Old-Time Music and Dance: Community and Folk Revival

Cover

Communityand Folk Revival John Bealle O l d T ime Music and D a n c e In the summer of 1972, a group of young people in Bloomington, Indiana, began a weekly gathering with the purpose of reviving traditional American old-time music and dance. In time, the group became a kind of accidental utopia, a community bound by celebration and deliberately void of structure and authority. In this joyful and engaging book, John Bealle tells the lively history of the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group—how it was formed, how it evolved its unique culture, and how it grew to shape and influence new waves of traditional music and dance. Broader questions about the folk revival movement, social resistance, counterculture, authenticity, and identity intersect this delightful history. More than a story about the people who forged the group or an extraordinary convergence of talent and creativity, Old-Time Music and Dance follows the threads of American folk culture and the social experience generated by this living tradition of music and dance. $24.95 http://iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796 Cover illustration: Margie VanAuken MUSIC • FOLKLORE John Bealle, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, has written extensively on folklore and folksong revival. He is author of Public Worship, Private Faith: Sacred Harp and American Folksong. He is an old-time fiddler and plays in a dance band with Eloise Clark and Jim Johnson. During the time he lived in Bloomington, Indiana, he frequently accompanied Lotus Dickey. Bealle Old-Time Music and Dance “John Bealle is a thoughtful and careful observer of community life. His book reveals how a playful and determined group of friends and their passion for fiddle tunes nurtured a vibrant social scene. Here, the best aspects of the 1970s and counterculture America are revived for today’s old-time enthusiasts.” —Dillon Bustin OLD-TIME MUSIC AND DANCE OLD-TIME MUSIC AND DANCE Community and Folk Revival John Bealle This book is a publication of Quarry Books an imprint of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA http://iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu 䉷 2005 by John Bealle All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bealle, John. Old-time music and dance : community and folk revival / John Bealle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-253-34638-X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group— History. 2. Old-time music—Indiana—Bloomington—History and criticism. 3. Country-dance—Indiana—Bloomington— History. I. Title. ML3551.8.B56B43 2005 781.62'130772255—dc22 2005004559 1 2 3 4 5 10 09 08 07 06 05 for eloise and josie ...