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 What is filk?
The following text has been extracted by Thea from the rec.musik.filk
FAQ, which is available at http://pw2.netcom.com/~nshapero/filkfaq.htm#filkdef
What the heck is filk music?
by Nick Smith (of LA Filkharmonics)
Well, it's sort of like folk music. It is a mixture of song parodies and
original music, humorous and serious, about subjects like science fiction,
fantasy, computers, cats, politics, the space program, books, movies, TV
shows, love, war, death...
Filk music started off forty or fifty years ago, at science fiction
conventions, where people got together late at night to have good
old-fashioned folk music song circles. Well, late night circles being what
they are, some folks got a little silly and started singing song parodies
about their favorite SF books and authors. Fans started writing song parodies
about themselves or each other. Some started composing serious songs about
favorite topics. Some authors started composing original songs for their
books. If the author didn't list a tune, fans made up one. Sometimes
two. Sometimes several.
Eventually, Filk songs were written for just about every major science fiction
or fantasy work. Some of them were actually good enough that people wanted to
learn them, or just listen to them more than just at conventions. At that
point, song books and recordings started being made.
Over the last decade, Filk Music has reached the point where there are entire
Filk Music gatherings, conventions, recording companies, and
publications. Filk Music includes song parodies, original songs, and slightly
musical poetry. It's a fun way to indulge in a little musical creativity,
especially if you are a science fiction or fantasy fan as well as musically
inclined. If you are only a fan, but not musical, you can still listen. Filk
circles aren't pushy about requiring you to play or sing. If you are only
musical, but not a fan, no one will hold it against you. Remember, we're in
this thing for fun!
[Written for flyer for distribution at California Traditional Music Society
Annual Summer Solstice Dulcimer Festival and other local Los Angeles folk
music events and stores.]
What Nick didn't tell you is that the name started out as a typo of "folk" and
was gleefully adopted by all and sundry as a term for what is after all a
somewhat unusual subset.
Kay Shapero, Moderator/Designated Topic Cop, FILK echo
source file (Last modification: Wed Apr 21 17:21:45 1999)
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