Seems to me that Folk music cannot be imposed on anyone. It is the music of the people and will survive as much as the people want it to. Like it or not the music being listened to, sang along to and danced to by the kids is their folk music. It reflects todays world. The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Britney Spears produced their own brand of music just as Robert Burns did when he wrote 'My Love Is Like a Red Red Rose' The good songs will survive and the majority will be forgotten.

Some of us prefer a particular type of music, that is our choice and we can try and get other people to like it too. Of course it is important to get kids involved in music for all sorts of reasons but it matters not what sort of music they play. Every family has their repertoire of songs they sing on various occasions. Some of them will be termed folk, but may have been written fairly recently and others will be like 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' So which one is authentic?

Here in Fife in Scotland, the New Makaars Trust puts songwriters in to Schools, Old Folks Homes and Community Centres to write songs with the incumbents. Some great music has been made and CDs have been made with the results. "The Singing Kettle" performs to kids in the biggest theatres in the land, breaking all Box Office records in the process. Traditional Music has its own Festivals, Rock Music has its own festivals, we have Jazz Festivals and Blues Festivals. There are clubs and pubs with Karaoke nights where people all sing in the modern way. I don't like it so I don't go. But plenty do.

My own band, Crooked Jack, perform folk songs to holiday audiences, corporate clients, birthday parties, weddings and Traditional Folk Clubs and Festivals. The material is carefully selected but is not necessarily the singalong pub stuff, unless that is what is required for the moment. But it is presented in an entertaining way and is acceptable to most audiences. The entertaining bit is the most important. You can sing anything to anyone and they will decide if they like it or go back to whatever conversation they were in.

The main thing is - keep doing it!