While I agree that stagecraft shouldn't be valued over the playing itself, I do think its something that all musicians should pay attention to if they're performing in front of a large festival/concert audience. Just simple things like thanking the audience for their applause sometimes are forgotten.

Developing stagecraft skills is something that will happen as a result of the experience of performing regularly and I don't think anyone should expect it just happen naturally. Folk music has found a space on the mainstream music stage for the more well known and dare I say it commercial artists and if younger musicians seek that kind of success then stagecraft skills are important.

This is all comes back to the argument of whether it makes sense to present folk music in a concert setting at all. However, many people also seek greater recognition and exposure for folk and you can't really have one without the other.

pf