INSPIRATIONAL: 17,000 traditional folk songs preserved by Alan Lomax

Thursday, July 3, 2025

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One man recorded over 17,000 traditional folk songs to preserve the true sound of America
By Katherine Gross
Published 13 June 2025

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To take a break from his studies, at 17 he joined his father on a work trip sponsored by the Library of Congress to collect folk songs around America. It was from this trip in 1934 that Alan’s legacy as an ethnomusicologist would blossom – over the course of his nearly 70-year career, he would document over 17,000 traditional songs, dances, interviews, and social practices from independent cultures within America to preserve the traditions and diversity of our heritage. 

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His life work was collected by the Library of Congress in 2004, and can be explored in the Lomax Digital Archive.

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I vaguely remember hearing some of these in 1972-1974 when I was stationed in DC.  While the recordings were far from the pristine sound we get today, they were fascinating.  Like saving the Library at Alexandria, humans have a rich history that needs to be preserved.

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