Warning: Undefined variable $img in /webroot/f/e/feano001/primary/www/blog/blog.php on line 54
If that is the best argument you can come up with.... - Fëanor's Journal



 
Monday, November 14, 2005 12:20 PM
If that is the best argument you can come up with....
by poppy

So a middle school in Michigan put a song entitled "Pick a Bale of Cotton" in its folk music choir program; three guesses what it's about. So some people got pissed. I can't say I'm surprised, though not being in the folk music choir I wasn't sure I could judge whether it was as offensive as was being alleged. American folk music is a rich tradition, after all, and slave songs are a very rich addition to the already rich tradition. (So one of my professors in college once failed Bob Dylan in a class called "American Folk Music." Just thought I'd throw that out there. She doesn't like to talk about it.) There is something interesting about them, fascinating. It's not quite a "lemonade from lemons" type of thing, but perhaps it is close: a strange beauty being borne of so much strife, pain, and malice. My first image was of Alvin Ailey's "Revelations," which uses gorgeous spirituals to breathtaking effect. Surely these songs deserve a place in our musical history and performances, don't they?

So I wasn't sure I could hop on the offensive wagon without further information... until I got to the end of the article. From the school's spokeswoman:

"'We used to sing that song when I was in school during the '50s," she said. "It's like a Southern type of folk song. I remember it being perky. It was more of a song that people just sang for fun.'"

Okay, you know what, I can be offended now. Here I am, commencing being offended.



<< Fresher Entry Older Entry >>
Enter the Archives
Back Home
About
Welcome to the blog of Jim Genzano, writer, web developer, husband, father, and enjoyer of things like the internet, movies, music, games, and books.

RSS icon  Facebook icon 


Advanced Search

Jim Genzano's books on Goodreads Recent Entries

Recent Comments

Most Popular Entries

Entry Archive

Tags

RSS Feeds
  • Main feed: RSS icon
  • Comments: RSS icon
  • You can also click any tag to find feeds that include just posts with that tag.