I'm given to excesses when I find new things to do.  I totally immerse myself into my work or hobbies.  Music has not disproved this self analysis.  I have bought and played in earnest more instruments in the past year than in all my life beforehand. It's only been 8 months since I bought the fiddle, but I still get excited even when I just contemplate another practice session.

I've come to the conclusion recently, though, that it's quite improbable I will ever play in an orchestra, so I want to create a learning path that will net the most experience in the least time within the music genres I find myself most drawn to.  I'm not getting any younger, and at 55 the end is closer than the beginning.

Due to my personal tastes in music, it is not likely that I will spend lots of time playing hip-hop, gangster rap, rock and roll, disco, Jazz, deep classical, comedy, urban dance, electronic, pop, latino, new age, or reggae. 

I am more inclined to play children's songs, easy listening, folk, holiday, gospel, bluegrass, marches, waltz, polka, camp fire, american historical ballads, and perhaps the odd movie score, Irish dirge, or other ethnic or regional song. 

I used to read only books that were recommended to me until I developed a taste for what I liked and disliked, so if you have any idea what I'm talking about, please suggest any actual songs, learning tools, scores, books, videos, etc, that fall under the list of genres I am inclined to play;  I would prefer that you not just list websites, library of congress stock numbers, or send an application to participate in your aunt May's summer camp for aging folk musicians, but include sheet music and sound files if you can find them.  I would appreciate your personal experience and recommendations.

Of course fiddle, flute, soprano recorder, harmonica, banjo, and C Fife will be my instruments of choice, so if the music lends itself to these tone generators, so much the better. 

thanks