Old-Time Music and Dance: Community and Folk Revival

by John Bealle

In the summer of 1972, a group of young people in Bloomington, Indiana, began a weekly gathering with the purpose of reviving traditional American old-time music and dance. In time, the group became a kind of accidental utopia, a community bound by celebration and deliberately void of structure and authority. In this joyful and engaging book, John Bealle tells the lively history of the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group―how it was formed, how it evolved its unique culture, and how it grew to shape and influence new waves of traditional music and dance. Broader questions about the folk revival movement, social resistance, counter culture, authenticity, and identity intersect this delightful history. More than a story about the people who forged the group or an extraordinary convergence of talent and creativity, Old-Time Music and Dance follows the threads of American folk culture and the social experience generated by this living tradition of music and dance.

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Slagle Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a close-up examination of the old-time folk music and dance scene in Bloomington, Ind., from its origins in the early 1970s through its heyday in the 1980s. The narrative isn’t confined to those decades but they receive the chief amount of consideration.
I found it wide-ranging and insightful from the perspective of understanding group dynamics, especially as they apply to working with musicians and dancers. The book considers practical concerns like performance space, scheduling and interpersonal relationships within the larger order. At times, it almost takes on an anthropological tone, with lengthy descriptions of pastimes enjoyed group members beyond those of music, such as card playing, swimming and volleyball.
I’ve never been to Bloomington but the book put it on my radar as a musical destination to be considered. I have attended various folk festivals and summer camps and this book gave me added insight into behind the scene dynamics of those types of activities.
Also, for movie buffs, there is a critical look at the film Breaking Away, which was shot in Bloomington during the time of the emerging folk scene, comparing and contrasting the story arc of the film with the philosophies and attitudes of the old time scene.