Just what is folk music? Is it soft-spoken, intimate confessions poured out over an acoustic guitar? Is it “We Shall Overcome,” sung on the National Mall? Is it ever playful? Joyful? Does it do something other than teach? Can it be “pop?” Clearly, the answers to these questions are subjective, but at their core is a common notion: “Folk” music is “apart” from other music. There is something different about the folk singer – that mythic figure of storytelling and poetic wisdom. But is that really true?
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