Folk music plays a pivotal role in helping minority ethnic, occupational and religious communities maintain their cultural identities; this phenomenon is especially noticeable among immigrant communities.
Folk music stands out as unique due to being community-generated and passed along orally through generations, evolving over time through “communal re-creation”.
Kris Kristofferson, Linda Ronstadt and The Mamas and Papas have remained true to the genre throughout their careers – two iconic examples being Kris Kristofferson and Linda Ronstadt respectively.
Origins
Folk, from the Old English fok, translates roughly to “people’s music”. It describes music that is performed and passed down among members of culture or society rather than professionally trained musicians and recording industry. Folk is typically associated with specific areas or regions.
Folk songs typically consist of simple melodies played at pentatonic scale levels in duple or triple meters time signatures; their melodies tend to be pentatonic with duple or triple meters time signatures; singing styles range from high, nasally vocals common in bluegrass music and country, to throaty rough sounds associated with African American folk music.
Music is deeply cultural, reflecting beliefs and values unique to its era or society. Immigrant communities especially rely heavily on its songs of their new home for unification among family members – this practice has become particularly common since modernity, with groups such as Greek Australians and Punjabi Canadians maintaining folk music traditions that reflect their homeland cultures.
Folk musicians tend to be socially and politically liberal. They support causes like environmental preservation, peace, labor unions and racial equality; in addition to caring about issues related to women, children, sex education and gay rights.
Folk musicians tend to be cross-genre artists with diverse musical backgrounds and experiences, such as Iris DeMent from Arkansas who has performed folk, bluegrass, rock and gospel performances. Dan Hicks was another prolific folk musician renowned for blending elements of country jazz blues into his compositions – often reflecting this diversity in their lyrics as they relate to topics such as politics or religion.
Styles
Folk music can be broadly defined as the music created and performed by an indigenous people or region during a specific time period or place. Usually more functional than art music, folk is generally passed from singer to singer or generation to generation orally rather than written down; and often features simple melodies with repetitive stanzaic verse that makes it easily singable. Folk is an expression of collective culture which connects all people around it regardless of differences.
Folk songs may not always have known composers; however, their creation follows similar methods to other forms of musical composition. Motifs and scales from existing tunes may be combined with standard opening and closing formulas to form new songs that may either use straight rhythm or swing rhythm for singing or playing depending on overall feeling and way melody is played.
Contrasting with opera’s use of instrumentalists for accompaniment, folk music often relies solely on vocal accompaniment; this allows listeners to fully appreciate both melody and lyrics in this form of musical performance, though traditional instruments may also be present.
Folk musicians often act as political activists and advocate for causes related to the environment, peace, labor unions, racial equality and gay rights – as demonstrated through song lyrics and performances. Some self-described folk artists blend musical genres such as country pop blues with electric instruments incorporated in their performances – even self-proclaimed folk acts with this distinction can often be found speaking out against these issues in songs and performances.
At the height of the mid-20th-century folk revival, many of these themes and styles were revived with an emphasis on individual singer-songwriters. Today, some folk musicians still incorporate these themes and styles into their work while others redefining it by exploring popular topics or personal subjects; thus creating hybrid forms like country-folk or folk-rock music.
Lyrics
Folk music is distinguished by lyrics passed down from generation to generation, often by word-of-mouth or publication of poetry and nursery rhymes that tell a particular tale or have become traditional songs over time. Popular examples are “Three Blind Mice,” an English folk tune originally published as an poem in 1609. Since then, its lyrics have been altered numerous times over by different composers to suit various situations and needs.
Folk music’s intimate nature makes it difficult to identify who wrote which song, adding an air of tradition and history. Many listeners enjoy listening to this type of music for its emotional depth and intimate feel; therefore many songs within folk genre are loved and enjoyed.
Folk music has long been used by modern people to express their cultural identities. This is especially true among immigrant groups; Greek Australians and Somali Canadians often sing songs native to their home nations as a way to bond with fellow community members and demonstrate cultural pride.
Folk songs contain lyrics that tell a story or express emotions through song. Folk songs may describe everyday events from either past or current life; historical figures; places; as well as religious or philosophical ideas that resonate within.
Folk music can be considered its own genre; however, others consider it part of another one. Some artists often straddle the boundary between genres by including elements from country music and pop into their work; this has resulted in hybrid genres such as country-folk and Americana being formed as a result.
Although not as widespread, folk music remains immensely popular today and increasingly used by teachers in school music programs as an effective means of teaching important concepts, developing musical appreciation and respecting our global musical heritage.
Musicians
Folk musicians are as varied as its genre itself. Some draw their inspiration from past folk styles and instruments while still staying true to its origins; others create their own individual take on folk, pushing it further forward than ever. Many contemporary musicians such as The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Bon Iver are artists who incorporate elements of folk into their musical styles while staying true to its roots.
Folk musicians tend to focus their music around political issues such as war, peace, social justice and environmental protection. Many artists include acoustic instruments in their composition while some will incorporate electronic elements for a hybrid form of folk and contemporary music.
Folk is an oral music form, making it challenging for early composers to gain prominence. Only the most acclaimed musicians were able to establish significant followings within their local areas; many composers may never even been identified by name and it is believed that most early composers were women despite lack of records to support this claim.
As the music industry expanded, musicians found it easier to reach a broader audience. Music executives took this opportunity to market their products by categorizing genres according to race; race records targeted black Americans while hillbilly albums appealed more directly to white Southerners. Over time however, these genre designations disintegrated and folk music gradually evolved into an umbrella term for any acoustic string-based music with political leanings.
Folk music has quickly become an international favorite over time, enjoying popularity among a diverse demographic of fans worldwide. They can access this genre via streaming services, live television performances or attending one of many folk festivals held every year – it shows no signs of diminishing in its appeal or growing less beloved with age.