I went to the BCM Fest
()Boston Celtic Music Festival) last weekend. There were hoards of young folks & the overwhelming majoriy were between the ages of 15 to 25. The talent & level of playing proficenticy was top shelf. The singing was not on par with the playing. I asked my daughter if she had an idea of why. Her reply was when school budgets got tight, kids still play instruments in the school bands, they still taught music but choruses & singing classes were non existence. Also in my area (Bosto) there are some top notch music schools (Boston Conservetory, Berklee, etc.) and the Boston Irish music community is widely supported by Comhaltas (which has the largest brach in the world) who has a pirioty on focusing on the youth. This festival was orginanized, run & showcased by the younger set & most of the performers were young too. I don't know how they achieved it but it was one hell of a site to behold not to mention hear.
So I have no fear of the young taking over, they practicly run the music around hear. The session I normally go to is an older set of folks, then I started getting out & about to other sessions. They all have a mass of younger folks playing & playing very, very well. It was at these sessions that I got to see & hear all the young ones that I recognized at this festival. Last yr I went to this festival & knew only a few of the older attendees, this yr I knew about as many of the older attendees but a whole lot of those younger ones that I had been seeing around the other sessions lately.

Barry