What are musical folk stories?

Have you heard the phrase “musical folk stories” around, but you’re not sure what it means? Do you love the cultural connections built with folk music? Do you also love sharing folk stories, legends, and myths of different cultures? 

These are parts of what makes up musical folk stories, but what exactly are they? 

Musical folk stories come in two forms: 

1. A natural folk story that has a song or songs with it
2. A folk story from a culture that someone added music to 

If you’re interested in adding this dynamic (pun intended) cultural and cross-curricular activity to your music classroom, read on for more information. 
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What is a folk story? 
A folk story is a story told by a group of people through oral tradition. The story comes in different variations, but it offers unique insight into the minds of the people who spread the story. 

Different cultures have different names for folk stories. They include: 

• Legends 
• Myths
• Folktales
• Fables
• Fairy Tales
• Traditional stories
• Tall tale
• Tall story

Folk tales have been around since the dawn of mankind in various forms for a reason. The stories helped to explain the unexplainable, and they captured the imagination of us as humans. 

A marriage of music and story
Sharing folk stories with your students allow them to become more empathetic with other cultures or the history or their own culture. It gives them experience with others on a deeper level that sticks with their little minds for the rest of their lives. 

How many of us fondly remember the stories from our childhood days? Maybe you enjoyed the “Tortoise and the Hare” or “The Legend of Paul Bunyan.” I’m sure all of us remember hearing about Johnny Appleseed or Hercules and his trials. 

We can give this gift to our music students on an even deeper level by including music with these folk stories or by finding ones that already have music in it. As we all know, music increases that sense of empathy and emotional connection even further. 

If you haven’t included stories in more music classroom before, you’ll be surprised by how engaged even your middle schoolers can be. It’s a beautiful thing. 

How to teach musical folk storiesI
Personally love integrating stories in my classroom. Check out my video with storytelling tips for more information.

But if you want to hear from a true expert, come to our workshop on May 4th, 2019. Dr. Marie McCarthy from the University of Michigan is presenting her research and arrangements of musical folk stories from around the world (including Michigan specific ones).

Click here for more information or email us at michigankodaly@gmail.com