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For seasoned and amateur performers, stage fright is one of the greatest problems they tackle whenever they

Every style of music today has roots. Ethnic music is too often overlooked as an important contributor to folk music. We cannot possibly discuss the origins of American folk music without giving credit to African-Americans. Without the African-American influence, American folk music would sound and feel entirely different today.


The Early African Influence

African-American folk music was borne out of the spirituals sung by slaves working the plantations. Their oppression and appalling work conditions created some of the most beautiful music ever created by an American spirit. During this era in American history, music made by slaves began as calls to one another in the fields. These early call and response

How is Folk Music Defined?

Simply put, folk music is the music of the people. Every culture has its own musical traditions that are handed down from generation to generation. What then is the difference between formal music and folk music? Formal music styles are written down. Folk music is a tradition passed down through the generations by

Looking back at the history of folk music in America, there are thousands of artists who shared their folk music with anyone within their reach. They traveled across this vast country revealing their unique original folk music as well as their own adaptations of the traditional folk songs.

When we talk about influential artists, we look at how the artist not only influenced the listeners but also how they influenced the future of songwriting and artists in the genre. Many of the most influential folk artists in America affected our views on a vast array of subjects from daily life to war and everything in between.

Most Influential Male Artists in Folk Music

Let’s take a look at the male folk artists who have had the most impact on folk music through the years. The fabulous ladies of folk music deserve their own accolades and we will talk about them in our next post.

• Woody Guthrie
  

The Origin of the Musical Saw

No one is really certain how the musical saw came to fruition. It is believed to have been born in the 19th century in the Appalachian Mountains of America. Some clever mountain man probably put his carpenter’s saw between his knees and used his fiddle bow to play it.

There are, however, some sources who claim the musical saw was invented in Russia or Argentina. Maybe it was being played all over the world. We will never really know for certain. Carpenters everywhere began discovering their tools could make pleasant sounds. We can wonder if perhaps playing the saw began as early as the 17th century when carpentry saws began to be mass produced with pliable blades.

As early as the 19th century, men of the cloth played musical saws during their church services. In the days of vaudeville in the United States, the musical saw made its way to the theatrical stage and has been a musical star ever since.


The Musical Saw of Today

When did the musical saw replace the carpenter’s saw? For some musicians, carpenter’s saws are still a staple. In 1919, the ingenious Clarence Mussehl began perfecting the craft of manufacturing the musical saw. Let’s face it, the saw needed some improvements. It needed to be more pliable with more distinctive tones. So, clever Clarence did some experimenting with thinner steel for the blade and making the blade less wide. Consequently, the

The most amazing fact about music is that it is unique to human being. There is no other creature on earth that can create and appreciate music except for man. As such, listening to music is a unique benefit reserved only to us. There are countless benefits of listening to music, especially in the realm of psychology, health and spirituality, but the following six benefits of music are the most dominant of them all.

1.Music unites culture. One of the most interesting benefits of listening to music is that we are able to understand and find a personal link to the cultural heritage of music, such as the time when the music was composed, the place where it was released, and the message of the music. In fact, music is so universal that it does not recognize any culture. It goes into the soul of the music lovers, wherever they are in the world or even if they do not understand the language. Music makes people one.

2.Music helps develop intelligence. Aside from the overall requirement of being an artist, playing music needs a little bit of knowledge and intelligence. But music is so powerful that it can influence the intelligence of a person even before s/he is born. In fact, research and studies show that music can significantly improve the intelligence of embryos and kids alike. That is why pregnant mothers are encouraged to listen to classical music to help nurture the intelligence of their unborn babies. In the end, music is not only beneficial to children, they also improve the psychological wellbeing of mothers.

3.Music dissolves negative emotions. The power of music is not only limited to giving lonely people the energy they need to fuel their day. Music is such a powerful tool used by many of us in dissolving heavy and negative emotions. Music indeed is a gift from and to the human beings. Listening to music can lead us to love life more despite the many difficulties that come our way. Life sometimes can become burdensome, but music is effective in removing negative emotions from our hearts. Music can transform a gloomy day into a day filled with happiness and joy.

4.Music is an effective therapy tool. Music is so encompassing that even people afflicted with pain can really benefit from listening to music. Its magical effect on patients can help them recover from pain and diseases. In fact, it has been proven through research that mentally ill patients positively respond to music and effectively alleviate their mental illness. Today, in almost all psychiatric hospitals, music is an important component in the treatment of their patients.

Perhaps we should first determine what strange and unusual really means.

The Musical Saw in the Company of Celebrities
You may think the musical saw is a bit obscure and that it’s strictly for folk musicians. That’s not the case at all. There are many notable people who have played the musical saw. Did you know that Marlene Dietrich played the musical saw while entertaining troops in World War II? Ever heard of the San Francisco socialite, Bob Pritikin? The former ad man, American author and hotelier is also an avid musical saw player. Bob frequently performed at lavish parties at his mansion for celebrity guests like Mickey Rooney. Contemporary artist, Laurel Hausler, also is a singing saw player.

The Musical Saw Goes to Hollywood
Of course, the musical saw has made many appearances in television and movies including Three’s Company, Tool Time, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. You may be amazed to know that it has also had an integral role in movie scores. Probably the most famous use was in the score for the Pirates of the Caribbean

This is certainly my favorite category. The thought of taking something designed for war and turning it into a musical instrument is very appealing. Remember, the Bible forecasts a time of peace when humanity will beat swords into plowshares ( Isaiah 2:4 ) One such weapon/instrument is the Picking Bow. This is essentially an archer’s bow converted into a musical instrument. Picking bows are available in my Musical Saw catalog.

If you thought the musical saw was unusual, what about an instrument that plays without human assistance? That’s right there are musical instruments that are played with the assistance of nature only. No musician is necessary! The Aeolian wind harp and the wave organ are perfect examples.
The Aeolian wind harp, is as name indicates, played by the wind. Its origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Since the wind harp requires no human involvement, it emanates an eerie sound that is reliant solely on Mother Nature. Like the wind harp, the wave organ also relies solely on nature as its musician. The ocean’s waves create the sounds as they move in and out of the tubes located on the underside of the structure. The random notes are heard coming from the openings on the surface of the organ.