"Discovering Folk Music" is journey through the history of a musical genre that plays a fundamental role in cultures around the world - a genre that has developed a uniquely American personality across the nation's history. From immigrant songs to rap, parlor songs to Dixieland, Appalachiana to Dixieland, "Discovering Folk Music" presents the genre as surprisingly diverse, every bit the product of the nation's melting pot as other aspects of our culture. Discovering Folk Music spotlights an amazing array of American folk stars, with special emphasis on the great folk revival period of the 50s and 60s: a time when iconic figures like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Odetta set the stage for the new generation of Bob Dylan and Richie Havens; who in turn influenced contemporary performers like Shawn Colvin and Ani DiFranco. Coverage also includes a look at the evolution of instrumentation for folk music, and a survey of the current international folk scene.