I thing the real breakthrough for me was the realization that performing has nothing to do with folk music. Once I understood that I set out breaking all of the "rules" of the music biz. I flat-out refuse to perform. I have managed to put off releasing CD for several years. I refuse to charge for music lessons. I only leave my home town a couple of times a year. Anything I do sell is almost always made available online under a Creative Commons license.

I make myself freely available to my students online and in person (even our Folk Music Retreats in Crisfield are now pass-the-hat funded events). I never try to market myself. We do sell a lot of books, videos and instruments but I take a very passive approach to sales – and sales have nothing to do with how I treat people.
As a folk musician I view my job along the lines of service. Day after day I work to help folks discover that they can make music. The people I help go out into their own communities and, bit by bit, the good will spreads.

Whenever other folkies make fun of how I do business I pull my health insurance card from my wallet and smile.
-Patrick
http://dailyfrail.com/