In another thread about a festival, somebody asked this:

"Do you sing or play or sit round discussing obscure folky facts?"

Good question! But I want to say that we who sing and play need to assert ourselves and keep the gabbers from taking over. Have your instrument in your hands, join forces with others, and announce that now it's time to play.

To keep the music going, bring a list of pieces you know. This cuts the amount of time people spend trying to think of tunes to play.

Two weeks ago I was in a class at a workshop. I had paid more than $2000 to be there, and a class was delayed while students and teacher discussed the horrors of styrofoam.

So I turned to the college kid next to me and said, "Would you like to play this song with me while they discuss plastic?" He replied "Why not," and we started a lute and recorder duet.

Music class began 45 seconds later. I realize this did not endear me to the teacher, but hell, $2000 should matter.
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The Mudcat is the same. People will argue over "folky facts" for years and never sing a note or get out an instrument. Worse, start a music thread, and grouches will come in to vandalize it with double entendres, ethnic troublemaking or quibbling.

It's been a long time since I got a piece of music worth doing off the Mudcat.