I hope this isn't too "all-encompassing." Here goes.

I have recently been reviewing my CDs with two goals. One is to enjoy my music and evade the horrifying news that permeates the media these days. The other is to look for songs and stories that I might perform for youngsters when I volunteer my, um, "talents" in the schools.

Some of the songs I have unearthed--yes, "unearthed" is the proper term--include:

Wimoweh
This Land Is Your Land
Reuben James
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Blowin in the Wind
Where Have All The Flowers Gone
Aragon Mill
Early Morning Rain
Country Roads
The John Birch Society
The Universal Soldier
Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
Whistlin Gypsy
Hard Travelin
Down The Road
Roseville Fair
Catch the Wind
The Last Thing on My Mind
The Marvelous Toy
Mr. Bojangles
Another Man Done Gone
Mary Ellen Carter
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya
Joe Hill (sung by Paul Robeson!)
Hard Times Come Again No More

And others. For me: I still like listening to these songs. In addition to not having good access to newer accoustic music, I find that they resonate with me more than some of the newer stuff that I have heard. Am I helping to destroy "Folk Music" by not getting with the newer stuff? Also, the older stuff has the advantage that I can actually play it with standard tuning and straightforward picking and strumming.

For them: Is what I have listed here the best I can present to young people, or should I "get jiggy" with more current stuff to accommodate my audience rather than impose my own tastes on them in my attempt to enjoy the experience and also "teach" them some history?

Also, I have been thinking of incorporating some spoken "songs"
The Box
The Sick Note
On Education (a non-rhyming poem)
and other more prosaic material in my presentations. Unfortunately, I have found very little in the way of recorded stories that I can learn (or remember from "back then").

So, should I include more recent material for myself? For them? Where can I get recorded stories? Are they relevant for youngsters?

I realize that this is a lot to ask, and I recognize that this thread could drift in all sorts of directions. I look forward to hearing from the group wisdom of the Mudcat. Thanks in advance.

Saul