Examines North America's musical folklore, ancient tunes and musical styles passed from generation to generation.

What is folk music: a definition -- Banjos and fiddles: folk instruments -- Echoes from the Old World: European roots -- North America's African heritage: the folk music of African Americans -- Cajun spice: music of the French settlers of Louisiana -- High and lonesome: the music of Appalachia -- An Old-World and New-World hybrid: Hispanic folk music -- Revival: folk music in the 20th and 21st centuries.