Ron-
"Music that is created for a commercial purpose and not coming "from" a community but rather "directed at" a community. "

Now consider who's appearing at virtually every folk festival, and tell me that they don't fit that description.

To me, "Folk" (at least as far as it goes in terms of professional performance) would suggest a strong connection with the style (and type of content) of past traditions. To repeat what I've said many times, "Folk" is NOT a value judgment. I like a lot of music that I don't consider to be folk, and I dislike a lot of music that i do
so consider.