'home grown music

Subject: 'home grown music from the heart"
From: Rana who SHOULD be working
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 02:21 PM

On the Canadian list serve "MaplePost" Estelle Klein (who was involved with Mariposa, I believe but before I knew) posted a question based upon a definition she heard of folk music on the CBC. She wondered what other people thought of as a folk definition (academia aside)- it seems a good continuation of the Definition of Folk kettle of fish/Can of worms etc. Here is the definition copied from her post.

folk music was defined on CBC morning radio as; "home grown music from the heart"

Rana

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Bert
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 02:59 PM

"home grown music from the heart" - Oh my Gawd! that definition could include ALL that singer/songwriter crap.

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: The Shambles
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 03:10 PM

Are you 'trolling' Bert?

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 03:12 PM

Bert, some of us LIKE that singer/songwriter crap, and feel that it qualifies as folk music. Woody Guthrie was nothing if not a singer/songwriter, to cite just one example.

Submitted against my better judgment...

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 03:28 PM

Bert, being a songwriter, was having us on WS......as was Shambles........Now if you want to go play the "FOLK" game, I'll go get the players for you!!!**BG**

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 03:44 PM

Is this going to start a "what is folk music and what isn't" thread creep?

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Bert
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 03:59 PM

Yer right Spaw, I was just having fun. I couldn't let that "from the heart" bit go unchallenged.

I love singer/songwriters (some of 'em) and I love folk music (some of it) but I do recognize that they are not necessarily the same thing. It might be a good direction to thread creep - "Where do they overlap?"

Bert.

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 04:02 PM

Now THAT is a thread subjest Bert. We have touched on that in the various "Folk" threads, but since we can't agree on a definition,it makes it tough to address,,,the real problem of course. Why not set it up and give it a try....gawd knows we've had dumber threads.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Kim C
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 04:08 PM

Well, I would say it's something that comes from the heart as opposed to something written for a buck.... my town is full of "staff writers" and even though a lot of them are very good writers, it's apparent when they are writing to cater to a particular demographic market. If they can do that and make a living, more power to 'em, but it ain't what interests me.

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Rana who SHOULD be working
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 04:46 PM

Naemason,

I did say the following:

"... it seems a good continuation of the Definition of Folk kettle of fish/Can of worms etc"

So I don't suppose it is thread creep. I believe that is actually what Estelle was after in her post.

Talking about "from the heart" does that mean the Peter Sellars song which went "Boom de de boom, de de boom etc ..Oh goodness gracious me" was a folk song { ducks quickly as vase of dead flowers with putrid water is flung at him)

Rana

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Bert
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 05:01 PM

Rana, you must be the only other person in the bloody world who remembers THAT song.

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 04 Aug 00 - 01:02 PM

Bert, and Spaw, I took the bait, and I'm suitably embarrassed. If I didn't like you guys so much I'd probably tell you both to go folk yourselves. [Responding to a familiar question with an equally familiar pun.]

Actually, the original question Rana raised reminded me of my first response to a "what is folk?" thread, when I was new to Mudcat and didn't realize that each new thread on this topic just served to pull the scab off the last one. My opinion was that one defining element of "folk" music was portability -- the ability to create the music without benefit of an "infrastructure" provided by corporations, governments, or academia. I still think that's a viable definition, similar to Rana's "homegrown" concept. But I will not defend it further, lest I be drawn into yet another dispute.

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Aug 00 - 12:14 AM

A friend the other day said: "The soul is the heart of man. Music is the heart of the soul."

Ebbie

Subject: RE: 'home grown music
From: bigchuck
Date: 05 Aug 00 - 07:53 AM

I've always liked the thought that "folk music" is music that is spread and survives without benefit of media. I think I first saw this thought in Pete Seeger's column in Sing Out a few years back.
Sandy