Relevance of Teaching State and National History through Song in Today's World

The underlying purpose of Calicanto Associates is to teach history through song. We have had great success with that, publishing two books and five plays with accompanying CDs. We have also presented countless workshops for classroom teachers, music educators and historical groups;  but how does that interact with today’s world?  Things have changed greatly since Nancie Kester, Douglas Card and I presented “Exploring Oregon’s History Through Song” at the national OAKE Conference in Portland, Oregon on March 6, 2020. Had that conference been one week later, it would have been cancelled. Since then, the Covid 19 Pandemic continues to rage. Concurrently, there was the police killing of George Floyd, strong re-emergence of Black Lives Matters, a Defund the Police slogan, the frightening storming of the U.S. Capitol by so-called patriots, the defeat of President Trump and the election of President Joseph Biden. This is a period of extreme change and unrest in our country.

At the same time, the history of the United States of America is being looked upon with critical eyes. Ours is a complicated history. This land, now called the United States of America, was populated east to west and north to south by indigenous people, who have lived here from time immemorial. “Go West, young man, go West” was the adage and in its wake, brave people, looking for a better way of life, did just that, traveling by land and by sea to settle a country that they thought was theirs for the taking. Government treaties with Indians were both made and broken. As Native People defended their homeland, U.S. soldiers were brought in to fight them and force them onto reservations. Not only that, the American Civil War led to a bloody battle between North and South, all in the name of proposed freedom for the multitudes of African people who were brought to this country in bondage to work as slaves on plantations and to serve wealthy white citizens of the United States.

And now, with all of this turbulence in our midst, what of Calicanto Associate’s quest of teaching history through song? We think that it has never been needed more. Folk songs do not lie. They reflect the tenor of the times as told through the words of people who lived them. Our aim has always been to research and present state and national history by finding traditional folk songs which express the essence of important eras. In our publications and CDs, we have attempted to represent all people fairly by letting their songs, singing games and customs speak for them. Children’s imaginations are ignited as they learn the songs that speak of the times being studied. Although our books and CDs are products of the 1990s, they are just as relevant today. As we emphasized during our OAKE Conference workshop, America has a dual history and both sides must be taught. Injustices and mistreatment toward native people, African slaves and other immigrant minorities must be recognized. At the same time, the history of the various people who settled here must be told and celebrated. Knowledge is power. We are all a part of this country and although we have many differences, we must try to be a united nation. A humane but honest look at history is needed. We can think of no better way to do this than by letting the songs of various people speak for all as we teach and relive history through relevant and well researched songs.

Karen Woodward Arlen

Guitar Circle illustration by Nancie Kester