Celebrating 10 Years Sharing Folk Music on YouTube

I almost missed my ten year anniversary of sharing music on YouTube. I happened to be looking at my analytics on the channel to see the number of times my videos had been viewed, and it dawned on me that the 10 year anniversary was in June of this year (2017). It seemed like an appropriate time to look back.
       I started my channel without much deliberation. I had been watching lots of videos on YouTube, including folk music ones, but I realized that there weren't many good versions for some of these great old songs. So, I decided to turn on my point-and-shoot digital camera while I played a song in my kitchen. That first song was "The Leaving of Liverpool," and I recorded it in the kitchen of my small apartment in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
         I was quite excited to see the number of views grow and grow on that one video, and I caught the YouTube 'bug.' At that point I had played gigs publicly for a few years, but YouTube offered the chance at an international audience. It could share my work and spread the enjoyment of traditional folk music night and day. This, I recognized, was a powerful tool for an artist.
        As the years went on, I continued to record and post my videos, and I haven't looked back. My production has slowed down somewhat in the last few years, which has likely hurt my fan base somewhat. The reasons were primarily family obligations and a new, more-demanding job. I also began recording some of my videos with more elaborate editing processes, which greatly increase the time required. But, I've got no intentions of stopping. I've greatly enjoyed sharing this musical tradition with people from around the globe, and your positive feedback is a big part of what keeps me motivated. I don't make any money directly from my channel, so it's largely a labour of love. My channel has now surpassed 6 million lifetime views, and I have over 17,000 subscribers--not too shabby! So, thanks to all of you for your support, and stay tuned.