When people say “American folk music,” they’re often referring to the folk revival of the 1960s, a continuation, and sometimes appropriation, of the old time tradition into the cultural mainstream. But what is old time?

Old time music is a small part of the tapestry of traditional American music, primarily reflecting the culture of working class English-Americans. But this definition is flawed; it fails to take into account inspiration from other cultures, especially African American culture, from which many staples of the style, including the banjo, originate.

In this program, listeners will be given an overview of old time music. Traverse, along with their guitar, banjo, mountain dulcimer, and autoharp, will perform a variety of songs, serving as lenses through which to view old time’s wide range of cultural and systemic influences, how those affect its perception today, and the music’s continual evolution and growth.

Traditional music is unlike anything else. It’s an ever-flowing river. When we engage with traditional music, we’re dipping our feet in, feeling the current built up over hundreds of years. It belongs to everybody equally. It isn’t music sanctioned by the King, the Church, or the State. It’s the music of the working folk. The common folk.

In this program, listeners will be shown firsthand how traditional music evolves – a game of telephone we’re still playing today with our ancient ancestors. Select songs showcasing a variety of ways people engaged with traditional music including regional variation, modernization, and how folk music reflects working class culture will be performed on a variety of traditonal instruments.

It makes sense that sea shanties would become a viral TikTok sensation during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re simple songs designed to be sung by a community; and in a time where we were separated from our own, it gave an outlet for us to feel connected. Sea shanties are a unique tradition with deep roots in African American, English, and Irish cultures, yielding an infectious repertoire of singalongs designed to bring people together to accomplish a common goal.

In this program, listeners will be taken on a participatory journey across both the High Seas and the Great Lakes, singing together, learning the roles shanties played on the ship, and the cultural seeds which sprouted into this maritime tradition.

The railroad was a revolution for more than just commerce. It enabled people and ideas to travel across America at speeds previously unseen. The railroad became romanticized, developed its own mythology, and left a massive mark on traditional American music.

In this program, listeners will be presented with an array of traditional songs centered around the railroad, as well as songs in which the rail played a significant role in their evolution.

On an array of traditional instruments, Traverse will play songs our parents’ parents’ parents sang growing up. Play parties, game songs, singalongs, and more! Through this program, children will not only enjoy the music, but will also learn about the historical and cultural contexts under which the music came into this world.