Thanks to the management!

Music and tradition have to flow. We have to get songs and traditions through time-person to person, one to another and place to place.

Whenever we keep anyone from helping with that process we set it back and we have a hard enough job anyway.

Its bad enough that you don't agree with a group or party but why would you wish to keep them from sharing your music and what would be wrong with sharing theirs.

So maybe you can recite a disclaimer- The songs I am about to sing I love as art but do not necessarily agree with the content.

The art of writing notation, pairing it with lyrics and composing verse. Nothing political in that and that is what we glorify in music not the content.

If a person considering folkmusic- to attend, listen to, purchase, play, compose, sing, arrange.....ever says

"I would do it but that is music of people who believe "xyz" and is not for me"

WE have lost out, we have won nothing we have only discouraged others from appreciating what we appreciate.

Folk music is not a political party. Folkies should not act like a political party. They should remain neutral as a group but free as individuals. Once we are perceived as a polarized politically biased against any group we loose because it is not for us to consider politics- just to consider music.

The wonder of folk music is that it has risen above political concerns to continue. We need to keep it that way. As with the gunpowder plot. The celebration and customs of bonfire could continue because both king and parliament were saved by the discovery of the plot. When each took turns at power the customs could continue with the victor's blessing. What would happen if the political party you hated came to power after you had succeeded in booting them out of your musical tradition and alienating them from enjoying it? Not a chance whereas if you agree to disagree on politics and share the music it will have a much better chance.

A reflection on my personal history. In my conservative american household in the 50s we listened to a wide variety of music- classical, european, american, jazz. My father played folk music.
When Pete Seeger covered himself with the red flag hammer and sickle
a political barrier to his folk music was created. One had to look past his politics to see the music. He was banned from our patriotic household. I did not listen to his music till much later. Had Seeger kept his politics to his personal off stage expression his music might have been seen by more. One thing that Seeger has eventually done has been to try to perform the music of both sides of issues. This is important. This side sang this the other that. All good songs no matter what the politics projected by each.

Go forth and collect the songs of all people, admire them for their craftmanship and wonder you can do so without tarnishing them with politics or philosophy. Look to the popularity of gaelic songs. Hardly anyone knows what they mean in the mass market yet the artistry comes through in many dimensions.

I once gave a bartender a cassette of orange songs to play in a predominantly republican leaning bar in Baltimore during the break of a live performance. The bartender played the songs. The large crowd enjoyed them lyric composition tunes. Hands clapped, the music reached the people.....until a hot headed accordion player was told by me what was playing....he then insisted that politics was more important than art and ripped the cassette from the player.

We have so few listeners and helpers. We can not afford setbacks caused by wrapping folk music in exclusionary banners and political litmus tests.

Conrad Bladey
Peasant