Unlike Alice and Joe, I started calling myself 'middle-aged' at 35 -- not that I let the defining category inhibit my behaviour. There aren't so many areas of life where I find age an advantage, but the Mudcat forum is one of them. I got interested in folk music as a child. Being older means having heard and remembering more songs and tunes and singers and players, following more of the references appearing on the thread. One of the younger Mudcatters who is interested in blues was fascinated to hear from another forum participant who had personal acquaintance of people like Mississippi John Hurt. And many of us are in awe of Sandy Paton's depth of experience. Also, as other correspondents have pointed out, traditional music devotees rather venerate the old -- songs that go back centuries and learning from the people around them rather than from recordings and the web [see Bill D's message above - which has some bearing on my message below]

There have been a few recent threads concerning younger folkies, or the dearth thereof. I did a forum search to refresh a thread, and as I read through this one, I realised that it isn't the thread I was looking for - but it will do. I wanted to respond to the people who were worrying about the lack of younger adults at folk clubs and the other people who were pointing out that there are lots of young people at other kinds of venues, especially big concerts.

I hope that a good proportion of these young people also have something like singing circles, sessions, parties at which instead of putting on the CD player they make their own music. Clearly, I have my own preferences in music and song, and they are mostly in the traditional vein. But I'm less concerned about what types of songs and tunes other people want to sing and play than that they can appreciate the non-professional and the simple (accoustic and a capella) as well as the more elaborate music we expect in the concert hall - music we can make in our own houses, fields, etc without needing elaborate equipment.