What hat video?

Horn hats are great- look at my horn hat workshop page- It is a good way to get elementary school students to take an interest in brass instrument instruction. I think 100 percent of the parents asked for the names of instructors after the event in columbus a few years back.

Horn hats are great by the way. They are simply valveless horns and play wonderfully while walking around.

I have noted above that I do follow BBC local folk radio via the internet- the absolute best source other than going there. On these programs visiting guests have frequently touched on the following.

1. Decline of the folk club and rise of the expensive commercial festival.

2. Commercial festivals are too expensive commercial and have moved way far away from trad folk in favor of modern and singer songwriter- that is ordinary folk are being edged out and commercial names only get top billing.

3. We need more festivals that ordinary people can perform at.

4. The prices are getting too high

5. The legacy of folk music is not being passed on adequately

One thing I have noticed is that despite the decline I find there seem to be many local venues and folk clubs still and that their prices are very reasonable according to us standards.

Perhaps it is that there are relativly few folkies in the USA that it is a sort of trendy insider group. That will continue when there are so many discouragements out there- have more than one beer and your out, dont have a steampunk wardrobe who needs ya, cant pay tripple market prices for beer and food....get a job, not a pro...get lost.

Folk music has always done best when it included ordinary people.

This varries in the USA I guess from rural to urban areas. I live on the East coast in Urban sprawl land and everything here is more expensive. But trouble is that folkies dont seem to understand that expense is the problem and barrier to growth. However, the select group likes it that way......

Nothing wrong with drinking one beer or none problem is that folk music has never been tea totaling except for maybe in religious settings just read the lyrics fact is that there is a growing intolerance for anyone who drinks anything alcoholic and there is a greater intolerance for those who have a higher level of moderation than most. My point is that folk music is for everyone- no intolerance. I think that is simple enough.

Folkies I have met and I can say most of them have a very strong political adgenda, they want everyone to eat and drink right according to them and they even want you to wear good clothes and you absolutely must avoid the cheap corner bar. Heaven forbid singing to the riff raff.

We need to be open to everyone. If there is anything that discourages it well remove it.

Why not!

I commend those who have worked toward these ends but round here its not happening.

Conrad