There
was something that sounded quite familiar about the traditional folk music of
the Adirondack region. I knew I had never heard “Tebo”, “The Ballad of Blue
Mountain Lake” or “Once More a-Lumbering Go” before, yet the songs sounded
familiar and oddly induced a sense of nostalgia for something I couldn’t
pinpoint. I soon realized that the familiar sound that made my heart feel happy
and brought a smile to my face was the unique whine of the fiddle. The fiddle was
the most popular instrument to accompany Adirondack folk tunes, and it has
accompanied a number of pieces through the years including the ones heard in
class. The sound of the fiddle, however, is more than just timeless… it
represents the passing down of traditions, stories and in the context of our
class, the history of the Adirondack region. Furthermore, because of its
history rooted in tradition and the communal experience of music, it still adds
an element of comfort and tradition to folk music today. The pure sound of the
instrument transports the listener through time and invokes a sense of
togetherness.
In
class we discussed how the lyrics of many Adirondack folk songs directly
addressed the audience, and invited friends and family to come around to dance,
sing and listen to the stories of the lumbermen. The instrument was played for
dancing and singing at gatherings both at home and in the woods. The sound of
the fiddle alone was an invitation to families and friends to come together to
let loose and have fun. The fiddle acted as the perfect accompaniment for solo
and small group performances and paired well with improvised percussion like hand
drumming and foot tapping. In this sense, everyone could be a part of the
experience. Folk music from the Adirondacks contains a history of the lumbermen
and has transcended through decades to keep the history alive. This is evident
in folk music from other regions as well. Now, hearing such music today, I can
envision the men and their wives dancing jovially to the ever-catchy jigs and
ballads.
Many
folk musicians continue to use the fiddle as a prominent accompaniment to
vocals. Although the genre has developed with time, the fiddle maintains the
sense of musical community. I had an experience at an Edward Sharpe and the
Magnetic Zeros concert that has stuck with me the past few years. After an
unforgettably engaging performance in which the group interacted with the
audience (we were always asked to sing along and at one moment, to share some
of our own personal stories), the venue turned off the amplifier signifying it
was time for the concert to end. In rebellion, a lead musician with an electric
fiddle plugged his instrument into the group’s own, travel-sized amplifier. The
lead singer asked the audience members to come together and put their arms
around whoever stood next to them. The fiddler began to play the popular Bill
Withers’ song “Lean on Me”. The audience sang together in unison, swaying back
and forth to the sound of the electric fiddle and our voices in harmony.
Although the song isn’t traditionally folk, the use of the fiddle induced an
immediate sense of familiarity, comfort and tradition.
Below is a photograph of Nathaniel Markman, the lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, whose career took off after an incredible solo fiddle performance!
"'W Is for the Woods' - Traditional Adirondack Music." Adirondack Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
I really like this post because it sets just the right balance between telling a personal tale and informing us about the music of the Adirondacks. This post really captures the power that Adirondack folk music has both to the people who actually sang it and to you as well. I think this is a really cool connection that I at least wasn't expecting.
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