I find myself agreeing with Greg Stephens again. Degree courses in the wider aspects of folk arts are a different thing from examinations merely in musical expertise. I certainly don't believe that traditional music skills are picked up casually, and value greatly the input of people like Harry Boardman, Roy Harris and Martin Carthy, who gave me pointers along the way. Institutionalising that kind of mentoring within the context of a course like that at Newcastle is OK by me.

But what, in any case, would a certificate from such an exam qualify the holder for? Can anyone see Dick Dixon or Alan Bearman or Bob Berry picking their festival bill on the basis of exam grades? Would I have to present a certificate before being allowed to play for a dance? Like it or not, the paid performers amongst us operate in a market. That doesn't mean that the busiest professionals are necessarily the best ones, but it does mean that those able to put on a performance (which often includes factors beyond musical skills) are more probably going to find themselves in work.

To Dick: traditional music in England is stronger now than it's been for years, without any intervention in the form of exams.

When I was around ten years old I had piano lessons from the archetypal battleaxe music teacher, aimed solely at pushing me through a series of grades. It ground out any pleasure I might otherwise have taken in music-making, and it was only later when I discovered that traditional music was actually fun, that I began to take a pride in my own playing. Keep it fun, I say.