Q: How do you make a million dollars playing folk music?
A: Well, you start with two million dollars . . .

Q: What's the definition of a successful folk musician?
A: One whose spouse has TWO jobs.

Seriously, playing music got a lot more fun when I stopped worrying about whether or not I was making any money at it. I don't have to take gigs that don't look like fun. I can play any music I like without worrying about whether or not I can sell it. I can not play any music I don't like, even if I could make more money by playing it. I have a day job that I like a lot and that allows me do to things like take the cat to the vet without worrying about how much it costs. I'm fulfilling some philosophical goal of my own about folk singers being part of their local community, and about the concept of "full time professional touring traditional folk musician" being a bit oxymoronic.

Still, I rarely play for free. I like to make CDs, and that costs money, and I'd like the music income to cover that at least.

John Peekstok