I'm lucky enough to live in Seattle, a veritable Mecca of folk music. There are multiple dances, open mics, jams, sessions, and concerts every evening. If you went to the mainstream media to find it, you would assume there was no folk music here.

What is the measure of success? What is the definition of a market? In Seattle there is a huge Irish contingent, thousands of singer-songwriters, tons of Balkan players and dancers, bluegrass everywhere you turn, world music, Scandinavian music and dance on tap, a lively blues scene, hundreds of old-time banjo players, Asian music galore, South American, Native American, Cuban. And everything in between and around the edges. I call it extremely successful and a vast market, even though no one is making any money at it. A large majority of folk music events are participatory; perhaps this is why, compared to other genres of music and dance, folk isn't a mass market. I wish it was easier for the outsider to find, but anyone who looks for a few days will find the door.

I hope that anyone waiting for normal folk music to fill football stadiums isn't holding their breath.

John