German Volksmusik... What is That About?
Germany is a country with an extensive history that many of us probably already know a bit about. While we may know some about German history, there is a significant possibility that many of you may know nothing about German culture. In this blog, I would like to step into the realm of Germany, specifically the German Volksmusik or folk music. Before this deep dive, here is a short video on the history of Germany beyond the World Wars, just for a bit of background! German Volksmusik is traditionally defined in one of two ways. Traditional music was supposedly transmitted orally and was not transcribed. It is supposedly characteristic of regional cultures and includes folk songs, instrumental pieces, and music for folk dancing. Secondly, a current meaning includes “volkstümlicher Schlager,” light music with elements of traditional folk music in the current popular folk genre. If we focus on the traditional definition, we can travel into the alpine mountains of Ger...
