"Expansion of the tradition is now being set back by a lack of understanding of the ways people are kept from it."

People are kept from folk events by mediocre or downright inept performers who do not engage the interest of the audience and in some cases, completely turn people off. "So that's folk music! Well, that's enough of that!" Whereas, if they hear a performer who is at least listenable, who sings the songs in an engaging manner, and who can give relevant information about the backgrounds of the songs—without talking too much—they are entertained and informed, and most people find that sort of thing an enjoyable experience.

People are also kept from folk events by having to encounter other audience members who are so beered up that they get loud, obnoxious, and barf on other people's shoes.

"Lots of barriers could be removed and new practices which transform performance to sharing can be implemented."

Like lowering the cost of beer, and thus increasing the number of drunk, loud, obnoxious audience members who barf of other people's shoes? Not a good move.

One of the big reasons I prefer singing in coffeehouses to singing in bars (despite the fact that bars usually pay much better than coffeehouses do) is that people drinking coffee tend to be alert and pay attention to the singers rather than focusing on obliterating their ability to think and boring holes in their livers. And barfing on other people's shoes!

And most of the singers I know feel the same way.

Don Firth