We look through our modern eyes at some romantic notion of an era gone by, where music was pure, and the purveyors of that music altruistic ... and perhaps we are correct in our assessment - but then we look through those same filters at the music of another era, don't see those same characteristics and think there is less value.

When I saw the name of this thread, my first joking reponse was "Future music will be traditional music." Of course there will be new traditional music, and it will evolve (thank God) and it will look and feel different than that which we call traditional music today.

I already see it happening with today's modern hits; songs like the Beatles, In My Life, or Yesterday and songs like Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife or Led Zeplin's Stairway to Heavan may give birth to similar songs, and stay around themselves for a hundred years. They may become tomorrow's trad music. Today I see people playing these songs in clubs and around campfires, and creating new versions of the songs. They may not be what you and I consider trad, but many will evolve.

Maybe we'll be thankful we aren' there, too, for that future trad! But remember; tomorrow, we'll call today yesterday!