John, this makes sense what you wrote.......'The playing of songs that are familiar to the audience/listener in your style, gives them a window of understanding into what you are doing with the music with which they are NOT familiar.'

I've noticed that when I do play a tune like 'Oh Suzanna' now, it sound so different from when I used to play it because I may still be doing clawhammer, but with all my focus on West Virginia old-time tunes, the song was coming out sounding so differently. It was picking up some of the new influences in my music yet it still was 'Oh Suzanna' I was playing for them. And the relatives where thrilled.
This sounds encouraging.

Bonnie