In 1939 John Alan Lomax, accompanied by his wife and son, traveled throughout the American South, recording and collecting examples of traditional music performed by amateur performers. These field recordings remain one of the most important archives of a significant genre of "American" music and an important touchstone for the commercial form known as "Country." These field recordings had been relatively inaccessible in the Library of Congress, until the establishment of a major web site that allows free access to these recordings.

For this assignment you are to use "The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip", which is part of the Library of Congress's "American Memory" web site (also available via the web link on the course home page). As with the Ballad assignment, you must use a computer that allows you to play and hear sound files of various types (including Real Audio, MP3, and WAV). If your computer does not have this capability, free downloads area available on this web site. You are to listen to some of this music and write descriptions of the performances.

Specifically, you should do the following:

1. Enter the web site at the URL listed above (or via the link on the course web page). Scroll down the site's home page, and note especially the link to "The 1939 Recording Expedition," as well as the various links below, including "field notes."
2. Click the link to "The 1939 Recording Expedition," and then read through the descriptions of the trip. After you have read the page, chose a particular state that interests you and follow any link to a page that gives a brief introduction to the musical style(s) in that state. Near the bottom of that page you should find one of more links to still another page that contains a list of the relevant field recordings.
3. Listen to at least two recordings (via the links on that final page), and make some notes for yourself about the sound of the music. Specifically, you are interested in how much the music does or does not sound like "country" music (from any style or time period).
4. You may also read the "field notes" relevant to the recordings (see the "Notes" on any page that lists a recording). To do so, you need to return to the web site's home page and use the link to access the "Field Notes." Then use the link marked "click here to see the full text of this item."

After you have listened to and read about two items, write a brief summary of how, in your opinion, these items relate to "country music." (Be sure to identify the two recordings you chose somewhere in the paper.)

Your paper should be between one and two full pages (at least 400-500 words), and is due via email by Tuesday (20 April 2004) evening, at 5:00 pm. NB. That day (20 April 04) is the date of your final exam, so there can be no extensions beyond this announced deadline.