Country Music Education
April 8th, 2008 by vincebates
I grew up listening to country music–Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Jim Reeves, etc. Of course, we also had a good dose of American folk music. Mom played the guitar and sang; Dad played the accordion. My brothers and sisters all learned guitar and I, being the rebellious one, learned accordion. We played and sang together as a family (and we still do play together a bit at family reunions). This music helped to shape who I am and how I view the world.
Now, as I have reached the ripe old age of 40, the musicing I enjoy most is playing guitar (I’ve been playing guitar for 7 years now) and singing country and folk music. It “takes me back” and reinforces my sense of identity.
Theories about basic human needs agree almost universally that belonging is a basic human need. Country music, for me as well as many of my students here at Northwest Missouri State University and music students throughout North America, provides a source of identity as it has been interwoven with everyday life and significant life events (funerals, reunions, weddings, graduation). These students have a right (basic needs=rights) to explore the rich heritage of country music and to have it placed on par in their music classrooms with rock, jazz, and classical traditions as well as other folk and popular traditions from around the world.
Nice idea. I was wondering how you would determine what is “country” and what is not. When I turn on a country radio station, it sounds a lot like rock and roll with a Texas accent. Does that mean that Z.Z. Top is a “country” band or should we just accept poplar culture’s view of what is country music and what is not?