Category Archives: Musical

Camp Song

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“I went to camp Matoca in Maine and I went for seven summers from 2013 to 2019 So for ages 9 to 15 and every single summer, one of the biggest camp traditions was the sing festival so basically college league every year there’s four teams in the camps divided into four different college teams, and you compete throughout the whole summer and like different like Greek games Sports whatever and then at the end the last Wednesday of camp there’s on the sing festival so basically the captain and co-captain will Lead the entire team there’s about like 90 people per team With a chant and we start with a cheer, which is basically like a remix to like any song But like with something about your team, like Pepin zest from the colors, red and yellow, if that was the colors something like that, I don’t know if that makes sense and then there was a remembrance which is like a slow song Which usually has like a deeper meaning so like for ours I remember my last year camp. It was about a girl graduating college, and going onto the next chapter of our life so it kinda tells that story but also like Jack exposes that with him. Her last summer at camp and taking that all in I guess she was probably graduating high school And then the last one is the Alma matter so this one starts like slow like The Remembrance and then the captain gives a speech halfway through and the cocaptain leads the team through like a B of Nanas like basically just like in the background everyone’s Nana Nana Nana, Nana, Nana, Nana, Nana Nana, like just as background color And the captain will give a speech, kind of thinking The whole team And like addressing like her time at camp and how it’s coming to close and everything that she’s learned leading this team and some other sappy things and then the comeback is after the speech so that’s kind of like the climax of the song so it’s like the upbeat part and this is also usually like Where the whole room shakes because it gets so loud and four teams go each do their own songs, and after everyone gets fudge popsicles, it’s camp tradition, and they announce the college winners and the senior co-captains who are also 15 years old, like the co-captain for the cat whatever Give a plaque to their captain with a nice snow and the whole camp listens to their speech and it’s like one of the best nights of camp and then there’s a fireworks ceremony by the lake and I will never forget saying after all these years oh also You wear like your sing shirt so it’s like your college league shirt that like the captains make and then white I think it’s white shorts and then French braids. Everyone is in two French braids with ribbons of their colors.”

Context

My informant attended Camp Matoaka, an all-girls summer camp in Maine, for seven consecutive summers from age 9 to 15. The Sing Festival was the climactic event of every summer, held on the last Wednesday of the season. She participated as a camper for years before eventually being on the senior side of the tradition herself. She remembers it as one of the best moments of the summer and still recalls every detail of the structure, costume, and ritual.

Analysis

This is the kind of tradition that lives inside a specific community (in this case, a summer camp) and gets transmitted year after year through performance and participation rather than through any written rulebook. Sing Festival has is made of a fixed structure (Cheer, Remembrance, Alma Mater), required costuming, specialized vocabulary (“banana,” “comeback,” “college league”), and a fixed calendar slot. None of this is written down anywhere official. It’s passed from older campers to younger ones through years of watching and eventually doing.

The Caroling Party

Age: 22

Context: My friend told me about a sweet tradition her and mother started that eventually evolved into an event shared in the community around the holidays.

Text:

“My mom and I throw it every year. And, um, we bring together, like, neighbors, friends, and we started off like, it was only maybe 30 people. And now it’s upwards of, like, 75 people that come every year. Everyone looks so forward to it. And we go up and down the street, and we collect, like, the neighbors, we sing to them, and then they join us for the next house.

And then we all come back and have drinks and desserts, and we sing songs and play music. I think it’s just really nice. It’s like my mom’s colleagues and her old piano teacher. And all of my childhood friends. And then they bring, like, their favorite people. I think that like, it’s just nice. These people from all walks of lilfe, in all areas of our lives, just come together for this one massive, this party, and everyone contributes to dessert. We always have 2 full tables now that we set up for the dessert.”

Analysis:

Caroling has been around for decades and has evolved over generations in various forms. Instead of going door-to-door and leaving, they collect people over time. Most of these songs tell stories of Jesus and other significant aspects of Christmas; however, I find it interesting that even if these people don’t align religiously with Christian beliefs, the songs and collaborative singing make it a staple for them to participate.

These songs do not carry the same political intensity as Depression-era labor movement songs or the ones we discussed, carrying warnings or stories of those lost. However, as folk music sometimes does, it brings people together to sing in unison. This celebration also ties into our in-class discussion of foods and how recipes are passed down or shared within families. In this case, food is part of a specific celebration, and it’s fun to learn how it’s grown over time with each new group of people who have joined them.

Camp Birthday Song

Age: 21

Text:
“Happy, happy birthday. What? Birthday. What? Happy, happy birthday. What? Birthday. What? Everybody knows that it’s your day, so we’re gonna celebrate in the best way. All your friends, no families here. This only happens once a year. Happy, happy birthday? What? Birthday. What?”

Context:
A girl from NYC who learned this song at sleep-away camp, where she spent her summers growing up.

Analysis:
This song is passed down each year from camper to camper during birthday celebrations. It is sung in unison and also features a matching clap “dance” to create the rhythm. This rendition of the Happy Birthday song was made to cater to campers who may or may not be homesick and need to be reminded that they area surrounded by all their friends and having the best time. The song is interactive and dynamic, making the birthday celebration all the more exciting.

Camp Song

Age: 22

Text:
(Call and response) “You can’t ride in my little red wagon.” “You can’t ride in my little red wagon.” “The front seat’s broken, and the axle’s dragging.” “The front seat’s broken, and the axle’s dragging.” “Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga.” “Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga

Context:
A girl who grew up in LA and learned this song at summer camp. She also heard it at other camps beyond that one.

Analysis:
This is a classic camp song that hardly get’s varied with the words, at least from any of the times I’ve heard it. I also learned this in summer camp, but at mine, we had a slight variation by repeating the song multiple times at different volumes. The first time was normal, the second was loud, the third was whispering, and the fourth was loud again. Through this call and response activity, everyone can engage and sing together.

Marine Corps Cadence

Background on Informant: My informant is a Marine Corps vet who lives in the Inland Empire and owns an HVAC business, I called him on the phone because I know that in the Marine Corps they sing when they run, It is called cadence. I asked him to tell me about Marine Corps Cadences. There is no exact location for this Cadence because Marines move all over the country/world for duty stations; but he said he heard this in bootcamp at MCRD, San Diego.

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Interviewer: where did you first hear Marine Corps cadence
Informant: honestly, TV movies but the first time I heard it live would be bootcamp.

Interviewer: why do you sing

Informant: Well if you are good at singing then it should help everyone keep in step

interviewer: In step, like in marching?

Informant: yeah it was originally used as a wy of marching Marines around when a unit marches they must all be in step with each other, uniformity solidarity marine corps is all about that but at some point we started doing it for runs too because it helps motivate us while we run. the worst thing you can do is fall out of a run.

Interviewer: Can you sing one for me?

Informant: I never sang when I ran my marines, I was a corporal, that is more of a sergeant / staff sergeant thing.

Interviewer: Oh ok.

Informant: Fuck it Marines don’t half ass shit, if im gonna do it, I’m gonna do it right.

Interviewer: Awesome ready when you are.

B: ♪♫♩♫ Hey there Army, get in your tanks and follow me, I am Marine Corps infantry.
Hey there Air Force, get in your planes and follow me, I am Marine Corps infantry. ♪♫♩♫
♪♫♩♫Hey there Navy, get in your ships and follow me, I am Marine Corps infantry.♪♫♩♫
♪♫♩♫ Hey there Jarheads, grab your M-16 and follow me, we are the Marine Corps infantry.
Hey there Recon, grab your K-Bar and follow me, you are the best of the infantry. ♪♫♩♫
Hey civilians, get off your butts and sign up this week and join the Marine Corps infantry.

Analysis: This is a clear example of occupational folklore. This cadence helps to increase unit cohesion/group solidarity, while also functioning as a musical way of motivation and occupational pride. Occupational folklore instills shared identity, this example specifically demonstrates how folk music such as this serves to reinforce pride in the Marine infantry, contrasting other branches and elevating the “tip of the spear.” By repeating it, they aren’t just motivating each other, they are reinforcing the core values and beliefs of the Marine Corps itself.