The Revival of Southern U.S. Folk Music Through the use of Technology in the Social Studies Classroom
Abstract: Folk music and its lyrics are not only rich in sound and sentiment, but also voices of the past that reveal the culture, community, and everyday events of people’s lives in the southern United States during the late 19th and early 20th century. Through the internet, educators now have access to an abundance of archived folk musical resources that could aid or enhance the social studies lesson, as well as keep southern folk history alive. Moreover, students could engage in online folk music instrument lessons (e.g., banjo, harp, and harmonica), instruments often not available in schools, and perhaps not possibly played without technology. Therefore, by integrating the vast offerings of online folk ballads, lyrics, and artists, students will gain a greater understanding of the people that once lived in the South, the issues they faced, and the instruments they played.