I am absolutely opposed to the notion that we can not return to a configuration of culture of society that supports local family based folk traditions. Stupid coverup to justify the status quo.

There is absolutely nothing stoping people from singing and practicing folk arts and customs at home except the deception which is commercialized music and the conversion of people from practitioners to observers- audience.

The concept of audience started as being localized in the courts of kings, tribal chieftains and warlords, Abots, bishops etc.....Even there in the 17th century and earlier many at court were still practitioners- they played music.

No Way has evolution excluded the possibility of a true cultural revival.

What you may find is that with out a meaningful link to cultures to daily life that the present configuration of rock star style folk music, stages, amplification, recordings and tours will follow the world economy down the tubes and we will be left with an emaciated folk tradition barely able to cope with the silence of the festivals that will occur.

So revival is essential.

What is the impact of the folk event upon the real folk?
Is it working to do the most important work of actually training musicians, installing songs of the past inventory into minds and giving life to the living tradition each and every time.

Or is it simply keeping musicians on the road and minimal profits coming in. All the while the costs limit access to what is basically an entertainment system but its all we got on a large scale.

Sometimes you have to do more than what the audience wants or what professional musicians say they need to what te tradition needs.

What does the tradition need?

Adequate transfer of the culture through generations and the most durable configuration that of a home and culture based rather than a commercial and entertainment based configuration.

We start by guaranteeing access to all for all public events then we make sure that elitism does not govern access to stages and venues and then we bring the audience into the home based culture and out of the performance entertainment chairs.

Conrad