Folk music. If one was to look up this term on google, the definitions will for the most part be consistent. According to the Oxford dictionary folk music is: "music that originates in traditional popular culture or that is written in such a style. Folk music is typically of unknown authorship and is transmitted orally from generation to generation." Why then does this term seem so bland and uninteresting to many people who may think folk music is nothing more than old tunes sung by cowboys in the wild west? Or funny sounding Polish music?
In actuality folk music has so much importance to the societies that created it. There was even a period in time dubbed "Exoticism" where many people were infatuated with non-western art (which of course included music). For example there was a composer named Max Bruch who was a German composer who wrote a song entitled "Scottish Fantasy". Also the well known composer Johannes Brahms was one who particularly enjoyed "gypsy music", which is simply another name for the music of the Romani people, and he embodied this style of music into his own compositions (i.e Piano Quartet No. 25). So what do any of these fun facts have to do with folk music. Well by simply looking back into history from a musical standpoint we can see that many composers used folk music as a way to not only enrich their compositional styles, but as a way to pay homage to a particular culture or people they were fond of. What about here in America? What does folk music sound like here. Well that's the fun part. Folk music in America is the embodiment of what it means to be American. It differs from region to region and changes with the times as well. Its a collection of differences all encapsulated into one grand style, OUR folk music. Music that captured the heart of the American people by musically speaking about the troubles in our country. Even President Roosevelt was a fan of folk music.
Nowadays though its quite obvious that folk music isn't as mainstream as it used to be. So should we even bother teaching it anymore? Is there any point seeing as how Jazz has essentially become America's musical pride and joy; the first truly American art form? Actually we should be quite familiar with folk music as educators. If a great composer such as Brahms thought it was a good idea to add folk music elements to his music, why should we as educators feel any different? Especially when we're trying to explain to our students why these older composers were so great to begin with! Were it not for folk music jazz might not have become what it is today. Most people seem to misunderstand this notion. Folk music is not "white trash" music; its music of the FOLK, AMERICAN FOLK! If music educators were experts in folk music it would help students understand that music isn't just about speaking about topics like cars, women, and love. You can say powerful things with your songs as Pete Seeger did. Beethoven's 9th Symphony was a statement of brotherhood and unity and that if you persevere, the rewards at the end outweigh the heartache and despair you endured to get there. Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony was a statement that Beethoven was probably wrong and that maybe it all ends in despair. These are real life philosophical topics that are expressed in lyric-less music (although Beethoven's 9th does quote the Ode to Joy poem by Friedrich Schiller but you have to wait 45 minutes before you even here one line from this poem!) To teach students that music has substance and meaning is something I think goes a bit under emphasized because it's easy to fall back on Jazz and the wonderful story it has as well. However to ignore folk, or worse be completely oblivious to its impact on America and American culture, is doing a disservice to our students as well as to yourself as a musician.
As an educator I believe it is important for our students to know important American songs. Not just the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful, but songs like Blowin In The Wind by Bob Dylan (singing about the end of segregation in the 1960s), I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash (a fun song but also educational of different places in America), and of course This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie (instilling a classic tune that also instills pride and fondness of America in the listener).
Lastly I'd like to point out that we as educators are viewed as professionals, so it is only logical that everyone else expect us to have knowledge of the significance of music in our lives. For us to familiarize ourselves with folk music (American folk) is helping us be better prepared to show our students that there is more to the world of music than Rock, Jazz, and Classical. Folk music is just that, music of the folk, by the folk, and for the folk. So let's share it folks.
In actuality folk music has so much importance to the societies that created it. There was even a period in time dubbed "Exoticism" where many people were infatuated with non-western art (which of course included music). For example there was a composer named Max Bruch who was a German composer who wrote a song entitled "Scottish Fantasy". Also the well known composer Johannes Brahms was one who particularly enjoyed "gypsy music", which is simply another name for the music of the Romani people, and he embodied this style of music into his own compositions (i.e Piano Quartet No. 25). So what do any of these fun facts have to do with folk music. Well by simply looking back into history from a musical standpoint we can see that many composers used folk music as a way to not only enrich their compositional styles, but as a way to pay homage to a particular culture or people they were fond of. What about here in America? What does folk music sound like here. Well that's the fun part. Folk music in America is the embodiment of what it means to be American. It differs from region to region and changes with the times as well. Its a collection of differences all encapsulated into one grand style, OUR folk music. Music that captured the heart of the American people by musically speaking about the troubles in our country. Even President Roosevelt was a fan of folk music.
Nowadays though its quite obvious that folk music isn't as mainstream as it used to be. So should we even bother teaching it anymore? Is there any point seeing as how Jazz has essentially become America's musical pride and joy; the first truly American art form? Actually we should be quite familiar with folk music as educators. If a great composer such as Brahms thought it was a good idea to add folk music elements to his music, why should we as educators feel any different? Especially when we're trying to explain to our students why these older composers were so great to begin with! Were it not for folk music jazz might not have become what it is today. Most people seem to misunderstand this notion. Folk music is not "white trash" music; its music of the FOLK, AMERICAN FOLK! If music educators were experts in folk music it would help students understand that music isn't just about speaking about topics like cars, women, and love. You can say powerful things with your songs as Pete Seeger did. Beethoven's 9th Symphony was a statement of brotherhood and unity and that if you persevere, the rewards at the end outweigh the heartache and despair you endured to get there. Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony was a statement that Beethoven was probably wrong and that maybe it all ends in despair. These are real life philosophical topics that are expressed in lyric-less music (although Beethoven's 9th does quote the Ode to Joy poem by Friedrich Schiller but you have to wait 45 minutes before you even here one line from this poem!) To teach students that music has substance and meaning is something I think goes a bit under emphasized because it's easy to fall back on Jazz and the wonderful story it has as well. However to ignore folk, or worse be completely oblivious to its impact on America and American culture, is doing a disservice to our students as well as to yourself as a musician.
As an educator I believe it is important for our students to know important American songs. Not just the Star Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful, but songs like Blowin In The Wind by Bob Dylan (singing about the end of segregation in the 1960s), I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash (a fun song but also educational of different places in America), and of course This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie (instilling a classic tune that also instills pride and fondness of America in the listener).
Lastly I'd like to point out that we as educators are viewed as professionals, so it is only logical that everyone else expect us to have knowledge of the significance of music in our lives. For us to familiarize ourselves with folk music (American folk) is helping us be better prepared to show our students that there is more to the world of music than Rock, Jazz, and Classical. Folk music is just that, music of the folk, by the folk, and for the folk. So let's share it folks.
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