Why is folk music so popular

Like anyone else, when I was listening to these songs over the years, although their words seemed to capture something of the time, it was still difficult to imagine how things would develop.

Yet music, and arguably folk music in particular, does have a window on our communities. There is a case to be made for listening much more closely to the folk music that is around us. When you listen to their albums, what is striking is how all the frustration that was evident in English folk music for years is now bubbling up in Irish folk too.

On their latest album, B etween the Earth and Sky from just last year, the performances are even more striking. Is all this music significant? History has shown us that societal unrest throws up significant voices. In these fractured times, now is the time to listen. Listen to a Spotify playlist for the songs mentioned in this article here. To receive our latest articles, news, reviews and jobs, subscribe to our newsletters.

Add your concert to our listings here. For information on advertising with the Journal of Music visit this link. Skip to main content. Search form Search. There is a case to be made for listening much more carefully to the music around us, writes Toner Quinn. Toner Quinn. Countries have gone to great lengths to write down and preserve their folksongs; is this because traditional music is doomed to exist only within these scores as a historical testament to a dead genre?

Folk songs have defined cultures throughout history and continue to do so. More importantly, they have withstood the test of time; there is no reason to assume that they will die out now. For such a simple question, defining a folk song is incredibly complicated. Not only do definitions vary, but they have evolved over time. However, in this article, folk music and traditional music will be used as interchangeable terms.

These songs are not composed in that they are not the works of skilled, tutored musicians. It is more accurate to say that they have been created rather than composed. These songs are ordinarily the product of an unknown person or group of persons. The words of lyrics of folk songs are usually colloquial in nature to reflect the speech patterns and expressions of a particular people or region.

These songs are highly singable, primarily because they were first presented with the singing voice rather than having been written down in musical notation beforehand. Folk songs are simply structured, both musically and verbally. These songs can be effectively performed without instrumental accompaniment. While each definition is a bit different, there are some common elements.

First of all, a folk song has to be simple. For a song to become part of a culture, it has to be singable by the average person.

It also has to be simple enough to be easily remembered if it relies on oral transmission at least initially, since folk songs are usually published eventually. Probably not. Historically, folk music has played a significant role in defining nations. Arguably, music even plays a role in helping to make nations. Before Germany was unified, those who wanted a single German nation were aleady working towards unity through music.

To become a single country, the separate German states needed more in common than just a shared language; creating a mutual folk culture through music became a necessity. A collective folk music can help to create a unified way of thinking, influencing morals, values, and even a sense of national pride.

If their folk music was similar — both musically and thematically — it stood to reason that they themselves also shared many similarities. Looking at it that way, becoming a single German nation made a lot of sense. Another historical pattern with folk music is its use by totalitarian regimes as propaganda. If music can change the way people think, then that means that music holds an incredible power that can be harnessed by those who know how to use it.

Nazi Germany, communist China, and Soviet Russia are all examples of dictatorships that used music to influence the mentality of the people.

Again and again, folk music has been used for political reasons with incredible results. The Palestinian resistance uses folk music as a form of peaceful protest:. But beyond this, songs frequently have a greater purpose, in that they actually generate sentiments, shape national identities, and provide a space for signifying power structures.

As the title suggests, the voice, the song, is the weapon, not just a mirror, but the tool of action or defense. As the three largest countries in the world, Russia, Canada, and the United States of America include many diverse pockets of people.

Folksong is particularly important in countries with such an eclectic mix of citizens so that everyone can feel a connection to their country, regardless of physical distance and cultural diversity. Despite this, American folksong took a very long time to develop. Having an independent history is necessary for the development of folksong. Are they survivors? Are they warriors? A great example of using history combined with music to define a nation is the French national anthem. Even someone with no musical knowledge can likely tell that it is militaristic, if only from the fact that it sounds like amazing marching music.

Suddenly, the listener is transported back to the French Revolution and gets a taste of the essence of the French people; this is their chosen anthem, after all. It reveals both what the French had to lose and how far the French people were willing to go for their country and its freedom. What can be learned about Americans through their folk music?

However, the brief version is said very well by Marion Bauer:. From this quote, a unifying theme in American music — regardless of style or origin — is clear, as well as its origin.

Of course bravery would play a role in American folksong; the early colonists were explorers and settlers brave enough to leave their homes for the unknown.

A great part of American folksong is influenced by African Americans. Some of these influences are more positive than others. Folk music is not just music meant for the past. A notable folk music revival came with composer Aaron Copland in the s. He set two books full of arrangements of American folksongs in addition to including them in larger works such as ballets and operas. His use of folksongs were hugely popular, especially because of the rising nationalism that came after two world wars.

As discussed, folk music reflects the people within a society, so it naturally changes as the society evolves; an example of this is the adoption of jazz in American folk music. Folk music holds onto history and keeps it relevant, providing a nation with an identity. In this sense, folk music is irreplaceable. At the same time that Copland was working on his Old American Songs , a woman named Helen Creighton was going to great lengths to record the folk music in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

She was shaping the Nova Scotian vision of self in an attempt at both provincial pride and unity of a people.

However, she also used folk music very selectively to promote her own values:. Because she adhered firmly to the Child ballad tradition, she discounted many songs of Nova Scotian composition… All of these parts of the Creightonian approach to the Folk — organic social unity, idealizing relations between men and women, ethnicity, Britishness, magical thinking — congealed into an extremely conservative whole. There was a definite pattern to the way Creighton selected, and that pattern was consistent with her social position.

However, whether they did or not, it was likely accepted because it allowed people of such diverse heritage to finally feel like a single entity. Folk music helped to give them a sense of belonging, whether or not it was an accurate representation of their original culture. Traditional music creates cultural identities and influences politics, but it also plays less radical roles.

Composers still use folksong within new, original works. In a song cycle — essentially a group of songs chosen by the composer to be performed as a set, often due to consistent themes, poets, or musical material — called Try Me, Good King by Libby Larsen, there are various traditional melodies embedded within the piano part. Each folksong relates thematically to the sung text of the work.

As mentioned, Copland did the same in many of his most famous compositions. While folksong is quite simplistic on its own, it can enhance more complicated compositions by serving a dramatic or thematic purpose.

Folk music transcriptions tend to have very few directions for the performer. Most music will instruct the performer in dynamics loudness or softness , tempo speed , and interpretation.

Folksongs from around the world are often part of the teaching repertoire, which helps to give students — often children — understanding of other cultures. By learning about other cultures, students can also become more empathetic, open, and imaginative. The syllabus has an entire category devoted to folksong for the first six grade levels out of a possible ten. For students taking exams at these levels, that means that they need to prepare one or two traditional songs. Even in the upper levels, some more difficult folksongs are on the list of acceptable repertoire.

From politics to teaching, traditional music plays a huge role in society. It can be used as a unifying force, a form of protest, propaganda, a teaching tool, and, perhaps most importantly, to express an identity. Traditional music often survives centuries, recording history as well as subtly influencing it.

There are some great performers. If Tom Waits "mid-west" songs which portray life there are not folk, what the hell are they. Obviously I could expand but I am in court tomorrow. Christina, We really are trying to be helpful. It often just means that the person only had time to dash off a terse reply and might show up later for more detail.

You are automatically eliminating people who tend to avoid such interactions and that is certainly an aspect of personality type. This is likely to tell you little or nothing about the whole population of people who like folk music.

Responses from this group would be skewed in another way. Good luck! I just noticed I left an incomplete sentence in that last reply. I think Bob is right on. And one thing this forum IS good for is finding local folk music organizations. Levon Helm was talking about the real deal. Contemporary music tends toward the easy part of life.

Traditional music which survives comes from living life to the fullest. That is what trad is on. Who are some of the artists I listen to? Definitely the Irish pipers, probably Cillian Vallely these days. But I do not know any of the artists. Always a joy to play with her. Then they knew which village to return it to.

The second image to come to mind is a whole genration of shoite finger-in-the-ear singers, of course, which just puts the icing on the cake. Look what they did to poor ould Grace Darling. Just about killed her they did. Why we like what we Like", sounds like it could be an interesting course. From all the grumbling it is sometimes hard to believe that we like what we like present company excepted. What I like most about folk music, however it is defined, is just what I like about all the music I like; that it sounds like there is another human hanging on the other end of the melody, or the arrangement, or whatever catches my ear.

I can find the same thing in dancing, no need to be talking, but still some how one is tacked on to this other persons life. I play music for much the same reasons that I listen to music. Reading your initial question makes it clear this is way too broad a question to deserve a serious answer. Folk music to me is a very broad category and that worries me for your project. To me it includes traditional music designed for both song and dance from all cultures from all aross the world.

I use cultures in the traditional sense of peoples not a modern anthropological sense of more fluid cultures like the cultures of american teenage skateboarders or something!! The main subject of this forum is irish traditional dance music which has spread around the world.

In america you could includes old time country and blues as folk also. Add to that contempory artists, both the successful and the less successful, who have been influenced by traditional song and you have a massive category.

What do I like? I started out in music playing guitar and writing songs. Overtime I formed the opinion that the best songwriters are those who sing with their own voice - who say something about themselves and the culture that they come from. Here in Scotland we have many bands who although they speak in a broad scots accent when it comes to singing they sing in an american accent. The artists become like an actor rather than a musician.

In singers I like those who come across as having honesty and integrity in their work. That again becomes like an actors performance rather than an honest show. So once I realised that I liked something of the person and the persons culture in the singing performance you quickly follow that up with same thing for the music. In Scotland traditional music plays a part in many aspects of our lifes. On special occasions like parades or weddings traditional music is often heard. For me the interest in traditional music comes from wanting to express that part of my cultural identity in my music.

The patterns of speech, the turns of phrase. I want my songs to sound like me and to sound scottish both musically and lyrically. So one lure for me I would say - aside the enjoyment of playing an instrument including voice and mastering it and from the social side of playing music - is from is in an expression of personal identity. Have to agree with Mark here. Even the basic question of "what is folk music? From my own personal perspective there are the two totally different interpretations, namely the singing area, so well defined by Bodhrn Bliss, and Irish tradional music where the emphasis is on tunes.

Also, folk singing and trad music is inescapably inter twined whether you like it or not. Most touring bands will include a mixture of tune sets and songs in their repertoire. BB says "There are some great performers. Whether you like it or not! Why do I like folk music? Too broad a term, covering too many things. But that would be another discussion. What do I like about it? I like the sense of a common leveling ground, where pretty much anyone who can play may join in.

I like the closeness and the accessability of the music and the musicians. I like traditions, and I like the idea that the music and the tunes, and their part in an ancient and great culture, will go on long after I am gone and forgotten. I like being a small part of something precious and fragile, yet very much worth perserving. My babble. Looks like an ad for the test-taking website and associated "schools" that can send you information about obtaining a "degree," through their on-line courses.

First step in any discussion of this nature is to define your terms. Folk music can also describe a particular kind of popular music which is based on traditional music. In contemporary times, this kind of folk music is often performed by professional musicians. Related genres include Folk rock and Progressive folk music. In American culture, folk music refers to the American folk music revival, music exemplified by such musicians as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, who popularized and encouraged the lyrical style in the s and s.

I also enjoy Irish Folk music, "popular music based on traditional" music. I love Irish Traditional Music. We seek truth and the nature of the iconoclast. To be a traditional musician is to seek truth and preserve the good qualities of humanity despite its unpopularity and its total inherent opposition to the plastic and fake modern consumer popular culture. Like a number of other respondents in this discussion I have a few concerns.

There are undoubtedly major ethical issues as well as a number of methodological flaws that need to be addressed. In the meantime your responses will undoubtedly be largely anecdotal, primarily skewed and therefore providing questionnable results.