Bau’s Blaug
The latest news from “the Big Cheese” – Executive Director Bau Graves.
The Modern Traditionalists
It’s been a couple of tough weeks for students of American folk traditions. On August 1, Sandy Paton, founder of Folk Legacy Records, died at his home in Connecticut. On August 1, Sandy Ives, the dean of Downeast folklore passed away at his home in Maine. And on August 9, Mike Seeger, heroic collector and performer of Appalachian traditions (and half-brother of Pete) died at home in Virginia.
All three of these men were instrumental in igniting the Great American Folk Revival that changed the face of popular music in the middle of the 20th century. They were really pioneers, who did the primary research, located and learned from elder musicians (many of whom had faded into obscurity after meteoric early careers), promoted the music through their own intrepid performances, publications and recordings, and inspired generations of aspiring singers. The movement they nurtured also resulted in the creation of Old Town School of Folk Music, which in turn stimulated the evolution of the Revival, and carries on their work today.
Interestingly, none of these heroes was born into the traditions that they championed. They were educated, cosmopolitan scholars who developed a burning passion for the traditional music that became their life’s work. They did it because they loved it. Folklorist Hal Cannon, discussing the thorny topic of “authenticity” in folk performance, once commented, “It’s a matter of devotion. If somebody from outside a community shows longevity and devotion, they’re there as far as I’m concerned.” In their lifelong mining of the mother lodes of heritage, Paton, Ives and Seeger modeled a devotion that is a template for the pursuit of contemporary traditions. In our time, the isolated community that once nourished its ballads and dance tunes is fully connected to the broadband of global culture. Our communications have broken down the barriers of time and space. We’re all cosmopolitan scholars now, and some of us discovered our own burning passions thanks to the guidance of those who passed before. They set the standard for how the words “modern” and “traditional” could fit into the same sentence, a standard that inspires us yet. The circle remains unbroken.
Filed under: Uncategorized by Bau | August 12, 2009 | Comments (0)
