Yeah, yeah, yeah - I can hear it now. "It ain't folk." "It's not traditional". "Nothing but naval gazers."

Bull.

I keep seeing the hand wringing threads about how we attract young people to folk music or how the traditions are dying out, or how young people are nothing but singer-songwriters.

Bull.

The fact of life is that young people, especially in the U.S., ARE making their own brand of "folk" music.   Sure, it is NOT traditional in the sense that older generations recognize it.   You no longer have middle-class kids from Brooklyn trying to sound as if they grew up in the hollers of Kentucky 100 years ago.   They are too smart for that routine.

What you do have are young people who ARE rediscovering where the music came from and realizing that in it's original form the music was meant to be a part of their life - telling their story or providing their own entertainment for their own lifestyle.   Is it unreasonable to accept that young people in 2009 are relating music and song to their own set of circumstances - reflecting their own community?

Woody Guthrie became Woody Guthrie because of the songs he wrote. His songs reflected his own life and the lifes of his community. While a Woody Guthrie does not come around often, are we to deny singer-songwriters their own opportunity to share songs that speak to their own community?

I spent the weekend in the Catskills (actually the Shawgunks if you want to be specific) at a music conference with about 700 of my closest friends.   I can tell you with certainty - there are some incredibly talented people under the age of 30 that are making great music. They are speaking to a community that has a common connections - poltical, lifestyle, etc. - and the music they make comes from the same tradition.

Check out Tripping Lily.   Go see Matt Brown. Ellis, Joe Crookston, Greg Klyma, Jude Roberts, Anthony DaCosta, Danielle Miraglia, and so many others who are making great music.

People of my generation and older always fall into the trap of expecting the younger generations to follow the same path that we did. We rebeled against older generations and then we are wondering why younger folks do the same today?   They are making important artistic, cultural and social change with their music - all flowing from a folk vein. Look for it.