Thank you, respondents, I appreciate the info. But really what I was after are some reasons why it's a good idea to use public funding for the preservation of old-time music. I know there are many knowledgeable posters on this forum who can put it into words better than I can. Come on Catters!

Or maybe it's like the old saying: "Folk music is not a pickle... it doesn't need to be preserved"!?

Michael