Emphasis has not, however, entirely shifted, for many pockets of genuine folk tradition can be found today in the still somewhat isolated sections where there is a continued need for community participation. In such States as Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and even in Texas, there are thousands of sacred harp singers who use the "shape note" style, singing the notes first, and then the words. Groups still meet each week for the "singingschool" which is, for many, their chief recreational and religious outlet. There are many other evidences of surviving folk heritages of the Negro, the German, the Irish, Scottish and other groups, in much their original form, but there are also many indications of change. To an increasing degree they are starting to reflect the spirit of today, as the older folk traditions told the story of yesterday. The most widespread folk activity in the United States today is the American square dance, the distinctively national dance of our country-dances which up to about 15 or 20 years ago were held in the "front room" or in small halls with neighbors only. Often these were danced to the tune of a lone fiddler. The caller usually gave his directions from within the square; his calls were spontaneous; the dancers followed in informal style, with their individual steps, and with leeway in interpreting the calls, which differed in various regions. Today, "dosi-do" and other figures used in the large State, area or national square dance gatherings are standardized. Californians can dance with New Yorkers, Floridians, or Minnesotans at the giant square dance festivals, and the calls are familiar to all. The participants are often married couples who cross the country at the slightest excuse, simply for the joy of dancing together. Square dance records have been distributed nationally and many callers have, as a consequence, become famous from coast to coast. Their individual styles and distinctive calls become known to dancers all over the country, and when they call at national dances, the participants follow easily. These men have become important men in their field, and they command high fees as they travel about, serving the needs of an estimated 4 million square dancers the country

over.

One of the most profound changes in the folklore scene results from the influence of the new immigrants. The earlier programs of the National Folk Festival centered upon the traditional songs, dances, music and customs of the American Indian, the English, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, French, German and Negro, representing the early cultures, and the song and music of such indigenous occupational groups as the lumberjack, miner, cowboy, canalman, and sailor. Today there is more emphasis placed upon the folk dances of newer Americans than upon those of the older settlers. These newer groups are keenly aware of the value of folk activity in binding themselves together, in maintaining esprit de corps and national identity and spirit. The National Folk Festival recognizes this as a situation in being and, perforce, stresses the folk expressions of these late immigrant groups almost to the same extent as those of the earlier ones. This is also true of the State and regional festivals the country over.

No longer does the National present merely the folk music, song and dance of the early ethnic groups. A typical festival would now also include those of the Hungarian, the Yugoslav, the Lithuanian, Pole, Italian, Greek, Norwegian, and many others. However, emphasis is still centered upon the earlier groups. The influx of new ethnic groups following World War I awakened us to new and rich cultures. First recognition of these new values was given just prior to and after World War I, by International Institutes, whose festivals in New York, St. Paul, Buffalo, and other large cities initiated their presentation in the form of songs, dances, and music of our newer immigrants, making our newcomers feel at home, and incorporating their cultures with ours. Further recognition of the newer groups was given by the State folk dance federation festivals which followed the lead of California, the first State federation. Today in festivals all over the country, folk dancers swing and sway to the rhythms of many lands.

The extent to which these newer transplantations will affect our existing folk expression is not yet clear. It is evident that our general cultural pattern was established before the emergence of the newest immigrants from overseas, and that it is perhaps too soon to claim some of these cultural imports as a definite part of American folklore. What will happen to the wealth of folk treasures recently brought here; whether they will persist in their present form; whether they will take on new characteristics under the pressure toward "Americanization"; whether they will be frozen into a standardized formality as a result of the sudden increase in the number of professional dance instructors who

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teach them-these are anyone's guess. One thing is certain: as of this moment the indigenous and early folk expressions and the creations based upon them, predominate in every State.

Few bonds unite a people as does a common appreciation of its folklore. The United States is one of the few countries which has failed to recognize this fact. In one country after another we find a Ministry of Culture or some equivalent authority. One of Hitler's potent unifying forces was the attention to folk music and folk festivals which gave the Germans a vivid reminder of their national heritage. Today, Soviet Russia does the same. In our struggle to maintain military and economic superiority in a divided world we spare no effort or expense to defend our position against outside attack. Should we not give thought to the fostering of pride in our cultural heritage as a bulwark against propaganda attack? We need not encourage a chauvinistic nationalism, but we may strengthen our belief in the ideals of our country through the unifying influence of a common culture understood and beloved by all our people. There is no agency of our Government which provides material aid in the advancement of the folk activity movement, nor has any appreciable aid been given by any private agency or foundation. It is hoped that this situation will soon change. It is to be admitted that there has been lack of coordination among the many folk festival associations scattered across the country and that there has not been a national organization qualified to speak and act for folk festival groups on a national basis. The hesitancy of the Government or private agencies to subsidize or otherwise assist the movement may be understood in the light of that fact.

The National Folk Festival Association is now preparing to campaign for national recognition of the importance of folk expression in the life of our people, and to attempt to enlist the aid of government and private sources in welding together our varied cultural groups through a common understanding and appreciation of our rich folk heritage. If this movement succeeds it will do much to give the folk activity movement the position of dignity and respect similar movements enjoy in other countries.

National Folk Festival Association, Inc.
Washington, D.C.

Mr. HUSSEY. Thank you very much.

I am so used to standing, when I argue, that I hope you will permit

me.

Sixty-two years ago last July up in Bayonne, N.J., there was a new mother turned to a new father and said, "This boy is going to the Senate." I was 62 years old last July and here I am.

Before I attempt any formal presentation, may I say to you that it is not the popular conception, and I fear very much that if it ever came to a question of construction, that folklore would be included in the fine arts, and it is for that reason that we most earnestly ask that it be spelled out in all these three bills.

We have had experience after experience with that very situation, and one of the difficulties that we meet is that the too popular concept of the folk artist, the folk singer, the folk dancer and the folk musician is the sort of thing we see sometimes on TV and in the other entertainment media; the lout with a piece of hay stuck in the corner of his mouth and wearing overalls and twanging on a weird instrument. Folk expression, folk dance, folk song, folk music are dignified, beautiful things, reflecting the history of our country from the time of the Indian, continuing to evolve as time goes on. It has dignity, and it has worth not only historically, not only from the standpoint of education, but for recreation, for so many aspects of our life, that it is impossible to cover them all.

There is one very significant thing about folk song music and dance that was touched on today by Senator Javits. Only last year Indonesia was attempting to work out a trade treaty, a trade agreement, with

Singapore. They sent down a commercial exhibit on a ship, a floating exhibit of some sort. Part of the complement of that ship was a troupe of folk dancers to show these people in Singapore that the people up in Indonesia are people just like them.

The same thing happened when the Malaysian Government that is now in process of formation was trying to attract the people of Sarawak to become part of the new federation. They sent a troupe of folk dancers, singers, and musicians over there to let them know that people are people, whether they are here or whether they are there. That was on the trade side of it. You take the political side of it.

In Rumania they put on a folk exhibition there last year in which over 1 million people participated. That fantastic figure seems incredible, and it was to us when we first heard it at the meeting of the Council up in Quebec last fall, but we checked the figures and it was about right, subsidized by the Government and used for political

purposes.

Russia has done it all over. Hitler did it. When Hitler was trying to gain strength for his Nazi Party, he had folk festivals all over Germany to show these people that they were part of an old and ancient and honorable tradition.

The same thing could be true in this country. We start with the culture of the Indian. Then we have the Spaniard and we have the English and then you can go on all down the road to the newer imports, the Slavic countries and so on.

These things are all woven into a pattern that constitutes our American folklore, and they are an integral part of our culture.

When somebody thinks that because you like opera you are a longhair or because you like folk expression you are a lout, we have got to do something to combat those misconcepts, and to think that there is any distinction between classical music-among classical music, popular music, and folk music is another misconception that the National Folk Festival Association has been trying for 25 years— for more than 25 years-to overcome.

Folklore is the mother of the arts, and let us never forget it, and let us not snub it by leaving it out of these bills.

I spoke only a year ago to the director of one of the better known symphonies. I would not dare mention his name, because I do not want you to know who he was, but we told him we were having a national folk festival and asked for any suggestions he could make.

He said, "Well, I wish I could, but, you know, I do not know anything about folk music."

Good Lord above, the music that he played that night had folk themes in it. All music comes from folk music because it comes from the hearts of the people, whether they know anything or not, whether they are primitive or cultured, whether they are educated or uneducated.

The music swells from their souls and it is folk music, and someone who knows about the mechanics of music, puts it down, develops it, and the first thing you know, you have a symphony.

The National Folk Festival Association is a nonprofit organization, and, believe me, sir, when I say "nonprofit," I mean nonprofit.

It is supported normally by the sponsorship of local organizations, the chambers of commerce, the newspapers, and so on down the line, and it means that every year, when your festival is over, you have used up all your money; you have got to go out the next year and look for a new sponsor.

A thing like this would be the saving of the National Folk Festival Association, and, in turn, it has kept alive and brought to life folk themes that would have been dead and gone today if it had not been for its efforts.

I am not going to go any further into that except to say this: You have three bills here. We like them all.

If you will say in S. 785, on page 1, line 9, after the word "including," add "classical, popular and folk"-that is on S. 785, sir, line 9, after the word "including," so that it would read: "To assist the several States to inventory their existing programs in the major art fields including classical, popular, and folk music," and so on, that is the only suggestion on that bill.

On S. 741, we would suggest a similar interpolation on line 20 after the word "including".

Senator PELL. Line 20, what page?

Mr. HUSSEY. I am speaking of S. 741 now, page 2, line 20, after the word "including," I would suggest the interpolation of the words "Classical, popular, and folk," so that it would be-and then you probably would want to put a semicolon after "music" there.

That would be a matter of punctuation.

With respect to S. 1250, which we certainly favor, if you would turn to page 15, line 12, after the words "performance of," I would interpolate "classical, popular or folk," and on line 19, same page, after the word, "performances," at the end of the line, add the words, "folk festivals, pageants,".

In closing, may I just read a very short paragraph from a reprint of one of Miss Knott's articles in a magazine that was published early this spring, I think:

Few bonds unite a people as does a common appreciation of its folklore. The United States is one of the few countries which has failed to recognize this fact. In one country after another we find a ministry of culture or some equivalent authority. One of Hitler's potent unifying forces was the attention to folk music and folk festivals which gave the Germans a vivid reminder of their national heritage.

Today Soviet Russia does the same.

In our struggle to maintain military and economic superiority in a divided world, we spare no effort or expense to defend our position against outside attack. Should we not give thought to the fostering of pride in our cultural heritage as a bulwark against propaganda attack?

We need not encourage a chauvinistic nationalism, but we may strengthen our belief in the ideals of our country through the unifying influence of a common culture understood and beloved by all our people.

May I close by just repeating that from our experience with folk expression and the presentation of folk festivals over a period of 25 years in 30 or 35 States, we know that when you talk about the major art fields and when you talk about the fine arts and even when you talk about the performing arts, it should not be taken for granted that that means folklore. Let us be sure and put it in.

Thank you, sir.

Senator PELL. Thank you, Miss Knott and Mr. Hussey, for your contribution, which has been considerable, to these hearings, particularly because, no matter whether your specific suggestions are followed or not, it puts into the record the fact that folklore and folk art are bona fide forms of art, and that is now a matter of record, and if we are fortunate enough to get a bill through, that will be at least the committee intent if not the legislative intent.

Mr. HUSSEY. I am highly gratified, but I hope you will put it in. Thank you.

Senator PELL. Are there any other witnesses?

If not, this ends the session for today. We will meet tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. The meeting is adjourned.

(Whereupon, at 12:30 p.m., the hearing was adjourned, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Thursday, August 30, 1962.)