Music Documentaries.

[Caleb]

Might be old news to some, but I recently came across this site with tons of music-related (and non-musical on the other sections) documentaries. Thought some might enjoy.

http://www.folkstreams.net/films.php?cat=8&sort=recent

[pops1]

I'll watch some of these tonight, thanks

[bigskygirl]

Thanks for posting!

[BJ O'Day]

Thanks for posting. I watched "This Ain't No Mouse Music" a few years ago. Very interesting.
BJ

[Roger Moss]

So much. Hard to decide where to start. Thanks.

[seankeegan]

thank you!

[Caleb]

That entire site is really a treasure trove of art, culture, and history. Must’ve taken a lot of legwork to put it all in one place like that.

[Ranald]

Thanks for the great list, Caleb.

When you're watching these videos, folks, please use critical thinking. Music documentaries are great at exposing us to musicians and musical cultures that we'd otherwise miss. However, in many cases, the filmmakers and the musicians themselves aren't experts on musical history. For instance, I've watched "Fiddlers of James Bay" a number of times and would recommend it. However, the attitude of the Scots that the Cree people have been doing nothing but preserving their music for three centuries is offensive. The commentary that the Cree retained tunes that Orkney fiddlers had lost does not allow for anyone, either Scots trader or Cree hunter, having created a new tune over the centuries. It's bad enough that the Scottish people hold this colonial viewpoint, but the Canadian commentator holding the same view is embarrassing. This attitude is common among Cape Bretoners too. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is a multicultural society, but Scottish musicians often regard its dynamic fiddling as a preservation of their lost culture and not as a creative tradition influenced by French, Irish, and other musicians, as well as by Scottish Cape Bretoners moving about North America for work and being influenced by other musical styles. Sadly, we Canadians often take it as a compliment when people of the UK look at our creative musical culture and say "thanks for preserving our music."

That's my rant --enjoy the docs and the music.

[JeffD]

It's bad enough that the Scottish people hold this colonial viewpoint, but the Canadian commentator holding the same view is embarrassing. This attitude is common among Cape Bretoners too. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is a multicultural society, but Scottish musicians often regard its dynamic fiddling as a preservation of their lost culture and not as a creative tradition influenced by French, Irish, and other musicians, as well as by Scottish Cape Bretoners moving about North America for work and being influenced by other musical styles. Sadly, we Canadians often take it as a compliment when people of the UK look at our creative musical culture and say "thanks for preserving our music."
.

A viewpoint rarely expressed. Very good.

- - - Updated - - -

Thought some might enjoy.

A gold mine!!

[Timbofood]

Thanks Caleb! Treasure trove indeed. Just watched the “Blues like rain” episode, amazing stuff.
This kind of forum is a fabulous history teaching tool, the images can be disturbing and the songs, far from the politically correct “modern view” is critical in teaching about our, not always pretty and sensitive, HISTORY!
A very well executed sculpture (an Ianelli) is going to be removed from the downtown Kalamazoo park as some have decried it as “insensitive”. I am not Native American but, if we bury our history (the sculpture was placed on the national historical register!) we are destined to repeat it!

[Charlieshafer]

A superb suggestion for another snowed-in day. And Ronald, I especially appreciate your point of view on that subject. That's what makes the P.E.I. music so interesting to me; it's impossible to tell where one influence ends and another begins.

[Mark Gunter]

Excellent stuff, thank you Caleb!

Ranald, thank you, as well, for the timely critique and exhortation to critical thinking. The world needs more of that.