Every musician and singer I know who is part of the sessions I run or come to hear us (and maybe sing along) or who participate or come to the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival or other festivals, house concerts, musical gatherings, etcet etcet, ALL have other major interests and avocations besides folk music. Often it includes other flavors of music as well.

I have more interests than I care to take the time to enumerate, although a number of them are history or folklore-related and thus somewhat related to folk music.

The majority of the music I'm involved with, though, is small scale gatherings and, mostly, participatory. (Even just joining in on a performer's choruses.)

Music and singing, in particular, has been shown to be curative as well as therapeutic.

But so many people's exposure to music is only via radio (including online), films, iPods, YouTube, MP3s, CDs.

People enjoy singing (even if they think they can't sing). We live in a society where we don't often have an opportunity anymore (unlike the early 20th century) to sing in public with friends (or even strangers) except, perhaps, in church. And fewer people attend church. And if one walks down the street singing, people have a tendency to cross the street and not make eye contact. Folk music, sea music, and some pop music encourages people to join in the choruses, not worry about how they sound, and enjoy the benefits of the "good vibrations".

I guess my question REALLY is, is it the music or is it the connection to other people that's most important? The question isn't what people do INSTEAD of live music, but how do they navigate life without it.

Linn