Program: Revisiting Roots: Reviving Folk Songs

Speaker: Dr. Lark Powers

Location: TBA

Folk songs have much to offer the developing student: accessible and pleasing melodies, limited harmony, balanced phrases, and great variety in character, as well offering an opportunity to connect with past generations and to explore a student’s cultural background. However, a common lament is that many children no longer know many folk songs. This presentation will explore strategies in which teachers can bring folk songs into their student’s lives, including ideas to use them as a vehicle to develop music theory, harmonization ability, singing and playing, and other musicianship skills. In addition, resources will be shared for finding folk songs which show multicultural awareness and which can be chosen to support the cultural identity of one’s students. Discussion will be included about equity of representation and avoiding a lack of contextualization, as well as more information about evaluating the historical context of problematic folk songs.