I find it interesting that we get so emotional over words and categories. I like it when people push against the boundary of a term, and get upset when autocrats who think they know exactly what a term means decide to restrict the music that can be be performed. I find it upsetting that a folklore group (The Seattle Folklore Society)would actually refuse to allow performers to perform songs they haven't written.

I posted a comment earlier (surprised it got no reaction) about how the demands for everybody to be "singer-songwriter" is creating song pollution---lots of songs sung by only one person, and nobody to sing other people's great songs---thereby ensuring that "traditional" music will eventually wither up and die--because it can't expand if nobody ever sings the many great, meaningful songs (traditional or otherwise) that already have been written.

I would love to see more people searching for and performing songs that mean something and/or reflect a way of life (past or present). An example? I was looking for possible songs to perform at the traditional music festival and came up with some great truly "traditional" songs. But I also came up with a terrific song by John Stewart called Draft Age--that beautifully depicts the experience of young men in the U.S.A. when they still had the draft. Maybe if enough people start singing songs like that, we'll forget who wrote it, change a few words and voila---a traditional song of the 60's and 70's.