Song Collecting in USA Today?

Subject: Song Collecting in USA Today?
From: wilco
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 11:03 AM

I noticed the thread on song collecting in Ireland, focusing on "Travelers" singing/playing in pubs. And, that made me think about something.

I own/operate a small acoustic music store, with several teachers, and I go to many rural festivals. I routinely hear songs from people (when coaxed) that they heard decades ago from their grandparents or great-grandparents, and they can usually remember parts of them. I try to find them for them, and mudcat has been a great resource.

More often though, since I have so many fiddlers around the store, I hear very "regional" tunes or versions of songs that were peculiar to that area.

Are others seeing this in other parts of the US. I'm in southeast Tennessee (USA).
Steve in Chattanooga

Subject: RE: Song Collecting in USA Today?
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 03:57 PM

Hi Steve,

I'm currently compiling regional tunes and songs from the Adirondack Mountain region of NY State for a forthcoming website on Traditional Adirondack Music, so your thread caught me at a time when I've been thinking alot about regional tunes and regional styles in general.

Most of what I'm working with are field recordings that were done with old-timers 25-65 years ago, but I've also done a tiny amount of my own collecting just this past summer, and found some real regional goodies.