Folk Music

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Folk Music

• Inspiration, Change, and Influence

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Folk Music

• Folk music is impulse of humanity
• No evidence goes against the idea that all
  preindustrial civilizations were rich in folk
  music
• The voice of the people

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Decline of Tradition in Modern Society

• Literacy
• Being able to write lyrics and stories
• Money driven society
• Drive to sell music
• Eliminated original oral tradition

4
Literacy

• The effects of the Printing Press
• As a negative influence
• As a positive influence
• Modification of original ballads

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Money and Music

• Capitalism
• Turning a profit
• Became known as popular music
• Industrial Revolution

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Technology
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Folk vs. Modernity

• Except in localized areas, folk music does not
  exist
• Highland Scotland
• Appalachian Heritage

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Folk vs. Modernity

• Many people have stopped singing
• Professional recordings discourage amateurs
• Singing skills may not have been taught in
  development
• What was once sung together (such as the National
  Anthem) is now done by professionals

9
Emergence of Popular Folk Artists

• Folk music adopted by talented performers
• Live concerts
• Recordings and broadcastings

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Blending of Genres

• New Instruments
• Electric guitars
• Drum kit
• Rhythmic syncopation

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Early popular artists

• Woody Guthrie
• Burl Ives
• Pete Seeger
• Kingston Trio
• Sought to recreate the traditions of years past

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Blending of Genres

• Country Music
• Rural American folk tradition

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Blending of Genres

• Rap
• African-American inner-city folk tradition

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Blending of Genres

• Contemporary Bluegrass
• American old time music

15
More Contemporary Artists

• Jim Croce
• Time in a Bottle

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More Contemporary Artists

• Bob Dylan
• Blowing in the Wind

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More Contemporary Artists

• Joni Mitchell
• River

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More Contemporary Artists

• Peter, Paul, and Mary
• Leaving on a Jet Plane

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More Contemporary Artists

• Neil Young
• Harvest Moon

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More Contemporary Artists

• Joan Baez

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More Contemporary Artists

• James Taylor
• Millworker

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More Contemporary Artists

• Harry Chapin
• Cats in the Cradle

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More Contemporary Artists

• Simon and Garfunkel
• Sounds of Silence

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Folk Music

• All music is folk music. I aint never heard a
  horse sing a song.- Louis Armstrong