For Further Study


1			Woody Guthrie's The Ballad of Tom Joad has been recorded by Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine. In what ways do these new recordings reflect Guthrie's song of social injustice?




2			Today our understanding of what a ballad is in contemporary music is very different. Can you find in your own audio collection a ballad that is more like the traditional ballad as defined by this chapter?




3			If you are a performer, learn a ballad by listening to a traditional balladeer like Texas Gladden or Jean Ritchie. If you feel confident enough, perform the ballad for your class and share with them your experience of learning this ballad via the oral tradition. Was it easier or harder than usual? Texas Gladden sings on the CD: Portraits: Texas Gladden: Ballad Legacy. Rounder Records 1800 and Jean Ritchie can be heard at the Folklife web site http://www.folklife.net)