Are folk music and traditional music the same thing?

As art is subjective, an absolute definition of, and distinction between, ‘folk’ and ‘traditional is inconceivable. It must be noted, however, that 'traditional' and 'folk' are not mutually exclusive terms. Traditional music is living music. Each generation nurtures it, weaves their idiosyncrasies into it, and orally transmits it to the next. As such, it is inherently metamorphic. This includes music which faithfully recreates the inherited repertoire, developing it passively, and musics which interpret the tradition more progressively: as ‘the folk’ created and mediate tradition, their impression upon it is as legitimate as any prior generation’s. It is also this process which characterises traditional music as folk music. Though ‘folk’ sometimes holds contemporary implications, it always embodies traditions of oral dissemination and democratic interpretation and performance. Furthermore, hallmarks of traditional music often characterise contemporary folk music, softening the distinction. Indeed, the tradition often absorbs new material. Thus, whilst not exactly the same thing, folk and traditional musics are co-dependent.