All of the above is true. BUT,the problem that I see today is that everyone is so enamored of the songs that THEY are writing, that they have forgotten to sing the songs that came before.It's fine to do your own stuff but audiences like things that they have heard before. It makes them feel that they are a part of the performance.We have a big problem with that here in Florida with "Florida Song Writers". Everybody seems to think that they have to do only "Florida" songs that they have written and to have a new batch for each festival. There are fewer and fewer of us doing waht I would call covers or traditional folk. Writing your own stuff is good (I write) but lets not forget the old songs.After all, they got to be old because they were good and not vice versa. troll