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MUSI135 Popular Music

Week 4Folk Music

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Folk Music Definition

The history and discourse surrounding broad notions offolk music are quite diverse. At the largest level itperhaps defines that each regional culture can boast ofa unique strain [of music] passed along from onegeneration to another. !icaire" #$%$&

Many song'riters and composers have been inspired bythe particular music of certain areas and nations andpeople.

(y )umping to the #$thcentury" there is a particular strain

of folk music 'hich enters into the popular music canon.*t+s first itteration occurs before in the early part of thecentury" 'ith figures such as Alan ,oma-" harles/eeger and 0oody 1uthrie" but there is a strong folkrevival in the %23$s.

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Folk in the 196s US!

*n %234" social" civil" 'ar and race issues 'ere prominent inthe American psyche. Throughout this decade" a combinationof older folk musicians and younger additions to the folkscene used their music as part of their activism.

*n August %234" [5oan] (ae6 sang 0e /hall 7vercome8before an estimated quarter million people at the pivotal ivil9ights March on 0ashington !" 'here !r. :ing deliveredhis * ;ave a !ream8 speech. 7ther prominent folk artists thatparticipated before this historic gathering included 7detta";arry (elafonte" (ob !ylan" and

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"#etta

%24$?#$$@

Trained in opera before moving to folk

7ne of the voices of the civil rightsmovement

A diverse range of artists including5oan (ae6" (ob !ylan" 5anis 5oplin"5oan Armatrading cite her as a main influence.

/ho'ed the versatility of the folk genre as mi-ing 'ith bluesand other musical areas in the middle of the #$thcentury.

7ne of the fe' African American 'omen in the folk canon'hich is largely a 'hite domain in parallel to the )a66 canon'hich has fe' 'hite 'omen.

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Introspection an# Metaphor Throughtout the 3$s and $s" there 'as a certain shift in the tone" both

musical and lyrical" of folk songs.

The sociologist 9. /erge !enisoff 'as among those 'ho observed thatthe ma)ority of protest songs of the %24$s and %2>$s differed from thoseof the ne-t generation. ;e called the earlier songs BBmagnetic"CCe-pressing collective feelings of unity and ideological po'er in a time ofgeneral economic depression. (y contrast" he believed that the ma)ority

of the protest songs of the %23$s" a time of middle?class affluence" 'ereBBrhetorical"CC e-pressing individual feelings of formless discontent 'ithparticular issues !icaire" #$%$&

As a result of this transition" some 'ere more critical of the mediumand more politics began to form" particularly in the reception andconsideration of the music.

For instance" !an ;eckman" revie'ing (lue in %2% for the De' EorkTimes" 'rites * suspect this 'ill be the most disliked of Miss MitchellCsrecordings" despite the fact that it attempts more and makes greaterdemands on her talent than any of the others. The audience for artsongs is far smaller than for folk ballads" and 5oni Mitchell is on theverge of having to make a decision bet'een the t'o.

0hitesell" #$$@" pg. =&

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$he %uitar /ome arguments suggest that the presence of the guitar and

of stringed instruments in folk music can be directly tracedback to the *rish harp and it+s presence in classic song 'riting.These arguments are compelling" ho'ever" the social andpolitical and gendered& role of the guitar in folk music has itso'n considerations.

Folk players often only strum their nylon?string or their steel?string guitars" playing rhythm chords to complement theirsinging. Then there are those artists 'ho demonstratee-traordinary technical e-pertise. These musicians employt'o primary techniques" fingerstyle"8 'hereby strings are

individually plucked to pick out the notes as in a melody line"and flatpicking"8 in 'hich a flat plectrum is used to note thestrings up and do'n. ,edgin" #$%=" p.@#&

The acoustic guitar continues to be associated 'ith theAmerican folk tradition and often transfers this aesthetic ontoother music 'hen performed in this 'ay.

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&'rics an# (h')in* Patterns

0hile there are not many holistic aesthetic considerations thatcan be pulled out to define folk music" the poetry associated'ith the lyrics of the canon of folk singer is much discussedand analysed.

0hile this may be used to dismiss the +simple+ nature of the

music" the specific use of 'ords and play of meaning is alarge part of folk music from the %23$s on'ard.

5oni Mitchell" +* had a king+

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Socialis) an# Folk Music

As a result of certain sentiments become more and moreassociated 'ith folk music in the early #$ thcentury" there hasbeen a tension bet'een certain groups and in particular thefar right has often closely associated folk music 'ith socialismand communism.

;o'ever" the %23$s 'as a +rebranding+ in some 'ays for thefolk movement" particularly 'ith more abstract songs.

*n his %223 survey" 0hen 0e 0ere 1ood The Folk 9evival"the historian 9obert ant'ell described the short popularphase of the folk music revival as a 'idespread social

phenomenon. ;e argued that post?'ar anti?ommunism hadlargely suppressed folk musicCs previous left?'ingassociations so that" by %2=@" a post0orld 0ar ** generationcould reinvent folk music ane'.

!icaire" #$%$&

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$he secon# folk re+i+al,

,edgin claims that ++folk music is not static. *t is a livingtradition++. #$%=" pg. %%%&

/ince the late %2$s aspects of the folk aesthetic arepresent in a number of popular musicians. This can be

an acoustic album 'ith guitar or it might be a moremoulded genre combination such as Mumford and /onsor Gd'ard /harpe and the Magnetic Heros recentsuccess in the ++folk rock++ category.

0hile there are musicial resonances 'ith the folk

tradition" it is rare that the same social and politicalfoundations of some folk music are dra'n on as 'ell.