Definition of Folk Music, decided by the International Folk Music Council in 1954.
@Steve Garham.
Definition of Folk Music, decided by the International Folk Music Council in 1954.
    Folk music is the product of a musical tradition that has been evolved through the process of oral transmission. The factors that shape the tradition are: (i) continuity which links the present with the past; (ii) variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or the group; and (iii) selection by the community, which determines the form or forms in which the music survives.
    The term can be applied to music that has been evolved from rudimentary beginnings by a community uninfluenced by popular and art music and it can likewise be applied to music which has originated with an individual composer and has subsequently been absorbed into the unwritten living tradition of a community.
    The term does not cover composed popular music that has been taken over ready-made by a community and remains unchanged, for it is the re-fashioning and re-creation of the music by the community that gives it its folk character.
I have more than a few problems with the defintion of 1954.
1) continuity which links the present with the past; To me that reads pretentious bullshit. Perhaps someone can rewrite the phrase where it actually has some meaning.
2) variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or the group;
Correct me if I am wrong but we appear to have a rough consensus that
a)stories pass down essentially unchanged
b)Lyrice may change due to mishearing word, they may be deliberately changed for whatever reason, but may remain unchanged
c)Tunes may or may not change
There is no compulsion for a,b, or c to occur.
3) selection by the community, which determines the form or forms in which the music survives.
To be crude, if it is popular it will hit the charts if it is unpopular it will be found in a dusty tome(hopefully)
Having got the above out of the way what are we left with?
1(A popular song will survive, regardless
2)The lyrics may or may not change
3)The tune may or may not change
What we are left with is a kind of medieval top of the pops defines folk. But transmittal today is electronic
therefore the 1954 definition says there is no more folk music being created. Most posting totally reject this idea. Back in the sixties
new folk creations were commonplace.
working man
only 19
Both these songs sound like folk to me.
I am quite happy to see someone shred this post, I do not have aproblem that others may see things differently.