The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19126 Message #194493
Posted By: Amos
13-Mar-00 - 07:21 PM
Thread Name: BS: What is folk music?
Subject: RE: BS: What is folk music?
It makes a certain sense to include the "generations" test as a criteria. A necessary one, because it is a sure way to see what the values of human living give survival to. But it is certainly not a sufficient criterion, since it would include church and show music and formal tunes of various kinds. I suspect in addition to the "generations" test a song also needs to pass the "use and intent" test -- a song used for commercial purposes or intended to sell soap doesn't pass no matter how much our grandchildren like the Ipana toothpaste jingle. I am sure there are other factors that figure in to it. Probably, as mentioned in Spaws kind link above, a dozen!
I agree completely that "because I like it" is netiher a necessary OR a sufficient test but an irrelevant one! :>) A