Thanks to all for your discussion here. You encourage me to think about the life and vibrancy of folk music and what I ought to do to contribute. Susette and I had some conflicts getting our CD Release Concert scheduled and we wound up with a date too close to make a trip to Memphis feasible. We plan to attend upcoming events.
    Ron Olesko's positive influence, support and discussion of the Folk Alliance here on the Mudcat has generated interest on my part, I thank him for that.
    I find that audiences are brought to 'folk music' by education and by the tapestry of folklore, customs and environment that give rise to the music. Susette and I play what Mike Seeger calls Old Time Country Music, and we chose his term to distinguish, but not separate, the collection of traditional ballads, early country music songs, and occasional fiddle tunes we play from "Old Time" and "Bluegrass". We strive to place the music in time and space.
    But I also find that 'the old famliar tunes' lie in the collective conciousness of those born prior to 1955 or 60 and memory provides an inroad to appreciation. Add to this the children who heard the records or performance of their parents, and those whose interest in an instrument drew them in and I feel you have a cross section of those folk music can readily reach.
    Beyond those potential audience segments its very difficult to brige the gap, I'm afraid. Here I come to my belief that we do ourselve no favors by religously dividing 'folk music' into subggenres whose exclusive definitions, understood only by insiders, is exclusive rather than inclusive, and thus less approachable for new audiences.