What a shame you've had a bad experience. The 'folk' musicians I play with have eclectic tastes - some are musically literate, some play by ear. I enjoy making all kinds of music and find the folk scene stimulating and rich. I've found the past few St Albans which I have attended to have a mixture of high standard and also allowing musicians of all standards to join in. I personally think it's important to aim for the highest standard of musicianship possible, but other people are in the scene because the opposite also applies: there are no restrictions on WHO can make music. Others, including myself, also find the folk scene stimulating on a social level - more likely to find people with whom I share common interests which include (but are not confined to) music.

I also play a lot of jazz and actually find musicians in that genre more closed minded and less willing to try anything. Doesn't it just depend on where you are and who you're with?

My dislike for playing classical music stems mainly from the lack of connection I feel with musicians of that genre - tend to be (in my experience) quite conservative in both musical taste AND world experience and attitudes. What's the good of being able to play in four flats if the music you're making is not part of a living culture? Why do so many clasically trained musicans refer to music being created now as "twentieth century music" - as though it fits in a neat little box in order to be dismissed on the basis that it is "weird and you can't whistle the tune". It's an attitude that seems to be instilled with the training that classically trained musicians receive, and also I think connected to being tied down to reading dots and not really listening to what's being played.

It's great that a variety of opinions find their way to Mudcat - but your distaste for folkies makes me wonder what keeps you sticking around. Why not find a site that caters (catters!) more to your interest?