I just returned from NERFA - a conference for folk artists, media and "industry" people. The Northeast Regional Folk Alliance is an organization affiliated with the Folk Alliance. Approximately 700 people attended this event which was held at Kutshers Resort in the Catskills.

There were a number of people wringing their hands - moaning about lower attendance at clubs, decreasing listenership, fewer young people involved in the music and generally an older audience that is dieing out.   Peter Yarrow was there, and to paraphrase his comments at a workshop, he moaned that there were fewer songwriters creating songs of social content and fewer radio stations that would play that.

To all that, I can only answer as eloqently as the question deserves - horse shit. This truly angers me.

There are MORE opportunities for folk music to be heard then there was during the folk revival.   Sure, artists like Peter Paul & Mary and the Kingston Trio were scoring hits and more "folk" records were being sold, but the vast majority of radio stations were not playing folk music. There were commercial ventures that tried to make a fast buck, but you did not have the well organized coffeehouse and folk society circuit that exists today that WILL perpetuate folk music.   Back then, recording songs was an expensive proposition that required artists to sell their souls to record companies. (There were exceptions to that rule, notably Folk-Legacy.)   Today, artists have creative and financial control, and the process of recording makes it so much easier to share songs.

Folk music has always been a diverse "gumbo" of styles and sources. Today we are seeing young singer-songwriters that get a bad rap. I am guilty of adding to this myself when I make comments like singer-songwhiner. While there are songs and songwriters that are too self-absorbed, there are many songwriters who are writing exciting and important songs. Joe Jenks writes from the same pen that was shared by Woody Guthrie and Phil Ochs. I hear songwriters like Liz Carlisle and Anais Mitchell, both in their early 20's and writing with a maturity that Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan experienced. Put a fiddle in the hands of 20-something Jeremy Kittel and you know he has the respect of his elders, many of whom did not have the same poise and ability when they were his age.   Groups like the Duhks, the Mammals, Nickel Creek and many others are all young and exciting.   Folk music is in good hands.

With that said, there are a few areas that I think deserve some attention. We aren't singing as much as we used to. Folk music has become an exhibition sport instead of a participatory one.   I can't sing a lick, but I love to join in on a chorus. We need more open mics and song circles AND we need to encourage people to sing. Too often the folk community operates in cliques and makes newcomers feel unwelcome - sometimes for the simple reason that they need to use a song book to help them remember a song. Get over it!   Folk music isn't a gift that you can claim as your own - it is something that we all share in.

While at NERFA this past weekend, I also heard many people make reference to the "folk revival" - as if the music began being sung in the late 1950's.   That 7 or 8 year period was a commercial accident. The so-called folk revival began around the start of the 20th century when collectors really worked in earnest to save these songs. John Lomax's publications were a huge influence on the revival in this country. The Carter Family created the first folk radio shows and achieved success decades before the Kingston Trio began.

Sorry for my long rambles. I came back on Mudcat today and saw this thread pop up again, and it angered me.   I am so glad to hear stories like Janice's, and I know there are many more.   I attended a wonderful showcase on traditional music at NERFA. Unfortunately it was late on Saturday night and they stuck it in a distant corner of the hotel. The showcase included John Roberts (who looks wonderful and sounds better than ever!), Jeff Warner, Alison Lee Freeman, Mel Green and later people like Debra Cowan, Barbara Benn, Judith Zweiman and Stuart Markus joined in. While attendance was low, I was still encouraged because the people who attended included Mary Cliff, Rich Warren and myself.   Mary and Rich have HUGE audiences in comparison to my humble show and I know they have a deep respect for the tradition and will continue to offer it to their large audiences. So will I. The industry people at NERFA may have had other agendas on Saturday night, but I know the public that we serve continues to have a deep intrest and they want more. The finest music I heard all weekend came from that room, and I know the artists weren't upset by the low attendance. That wasn't the point. It's all about the music. It is in good hands.