i went to school in appalachia and was around a lot of traditional folk music and grew to really love it. there are a handful of songs though, most traditional appalachian and a few scottish and irish folk instrumentals that i can put on i am full on sobbing. i feel such immense joy and overwhelm when i hear them that i end up crying almost every time. none of this music is part of my cultural background but something about a fiddle and a banjo just… really feels right.
almost all of it is rooted in deep feelings- sorrow, joy, love, loss. Universal human experience. If you have an ounce of empathy you feel it while you listen. and the music is often joyous or mournful according to the lyrics because the people who wrote the original forms of folk lived these lives and knew these people. It's a very emotional genre.
5
bigbalsamMar 30, 2026
+3
Congratulations. This is what music should do!
3
SmartaHariMar 30, 2026
+2
That’s a really nice way of putting it.
2
Bricksinthewall123Mar 30, 2026
+3
Because it is genuine, it is holy, and it is our cultural heritage as a species.
3
stabbingrabbitMar 30, 2026
+2
Mon Rovia is new and good.
2
masseymedicTXUKMar 30, 2026
+2
I’d be grateful to hear some of these songs! Any recommendations ?
2
lowfreq33Mar 30, 2026
+1
Core memory?
1
acer-bicMar 30, 2026
+2
“Traditional folk music” covers a lot of ground. I like Celtic music, but I find that it depresses me after a few hours. I think it’s because a lot of it is in a minor key.
9 Comments