by Colette Georgii

Created on: July 23, 2007

AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC

American Folk Music has its roots in The American Appalachia region, early New England, Native American culture, African American culture, the Cowboys of western America, and the first settlers from England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Folk music is a traditional type of music originating from the common people. It is not normally written music but based on the habits and rituals of a culture. It is usually sung in melody.

The Appalachia was an isolated region and therefore much of the folk music coming from this region is still with us. This is the area where many Native Americans who were scheduled to embark on the "Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma, fled to and intermingled with the Anglo-Saxon people of England and Ireland. A unique type of country singing and dancing came out of this region. Clog dancing came out of this region which is a form of folk dancing. The English and Irish brought their many folk songs from their countries to this region and Native Americans brought their cultural and ritual dances and songs to the region. There was a blending of cultures and out of it came American Folk Music.

African American slaves brought also their songs from many different countries in Africa. The region of the western part of the United States peopled by Native Americans and people from many different countries developed the uniquely American Cowboy and Cowboy songs now called Country/Western, which is very American Folk.

Folk music develops out of a region, a culture, and tradition. Songs of war, songs of peace, cradle songs, children's songs, dancing such as contra dance (country-dance) and clogging, all come together to make up the vast amount of folk songs and music that contribute to the American Folk Tradition.

A set of Children's songbooks that come with a tape or CD are a good example of American Folk music. They are Kids Songs Jubilee, Kids Songs, and Kids Songs 2. They are all sung by Nancy Cassidy in rich folk song style. Such songs included are The Sun is Shining, Wild Mountain Thyme, Chicken, This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Jambalaya by Hank Williams, Wabash Cannonball, Day-O, Kumbaya, This Old Man, She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain.

Most of these songs do not have authors but are listed as traditional and that is what folk music is - traditional. The songs were sung once by someone and then handed down generation after generation. Being there is no author or copyright they can be changed and sung to

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