PLAIN FOLK

Music in the Park
by Billy Jones

Shucks! Here I go again . re-living some wonderful times. I remember when the parks were full of people on the weekends. I remember when the picnic tables were full of the women's potluck goodies and. I remember when there was a band playing on a huge gazebo in the middle of the park every weekend during the summer. I also remember parks where there were no bands. So, we took our music with us.

It wasn't important whether we played or sounded good. People were not critical. The old Jimmy Rogers and Vernon Delhart tunes touched the hearts of the older folks. The kids were treated to funny little cowboy ditties and other tunes they'd learned to sing. Ernest Tubb, Johnny Bond, Wilf Carter and Hank Snow were just a few of the singers that were popular because the tunes were simple and easy to learn.

Most of us played guitars, banjos and mandolins but. Hey, by gollies! We can't forget the accordions and fiddles. These players picked up the pace and had folks kicking up the grass. One would think that we were pioneers who had just circled the wagons for the night celebrating another successful day on the trail.

The weekends were short because most folks had to work a half-day on Saturday. If we had a sleepover, those that had a tent would set up and the others would either tie a tarp to the side of their old cars or string a rope between two trees and drape a tarp over the rope. Sunday mornings were filled with the sound of hillbilly gospel music and a prayer. Religious preference didn't matter.

When people reflect their lives in the 30s and 40s, they usually refer to it as the good old days. The only important things were food on the table, a roof over the head and warm clothes in the winter. A seven-dollar Roy Rogers guitar or an old accordion or fiddle passed down through the family, provided families with affordable entertainment.

I often think of how nice it would be to walk through a park on any given weekend and see or hear music again the way it was. Noise laws and park restrictions have hampered the uncomplicated sounds of people having fun. Spending a hot summer night cuddled up in a sleeping bag might even get you arrested.

Stress, suspicion and greed, has become prevalent in our society. It has been increasingly noticeable in children. It is a fact that parents, who provide their children with a simple musical education, have also reduced the stress level. Stress is reduced even more when children are encouraged to perform or share their talent with their peers. People, who attend a Folk Music concert, are treated to a relaxing blast from the past. Children, who are allowed to take part in non-competitive talent shows, reap the benefits of sharing and learning.

Imagine. A picnic in the park with your family, friends, fresh air and music. It would be fun again.