Step1
Listen to Internet folk radio that plays a blend of folk music styles from around the world, such as Folk Alley or Grassy Hill Radio.
Step2
Attend one of the many folk music festivals held throughout the country. Many major cities, including Chicago, Albuquerque, Philadelphia and Anchorage, hold annual folk music festivals during summer.
Step3
Choose a smaller festival venue to attend such as the Great Blue Heron Music Festival or the Falcon Ridge Music Festival in the east, which are great for the entire family.
Step4
Learn about the instruments used to play traditional folk music: the banjo, mandolin, fiddle or dulcimer. Early instruments were often hand made using locally available materials.
Step5
Rent the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and listen to the soundtrack that inspired many new listeners of traditional folk music.
Step6
Watch your local arts publication for folk music performances at nearby coffee houses, colleges and town squares. Take a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a relaxing evening listening to the local talented folk performers.
Step7
Tune in to a favorite National Public Radio station and listen to their folk music programming. Many stations play Celtic music, which is the Irish form of folk.
Step8
Participate in folk music by grabbing a drum, maracas, spoons, jug or rub board and playing a beat with the rest of the band. Ordinary people play folk music who enjoy the camaraderie and good time of creating "music of the moment" and helping others appreciate the musical experience.
Step9
Catch a performance of "A Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio or online. This old-fashioned radio show plays folk music with a political or satirical twist along with other skits and performances intended for some good belly laughs.
Step10
Listen to the songs of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, artists who revived folk music in the 50s and 60s with lyrics of injustice, political uprising and world peace.
Step11
Get up and dance to the many sounds of folk music. Folk music inspires freestyle, two-step and other cultural styles of movement that generate a universal feeling of love and peace throughout the crowd.