I always ask the audience to sing along and am honored if they sing choruses
to songs I've written. For a songwriter, this has to be gratifying. The song is
thereby important enough to elicit participation.

A folk song concert isn't an event like a classical music or jazz concert
that requires a silent audience. The tradition of the Hootenanny fostered
by Pete Seeger is part of a folk song experience which often serves to break
down the division between audience and performer. In a folk culture predicated
on community whether accompanying work or relaxation, participation
is what makes it "folk". The concert approach in folk is of recent vintage.

I do like to listen to old ballads that tell a story for fifteen verses but also
relish a chorus where I can participate as in taking a breath without disturbing
the continuity of the story. I think as an audience member, this pulls me into the song more.

As a performer, it gives me reassurance that the audience is interested in what I'm doing.