I have a real problem with the phrase: "our musical heritage (I'm referring here to Appalachian old-time music with Scots-Irish roots)" because that stuff is only a part of the American musical heritage--- There is a section of the folk/traditional music community who hold it as a truth that those are the only authentic kinds of folk music, but they can't be taken very seriously--

Any minute now, in fact, a certain GUEST may come by who makes a real strong point that this view is not only narrow-minded and wrong-headed, but actually racist, and, is, unfortunately, an unquestioned position of way to many in this forum--

I can tell you right now that the "our heritage" view is not going to wash with many gov't bureaucrats, or grant givers, because the emphasis has been on "celebrating diversity", and, truth be told, that sort of music has tended to be very well researched. collected, and documented--and it has widely been reflected that that has been to the detriment of other important musical tradtitions--