I'm looking for an easy definition, a destination of sorts away from the vague uneasiness that sets over conversations when I try to explain,.... and fail. It is such a widely used category that it seems like one could use the term to describe ANY music we play in our homes,....then again, maybe folk music could be music that is never actually played, but only referred to as a long past occurrence that we can only approximate.

If folk music is music that was never intended to be commercial, then we might save some money,...

And if we can write "folk" music, is it a rehashing of songs that SOUND old, or are the forms open to "NEW" expressions,...ie "whatever the market will bear"?

Seriously though, I would love some suggestions!