Running head: EFFECTS OF FOLK MUSIC IN INTERMEDIATE MUSIC EDUCATION !

Cognitive and Social Effects of Folk Music in Intermediate Music Education

John Campbell

Kent State University

Running head: EFFECTS OF FOLK MUSIC IN INTERMEDIATE MUSIC EDUCATION !2

It is undeniable that folk music saturates the curricula of elementary music classrooms

across America. But considering the wealth of repertoire available to modern day music

educators, research and thoughtful deliberation and must precede the implementation of a

singularly focused curricular tool. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of folk

music in the intermediate elementary music curriculum through the exploration of the cognitive

and social implications of a folk-centered music learning experience. To inform this study, a

thorough, but far from comprehensive review of educational journals, sociological studies, and

musicological research will serve as the foundation for this inquiry.

Review of Literature

Fitch (1965) argued that folk music is a simple, “embryonic” (p. 70) form of musical

expression, and that by combining “inspiration, purpose, craftsmanship, and labor” (p. 70), an

expert composer is able to transform a primitive work of functional expression (folk music) into

a work of art. This view, however, disregards folk music in its own terms, opting to neglect the

multitudes of ways in which it is worthy of students’ attention. By uniting the historical,

cultural, and musical components of folk music into a comprehensive elementary music

curriculum, a thoughtful educator may cultivate the whole child, enabling students to develop a

participatory relationship with music and their communities through their musical mother

tongue.

Historically, the transmission of music through oral tradition is considered a defining

characteristic of folk music. The present day reality, however, is that the proliferation of
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technology has made this music accessible in a variety of formats without degrading its

authenticity. Streaming online videos, electronic lead sheets, blogs, and a variety of high-quality

radio programs focused on this musical tradition are freely available to illuminate our

relationships with music and cultural traditions, and can inform teachers’ selection of musical

content with greater breadth than ever before. Musicologist and author J. H. Kwabena Nketia

(1967) defines folk music as a “distinct musical idiom with its own traditions, musical

instruments, performance techniques, and its own set of values” (Nketia, 1967, p. 42). In

subscribing to this belief that folk music has attributes worthy of attention in its own right,

properly trained and enculterated music educators can justify its systematic introduction in an

intermediate music education curriculum. Much like Nketia, composer and ethnomusicologist

Bela Bartok considered traditional music a manner in which to express musical ideas in the “very

best possible way, in the briefest possible form, and with the simplest means” (p. 42). If folk

music is truly the distilled essence of our disparate musical heritages, there may be no better

body of repertoire from which music educators from which to draw inspiration. In addition to

the qualities of the musical components of folk music, the cultural and sociological impacts are

of dual importance.

One of the key rationales for providing a folk-based elementary music curriculum is to

connect individuals to the cultural values of a society. Through active participation in regional

folk music, “knowledge, traditions, ideas, values, and cumulative creations of a society are

passed on from one generation to another,” effectively connecting present to past, and providing

participants with an authentic link to shared experiences of communities (Nketia, 1967). Seeger

(1980) stated that "music has been a natural part of work, play, sleep, fun, ridicule love, death,
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and it knows and tells what people have thought about the ways of living in the things that

happen." It is through a building a common understanding of history in relation to personal

experience that one can develop a connection with their own heritage. Through direct

participation in singing, playing instruments, and group movement, practitioners of folk music

take part in a unique form of collective creation. The focus on interpersonal collaboration in

working towards musical and social unity offers participants the opportunity to bring joy to

group work. By coming together in song, communities are strengthened, familiar and authentic

local narratives are explored, and individuals are engaged in the examination of personal

experience in relation to experiences of others across generations.

Conclusions and Implications for Practice

It is clear that sociocultural and musical concepts alike can be communicated through a

folk music centered curriculum. In consideration of the hands-on approach so integral to folk

music, Evanson (1951) remarked that its participatory elements " allow for learning based on

direct experiences” (p. 21). Though traditional music is customarily passed between generations

in as authentic of a manner as possible, adapting folk songs to suit regional dialects and theme is

commonplace. Promoting student creativity through lyrical adaptations, improvisational

movements, and dramatic play can deepen understanding of song narrative. Whether

demonstrated through steady beat motions, movement-instructing lyrics, or as full group contra

dance, it is natural to embody folk music through movement. Take, for example, the traditional

folk tune Old Brass Wagon (Sandburg, 1927), in which the lyrical content dictates partner and

group movement. The instructional first verse lyrics to this circle dance are as follows:
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Circle to the left, the old brass wagon

Circle to the left, the old brass wagon

Circle to the left, the old brass wagon

You’re the one, my darling

As the song progresses, the singers and dancers are instructed to circle to the right, move

inward and outward, swing their partner, and do-si-do. Participating in such group movements

promotes a deeper understanding of musical form, tempo, and steady beat, all while allowing

students to actively embody the thematic content of the piece. Custodero (2010) stated that

“embodiment of musical experience is integrative, and speaks to the necessity of physical and

metaphorical space children need to “become” the music” (p. 138). By embodying the

characteristics of each verse, students also develop a sense of belonging within their community

of peers, connecting with to one another through physical and musical activity.

While the song and dance format of Old Brass Wagon may seem simplistic, this play-

party folk song from the early 20th century offers many teachable moments. Leman (2008)

explained “embodiment assumes that subjective experiences are expressed in bodily changes.”

For educators, the implications of Leman’s research provide evidence that embodied cognition

can be monitored and tracked based on movement in relation to music. Students may develop an

understanding of the pentatonic scale and improvisation through performance on Orff

instruments, they may hone their beat competency skills through group movement, or may gain a

historical perspective of dancing from the time of the westward expansion. At a more basic level

of sociability, intermediate students are able to interact with their classmates in a competition-
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free, collaborative environment. Participation in musical exercises that permit students to engage

meaningfully within a social and ethical context guides the development of empathy and

teamwork through lived experience, empowering students to learn from and with one another.

The cultural pluralism of rapidly changing community demographics presents

complications of authenticity and purpose in implementing a folk-based intermediate music

curriculum. The question of what gets included or excluded in a course of study is of utmost

importance, and instructors must thoughtfully select repertoire to suit the ever-changing needs of

student populations. In his investigation of ethically crafted curricula, Allsup (2010) argued “the

music educator is never hostage to thoughtless custom” (p. 221). to the evolving educator seeks

and identifies educational opportunities in selected repertoire, avoiding prejudice by resisting

stereotypes to ethically craft a meaningful music learning experience

References

Allsup, R. (2010). Critical issues in music education. (p. 221). New York, NY: Oxford

University Press.
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Custodero, L. A. (2010). Critical issues in music education. (pp. 137-138). New York: Oxford

University Press.

Evanson, J. A. (1951). American folk songs. Music Educators Journal, 37(3), 20-21.

Fitch, J. R. (1965). Must folk music dominate elementary singing?. Music Educators Journal,

51(3), 70-71.

Nketia, J. H. (1967). The place of authentic folk music in education. Music Educators Journal,

54(3), 40-42 129-131 133.

Sandburg, C. (1927). The American songbag. (p. 159). New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company.

Seeger, R. (1980). American folk songs for children, in home, school and nursery school: A book

for children, parents and teachers. (p. 21). Garden City, NY: Doubleday

Watts, S. H. (2008). American folk songs for children: Ruth Crawford Seeger's contributions to

music education. Journal of Research in Music Education, 56(3), 238-254.