would rightly wonder why it wasn't termed a festival of punk and hip-hop.

I notice you eleted not to answer my query that you quoted as to whether punk or reggae *want* to be considered folk? The fact is that however you look at it, if folk simply becomes a descriptive term for a process/model of music making then it ceases to be useful in describing the musical content.

I'll say it again, if 'folk' were to simply mean homemade DIY music making then it would cease to be a useful descriptive term: it would include, for example, all musicians who play classical music at home for fun. It would include bedroom techno programmers. It would include Lily Allen, who got her break releasing home recordings n Myspace days.

Were that to happen we would, ironically, have to find a new descriptive term to use instead of 'folk' with which to refer to the music talked about on this board. I wouldn't be able to use it as a useful shorthand/adumbration of the music I love any more.

The very fact that we are having this discussion on this board is proof that the definition of folk works as it stands.

You mentioned blues - I tend to think of blues as something related to folk, but different. Yes, you could call blues a type of folk music, but it's no coincidence that you often see the words "folk and blues". It's a useful descriptive distinction.