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Everything I Know, I Learned from Lead Belly, Folkways, and The Grey Goose
For GRAMMY Award-winning musician Dan Zanes, discovering Lead Belly through Folkways Records at age eight was transformative, not only in expanding his worldview, but in laying the foundations for a lifelong career in music. “When Lead Belly sang ‘The Grey Goose’ the power of his voice and guitar sent me into the musical stratosphere, worlds away from the city limits of Concord, New Hampshire,” he recalls. In this Smithsonian Folkways Magazine article, Zanes reflects on the experience and makes the case for music as a “crazy quilt of songs, sounds, and stories.” |
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The Storied, International Folk History of Beauty and the Beast
With its live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, Walt Disney Pictures is banking on a tried and true story line—one that has its roots in folklore and popular culture the world over, as Folklife curator James Deutsch uncovers in this Smithsonian.com feature. The story of a bride and her animal groom can be seen in Norwegian and Chinese folktales, among others. One lesson imparted, as Deutsch explains, is that “believing is seeing—a corrective to ‘seeing is believing’—indicating that beliefs may be more powerful than what our eyes behold.” |
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The Singular Power of Music
“If humanity survives another century, it will be because of music.” What Pete Seeger captured in that single line is the power of music to profoundly transform us. In this piece, we examine music’s role as a catalyst for connecting with communities, with moments in time, and with worlds beyond our own. Drawing from the work of past Smithsonian Folklife Festival participants, we consider the longstanding influence of music as a social, historical, and ever-shifting art form. “My father, grandfather, great-grandfather, they all played the fiddle,” Cajun fiddler and National Heritage Fellow Dewey Balfa recalled. “Through my music, I feel they are still alive.” |
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Medical Clown Project
For members of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Medical Clown Project, connecting with patients starts with play and humor. In this profile and video, artistic director Jeff Raz speaks to the spirited work of his team who collectively bring magic, music, improvisation, and puppetry to patients, thereby reducing fear and anxiety. “Some residents who had been isolated and non-communicative were ‘lighting up and talking’ for the first time in months,” said Michelle M. Fouts, director of pharmacy at Laguna Honda Hospital. Medical Clown Project is one of many circus troupes and schools coming to the 2017 Folklife Festival to demonstrate their occupational culture in the Circus Arts program.
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Smithsonian Folklife Festival 50th Reunion
The 50th anniversary Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes place June 29 to July 4 and July 6 to 9, with a special reunion gathering during the second weekend. Former staff, volunteers, and participants are invited for thought-provoking discussions and performances, opportunities to share your Festival memories, and more. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
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Share Your Festival Memories
If you have a favorite photo or story from a past Folklife Festival, we invite you to share it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the tag #50YearsofFolk. Be sure to tell us in your post what made that Festival memory special to you. If your story catches our eye, we’ll share it with our followers and feature it on our blog. |
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Summer Courses in World Music
Smithsonian Folkways is proud to offer four certificate courses this summer in world music pedagogy. The weeklong courses, offered in Minnesota, West Virginia, and Washington State, draw heavily on Smithsonian Folkways collections and provide an exclusive opportunity for teachers to learn a variety of musical traditions, including Senegalese drumming, gospel, samba, and Latin American steel pan music.
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Images (top to bottom): 1) Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 1 album art. 2) Pete Seeger at a peace rally in New York City, 1965. Photo by Diana Davies, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. 3) Medical Clown Project. Photo by Lenny Gonzalez. 4) 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Photo by Jeff Tinsley, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. 5) Julie Freundt performs with Marinera Viva!!! at the 2015 Folklife Festival. Photo by Ronald Villasante, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives. 6) Christina Sunardi leads a Javanese gamelan class for a Word Music Pedagogy course in June 2013. Photo by Meredith Holmgren. |
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