The Fieldwork Archive Comes to Utah

_{By Mike Romero}

Derek Piotr, the field researcher and world traveler behind The Fieldwork Archive, is coming to Utah. For the past six years, Piotr has traveled across the United States and beyond collecting and preserving everyday songs that rarely get recorded: lullabies, summer camp chants, church hymns, playground rhymes, and fragments people remember from family or community life.

Piotr recently posted an open call for volunteer collaborators ahead of his March 17-24 trip to Utah.

Dear Lovely Utahns,

My name is Derek Piotr. For six years now I have been traveling, not just nation-wide, but internationally, looking for the old songs. What do I mean by this? I am dedicated to recording and preserving any songs you might have learned growing up – from your mother doing the dishes, at a campfire, in church, school, or your grandfather’s house. Maybe you only remember a line or two – that’s great!

I have been encouraging everyday citizens who have never sung a note before to be recorded and archived. With this petition in mind, I have catalogged a vast amount of little ditties, poems, fragments, hymns, or even longer ballads, into what is now the Fieldwork Archive (fieldwork-archive.com).

I am coming to Utah this spring, in the middle of March (17-24) and staying in Logan, and I hope to meet many of you before my time is through. What are some examples of a good contribution to the Fieldwork Archive? Here is a classic example:

‘Twas in the merry month of May
The green buds were a swelling
Sweet William on his deathbed lay
For the love of Barbara Allen

Probably many of you readers are familiar with that one, or some variation. I would love to hear “your” take on it. Maybe your grandmother sang it, bouncing you on her knee. Maybe an enthusiastic camp counselor said it was his favorite song, and brought out his banjo to put his own spin on it. Here is another song I have collected:

Dirty Lil, Dirty Lil
Lives on top of Garbage Hill
Never washes, never will
(hawk, spit) Dirty Lil!

I recorded this particular ditty during a fieldwork session with Bill Shute; a legacy folk guitarist of some renown. It was the hostess’ husband who offered this song as the “kickoff” to an afternoon of remembering songs and recording. I still hold it as the prize of the day.

As you can see, I am looking for the small, silly songs, but I am also welcoming work songs, protest songs, hymns, poems, recipes, prayers, and folk-tales (I would be especially curious to hear about any local legends, monsters, ghosts or supernatural encounters).

Hopefully this petition falls on open ears, and you might consider contributing. You DO NOT have to be a performer to offer what you can remember. I welcome all. I cannot tell you how many sessions have begun with the disclaimer “well…I’m not a singer, but…”. These are my people.

You may reach me beforehand with any questions. Please do not hesitate:

derek@fieldwork-archive.com
203. 460. 0576