I do agree that folk music has become too much of a commodity. How to market yourself, how to make a successful recording, and other business-related 'necessities' of being a professional musician, are all aimed at money-making. The troubadors of days gone by probably didn't have to sell themselves quite so much, and a successful song was one that people liked and/or wanted to learn was not one they had to buy on a recording.

Of course, when you say, "full time folksingers regarding the larger market in which we ply our trade," you're talking about singers who make enough money to be professional.

I sing in living rooms and pubs, in campsites and cars, and I very seldom get up on a stage. I've made less than $100 singing my entire life. I sing because I love to sing. Real folksingers don't require audiences. It's all a matter of how much commercialism you want to allow in your definition. How much money can someone make? How many people in the audience? How many square feet in the venue? When does 'performer' turn into 'star'? Where do you draw the line?