I'm curious about folks' opinions about something that has been touched on in this thread, but not really discussed fully. What about traditional music that is played in a way, or in a place, that doesn't have any real part of the tradition that started the music? Full band arrangements of music that started as solo songs, performing on a stage with a PA system, using electric guitars and synthesizers, getting paid for it, that sort of thing.

My own definition of traditional folk, being musical-based rather than context-based leads me to say it's all traditional music, some of which is played in a traditional way and some of which isn't. Opinions?

Also, if we use the context as part of the definition, where do you draw the line? Is there a way to know the original "use" of the song? Has the same song been used in different contexts within the original tradition? What, really, is the traditional way to play a song, and how do we know?

What about the evolving tradition? I'm from the United States, and as such have no chance of ever being part of the original context for English traditional music. Does the fact that the same English songs are sometimes played slightly differently in this country mean they have left the tradition, or just that there are now new variants?

What about variants that occur in modern times? I sometimes hear distinct differences in my playing from my source version. Is that a new variant, or am I just playing a traditional song "wrong", or is it no longer a traditional song, since it's now different than anything that was ever in the original tradition? What about regional styles of Irish tune playing in the United States? Is a Kerry tune still a Kerry tune if folks in Oregon play it a bit differently than folks in Kerry, or is it now an Oregon tune?