On 1/27/02, Donald A. Duncan wrote:

[ ... ]

>As to Ballads - it's not clear to me whether you're proposing renaming
>or redefining it.  How does it differ from Ballad-L in conception and execution?

As I understand it, Ballad-L is more interested in English Language
balladry, and Ballads in all balladry. If the traffic were great
enough, it might make sense to split them. Given the lack of traffic,
I don't think it's a significant distinction. I think, if Ballads is
renamed, it needs to be redefined so that the definition matches the
name. But it's a redefinition no one will object to.

>If you're redefining it, or making a clear distinction from Ballad-L in
>concept, go for it.  If a list isn't used, it's not much good. On the
>other hand, lists are most useful if they're relatively narrowly
>defined.  My own personal definition of 'folk' music is whatever people
>sing and play by themselves, among themselves, rather than for
>performance.  And one viable definition of "traditional" is the music of
>your grandparents or earlier.  But I don't care to listen in to hundreds
>of people discussing music meeting that definition, or the current folk
>scene in the UK; I prefer the at least de facto focus of Ballad-L.   If
>I find the topics getting too broad, or the traffic wearing out my
>Delete key, I'll simply unsubscribe.

But this is a coin with two sides: If ballads or Ballad-L were too
busy, then of course they would need to be split. I've argued
for that on other lists. But these lists are both low-volume. They
need to be built up. Keeping them separate hurts both lists.

Indeed, ideally we should haul in Folktalk as well.

> > At least as long as none of them are bluegrassers. :-)
>
>Umm, Bob...  Distasteful as it is to contemplate, bluegrass is now three
>generations old, and under at least one of my definitions, it
>*qualifies* as traditional music...  Tempus fugits!

Not what I mean. "Traditional" means something different to
bluegrassers. To them, "Fox on the Run" or "Kentucky Waltz"
is "traditional." As a music form, yes, it's traditional. But
if you ask them about a "traditional song," they will talk about
the style of performance, not the source.
--
Bob Waltz
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"The one thing we learn from history --
   is that no one ever learns from history."