If It Can’t Be Reduced, Reused, Repaired,

Alan Lomax Is The Person Who I Think Should Be Given Major Credit For What Has Been Called The "folk Song Revival." My Father Participated With Him Because My Father Was A Musicologist And Urged Trained Musicians To Learn About "the Vernacular."

My Job, Is To Show Folks There's A Lot Of Good Music In This World, And If Used Right It May Help To Save The Planet.

My Mother Wanted Me To Learn How To Read Music. She'd Given Fiddles To My Two Older Brothers, But They'd Rebelled. I Came Along And My Father Said, "oh, Let Peter Enjoy Himself." What She Did Was Leave Musical Instruments All Around The House. Whistles, Marimbas, Squeeze Boxes, A Piano And Organ. By Age Six Or Seven, I Could Bang Out A Simple Tune On Almost Anything. I Developed A Good Ear, So I Didn't Learn To Read Music Until I Taught Myself At Age Eighteen, 'cause I Was Hearing So Many Good Songs I Couldn't Possibly Remember Them All.

To Everything There Is A Season.

Now Any Person Who Plays An Acoustic Guitar Standing Up On Stage With A Microphone Is A Folk Singer. Some Grandmother With A Baby In Her Arms Singing A 500-year-old Song, Well, She's Not A Folk Singer, She's Not On Stage With A Guitar And A Microphone. No, She's Just An Old Grandmother Singing An Old Song. The Term "folk Singer" Has Gotten Warped.