7369 old music 2402 - KET

Introduction
Music is the conductor of
electricity or magic. Music is
outside the path we walk every
day. Ever since primitive man, we
have been lifted by it, and we want
to be lifted by it. Even though
we’re heading for Mars and a
push-button world, we still have
our basic emotions to deal with …
and that’s where these songs are
coming from.
—Odetta
Folk music is not owned by
anyone. It belongs to all of us.
—John McCutcheon
KET’s Old Music for New Ears
features some of the nation’s bestknown
folk and blues artists introducing
the MTV generation to the simple
and pure forms of folk and traditional
music. During the 16 15-minute
programs, young people are invited to
sing, move, and listen to music whose
roots go back through centuries and
across oceans.
The programs are perfect for use in
the classroom, in library children’s
programs, and as day-care or afterschool
activities. For the music teacher,
these programs offer an exciting
opportunity to bring in a guest artist
such as Jean Ritchie, Mike Seeger, or
Odetta and to conduct a unit in traditional
music and instruments. For the
classroom teacher, this series connects
to many areas of the curriculum while
serving as an excellent way to involve
children in music.
The songs in the series include folk,
blues, and bluegrass classics, either
performed a cappella or accompanied
by acoustic instruments such as the
banjo, dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, and
guitar. The musicians perform, tell
about the history of their instruments
and songs, explain their current styles,
and charm their student audiences into
joining in.
As one of the Old Music performers,
Malcolm Dalglish, explains: “Old
music is already alive and well in our
pop music. Rhythm and blues, rap,
ballads, and many other currently
popular musical genres are all forms
that are found in older traditions. It’s
important for children to learn and be
able to identify the roots of their pop
music and be able to appreciate it. By
so doing, they become closer to the
process of creation, the creativity of a
composer or songwriter, and the
creativity and ethnic identity of a
culture.”
Odetta describes American folk
music as unique because it is derived
from a combination of different
peoples. “It could never have begun in
just Africa or England or Scotland,
because everyone came here from
somewhere else with his own music.
American folk became a blend of all
people’s music. Most of the good folk
music comes from below the Mason-
Dixon Line, from the sea, from New
England, and some from the gold fields
of California.”
The songs were chosen for their
appeal to children and can be learned
easily and quickly, so that audience
participation is spontaneous, both on
the tapes and in the setting where they
are watched. This guide includes the
song lyrics so your students can sing
along, continuing the tradition of
keeping this “old music” alive. All the
performers in the series join Malcolm
in his desire “for the children to take
these songs and learn them and make
them their own.”
KET, The Kentucky Network 5