A journey through 100 years of folk music | experimental folk music folk music | Folk hits, an institution for the promotion, research and preservation of alpine folk music tradition and folk music culture
Getting to know Albin Wiesenhofer as a person is a real treat for a folk music fan like me. You can listen for hours to him, who has been musically active for 40 years and has been actively involved with the Fuchsbartl Banda for over 35 years. In addition to his work as a senior trainer and musician, the Deutschfeistritzer has also dedicated himself to music research. Because his stories tell of then and now, when you immediately realize how important it is to interview musicians who are still alive today or to portray groups. And this is exactly what the busy musician has made it his business to collect the musical memory and legacy of the Alpine country. Together with collectors, scientists and musicians he founded the association “Volksklang”, which aims to promote, research and preserve alpine folk music. He and his colleagues collect old musical instruments and sound documents from singers and musicians from the alpine region, trace old songs and record the life stories of earlier musicians as well as the history of alpine musical culture from the late 19th century to the present, in order to highlight them in all their different ways To make shapes visible and tangible. It is not only documented, but they are concerned with preserving the old, as well as making the preservation and communication of our tradition accessible to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren generation in the future.
Preserving old cultural carriers
“Because although Styria is rich in folk culture and music for the people, the capture of this knowledge is unique – Wiesenhofer wants to preserve it and make it comprehensible, and that for the entire Alpine region from Styria – across the entire federal territory to Bavaria – Switzerland to to South Tyrol.
There, where the rural area cultivated culture and customs, many poems and songs were written about coexistence and home. There is hardly a community without brass music – in Austria alone, the regional associations indirectly belong to 2,163 brass bands with more than 143,000 musicians. That alone has huge potential – but dulcimer and harmonica are again popular instruments, and experimental folk musicians such as Hubert von Goisern, Herbert Pixner or Andreas Gabalier fill large concert halls. But it must all have its origin somewhere – and this is exactly where the “Volksklang” association comes in. “Folk music has a good foundation. There were and are many trends, a lot has disappeared, but a lot has developed further,” said Wiesenhofer.
Therefore, 5 years ago the idea of the ALPINE MUSIC WORLD was born, which is to serve as an institution for the promotion, research and preservation of alpine folk music tradition and folk music culture, where the experience of music culture with all senses should be in the foreground. Back to the roots – this feeling of connection to your own identity has been revived.
So far, 3,500 sound carriers, 300 different instruments, 1,500 shellacs through to playback devices, recording devices, posters and autograph cards for folk music / folk music through to pop music have been collected. The life stories of musicians, singers and groups of singers form the framework, so one could secure the entire estate of Prof Friedl Althaller with 70 previously unpublished compositions. “It is a kind of biography work for the local culture and the coming generations” and this is done by Bigger every day, says Wiesenhofer. Access to the alpine musical culture should be made accessible from both the musician’s and the fans’ perspective.
The foundation of the association forms the basis for the project “Alpine Music World”. In the feasibility study carried out by the State of Styria in autumn 2018, it was stated, among other things, that the idea and concept of the ALPINE MUSIC AND EXPERIENCE WORLD are unique and there is nothing comparable in the German-speaking area
A building would exist – you need an area of 1600m² for exhibition space and 300m² for storage. It is intended to build the project on 3 pillars
* in the alpine music world
* Events
* as well as in a shop
If the project should be fixed, it is intended to employ 3 people who are responsible for preparation, organization, and to transform the association into a limited liability company. First meetings with the responsible authorities – the cultural department of the state of Styria – regional councilor for culture have been set, and we are in good spirits to get a positive response here.
Due to the future cooperation with music groups, organizers and experts of the various musical genres, there will always be events, workshops, interesting concerts and special exhibitions. Since this project deals with the development of folk music and its different musical styles in the Austrian Alpine countries, German-speaking Switzerland, Bavaria and Slovenia and South Tyrol, there will also be a positive aspect from the tourist side due to numerous visitors from these regions. After a certain lead time, around 50,000 to 100,000 visitors per year can be expected.
We are now looking for supporters, sponsors, musicians, music groups as well as people who would like to participate in the project and who would like to set out with us to implement this project for us and the next generations – so that our alpine music culture finally becomes a meeting place and A place of study she has long deserved. We are looking forward to your contact.
VOLKSKLANG
Albin Wiesenhofer
Chairman
Tel.: +43 664 140 99 75
http://www.volksklang.at
[email protected]
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