The Amish & Music: Instruments, Singing, Popular Music? (Video)
I just finished a video on the Amish and music. I cover three main topics: Amish singing – when and where do they sing, songbooks, and more; musical instruments – do Amish play them and which ones; and popular music – do Amish enjoy popular music, what types, etc.
I’ve included at least a half-dozen Amish music samples in the video. I really enjoyed making this one and was happy to include a sample of a song by John Schmid, a friend and favorite of the Amish. I hope you enjoy (Runtime: 10:44).
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Very interested
My ancestors were Anabaptist before they came to the US. My Mom always told me they were Amish or Mennonite. I was a kid and had no idea what that meant. As an adult, I am truly fascinated with everything Amish, and the baking in the Mennonite kitchens, and their quilting.
I enjoy your videos about them.
Keep up the good work!
Maralee
Thanks Maralee – your last name actually sounds like it might be Mennonite or related (though I’ve never seen it among the Amish, at least not present-day Amish). Cool to hear you are diving into this interest, and I appreciate the kind words
This was a very good overview/introduction to “The Amish & Music”. I have
many good memories of experiencing Amish singing in various types of settings:
— One day I picked up a load of produce at an Amish farmer’s produce shed. He was not home, but two of his teenage daughters were picking produce in a large field a little ways from the shed and likely didn’t even know I was there. As they worked, they were singing beautiful songs in German. A very peaceful setting.
— One evening I stopped by to visit an Amish family who weren’t expecting me. As I got out of my car, I could hear several Amish men in the house singing very slowly in German. I stayed out on the porch til the song was done, then the father of the household came out and explained this was the evening three of his fellow churchmen gathered at his house to practice singing hymns from the Ausbund (Amish hymnal) in preparing for the next Sunday’s service. I quietly left and they resumed their singing practice.
— A few years ago I attended a benefit dinner at a Beachy Amish/Amish Mennonite church fellowship hall. The person who invited me told me to come at 6 for the dinner and stay afterwards because an Amish family was going to sing for everyone after dinner. Almost everyone attending the dinner stayed and enjoyed the family’s acapella singing for about an hour. The whole family sang together — from young children to late teens, along with the parents.
— And one more experience that I will long remember was attending the 125th Anniversary celebration of The Budget newspaper in Sugarcreek, Ohio, during which John Schmid gave an evening concert, singing about half of his songs in English and half of his songs in Pa. Dutch. A large number of Amish were present and seemed to thoroughly enjoy his singing, as did I.