I have been playing the violin for years now.
Yeah? I usually call it more informally as the "fiddle". But it's a nice wooden instrument. Do you play classical or folk style music?
Classical! What is your preference? 
I prefer to play traditional irish music. It was a folk music developed in Ireland. Do you have a favorite composer?
Beethoven! What is folk music, I never really understood what that genre was. 
Well, it's a little complicated. But basically the term "folk music" came from the 19th century, and was used to describe music that came before then. So it's kind of always used to describe "older and traditional" music.