WPA Folk Music Project

The WPA Folk Music Project was a government-funded initiative during the Great Depression in the 1930s, part of the Works Progress Administration. Its goal was to record and preserve traditional American folk music by traveling across the country, collecting songs, stories, and musical styles from diverse communities. These recordings helped document cultural heritage that might have otherwise been lost and contributed to a renewed interest in American roots music, influencing future musicians and enriching the nation’s musical history.