Well Dan, as another child of the revival period, short as it was, I think it does qualify as a culture or subculture, and has in the U.S. anyway become a tradition. I know it takes longer in the U.K. for something to become a tradition.

Like you, family was my earliest influence, the earliest being my Great-Great-Uncle Brad who played banjo, but after that it was the groups of the late 50's, Kingston Trio, Limelighters, followed by Dylan, Lightfoot, Mitchell, Ian Tyson, Tom Rush et. al.

I think what made it a tradition for me was sitting in foxholes in Vietnam, playing guitar and singing anti-war songs. I couldn't count the number of times we all sang "Where have all the Flowers Gone" and the like. The U.S. may have moved on to the Beatles and Stones but everybody knew "Charlie on the MTA" and "Puff the Magic Dragon".

I'm 61 now and that's still "My music", although I play other stuff too, classical and jazz. Left alone, I'll go back to the "Flowers "or "Early Morning Rain" or "Four Strong Winds" I won't appologize for it.