Hey Celtic,

Before the big guns did it in, my son called me to tell me that 9 of my songs were available on Napster. Believe it or not, my first reaction was "COOL, someone thinks I'm good enough to rip off!"

Is it any different than the woman that came up after a concert to tell me that she loved our tape so much, she made ten copies for all her friends?

More so than most music, the very name "folk" means that this music is thought of as belonging to everyone, and free to share. I'm not sure how that impacts those of us trying to make a living at it. My personal feeling is perhaps that lady robbed me of ten tape sales, but perhaps she made me ten more fans. Fans are worth more than one sale anytime, because they come back over and over, and bring more potential fans with them. I don't think I've been hurt by my music being "given" away, I think it has drawn more people to my music. Others may feel very different, I understand that.

Sorry for the long post, but you did ask!*wink*

Robin