Our Musical Heritage Series: American Folk Music - Region 0

American folk music is heavily indebted to the British and Irish ballads. New words were set in America to the music of the old ballads. We follow the development of these ballads through a variety of versions. Brought from Europe and Africa, string instruments became synonymous with folk music as the violin and banjo. Soul music was derived from African roots and frequently involved clapping. In discovering music, we explore the fundamentals of basic musical categories with emphasis on both the technique and instruments as well as the music itself.