Definition: Generally:
Any style of music which represents a community of people, and which can be sung and/or played by people who may or may not actually be trained musicians, using whatever instruments are available to them.
As times have changed, however, folk music has changed to reflect the times. Many of the old American work songs and protest songs are still sung today – albeit with new verses, which were added to reflect the context in which the songs were resurrected.
In the 1960s, folk began to blend with the mainstream music of the day, as the Baby Boomers came of age all at once in the midst of a time when change was necessary. The music of the "Folk Revival" was narrative pop music with a social conscience and moral objective.
Since then, community-driven, culturally informative musical forms (like punk rock and hip-hop) have sprung out of various places into the mainstream consciousness.
Now in the 21st century, folk music has emerged again, with strong influences from all of these musical movements – though many folksingers and enthusiasts have a hard time pontificating exactly what folk music is anymore.
Folksingers today are generally experimentalists who dabble in different genres, integrating various musical influences into the course of their narrative, socially conscious songs.
Pronunciation: foke myoo-zihk
