A Woman to Know: Sidney Robertson Cowell
I was curious about American folk song — what was American about it? — Sidney Robertson Cowell
(image via The Library of Congress)
Sidney's titles were numerous: song catcher, folk collector, music ethnographer, traveling recorder. For 20 years in the early 20th century, she road tripped across the country with her recorder, leading a WPA team of fellow music enthusiasts. You can listen to the full catalogue of their "catches" — from small town theaters, big city venues, church choir rehearsals, tribal dances, prison cafeterias and more — in the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture.
Toward the end of her life, she took her trusty recorder on a trip through Europe and Asia, bringing back songs from Gaelic fishermen, Iranian vocalists and Pakistani music groups to share with her fellow Americans — many of whom had never before been exposed to folk culture outside their own. Thanks to Sidney, now we can listen to both.
Add to your library list:
Folksongs of Another Era (James P. Leary)
The Archive of Folk Culture (Sidney Robertson Cowell)
New Musical Resources (Henry Cowell)
Read more:
Sidney, 92, Ethnomusicologist and Teacher (The New York Times)
Documenting California songs and communities (The Library of Congress)
Celebrating the Midwest's Multi-ethnic Heritage (The Huffington Post)
The ethnographic experience (Iowa News)
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