The book presents a sampling of the best American songs for folks working in schools, churches, hospitals, coffeehouses and other public performance spaces, or for anyone wishing to expand their repertoire and brush up on a few old chestnuts. There's a little of everything here: sentimental old hearth songs, laments and lullabies, ballads and play-parties, the sacred and profane. The overwhelming majority of songs come from pre-industrial rural traditions, because this is the kind of music that seems to go well with homemade music-making in any age. Downloadable audio of 18 of the songs is available online.
Multi-instrumentalist Mark Nelson has carved a unique niche for himself as an entertainer, musician and educator. His deep love and understanding of traditional music led him to the mastery of several different musical idioms, ranging from old time western music to Celtic to Hawaiian. In a career that began well before he was able to drive, he has performed everywhere from street corners to hay barns to festivals to the concert stage in the US, Europe and Canada. He once worked as a banjo playing gorilla in Dublin, but that's a different story. Growing up near the beach in Southern California, Mark was surrounded by the music and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. His love of ki ho alu, slack key guitar, led him to travel to Hawaii and study with some of the masters. Aunty Nona Beamer gave Mark his Hawaiian name, Kailana (Floating on the Sea). Mark lives in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley with his wife Annie and various furred and finned friends, where he divides his time between studio work, writing, and watching the trees grow.