Singalongs and song circle are outside of my cultural experience, as are folk clubs.

Although I don't have the same folk background as others here, I wonder if the following points would still apply to the music and songs that you are talking about.

It seems to me that part of "performance ability" is connecting with your audience. Some people may have a natural ability to do this and may strengthen this ability. Others may have to learn how to do this. Part of connecting with your audience during performances is the "chatting up" your audience that occurs when you introduce songs or in between songs. At the very least it seems to me that a performer has to have some eye contact with his audience. But I also mean more than that.

I think that some people have the personality to be performers and others don't. No matter how well they know their material or their instrument, because they don't have the right kind of on-stage personality (which doesn't have to be outgoing but does have to be appealing in some way/s), they won't be good performers.

Much of what I've read on this thread is about knowing the words to the song and knowing how to play your instrument well, but doesn't r-having performance ability go far beyond that? For instance, African American vocalists talk about finding their own voice, or style (interpreting a song; making the song their own). I'm wondering if this is something that a performer of European and/or Anglo-American folk songs is expected to do. If so, isn't that also a part of learning how to be a good performer?

I realize that there are different expectations for performers and audiences in different music genres, and in different cultural populations. And I ask these questions out of respectful curiousity.

Thanks.

Azizi