Filk Music

Filk is a musical genre that originated at sci-fi conventions in which songs have a science fiction or fantasy theme. In the 1970s and 1980s, conventions dedicated to the performance and sharing of filk music were established across the United States and continue through today. Its origins are connected to performance traditions of the folk revival of the 1950s and 60s, but its performance traditions have developed over time with geographical differences to become filk-specific. The term "filk" supposedly originated as a typographical error for "Folk Music" in an article about science fiction songs. While many filk songs are sci-fi or science-related, many cover other topics and are performed in non-folk styles.

The genre originated in the early 1950s and filk songs have been recorded since the early 1970s. It is common for filk songs to be set to well-known songs so that everyone at a filk gathering can sing along, but there is also a large volume of original songwriting that explores fannish topics and media.

The BGSU Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives has a large collection of filk materials, including scores, periodicals, fanzines, and books, as well as LPs and cassettes, produced both privately and commercially. 

Many filk materials at BGSU are discoverable through the online catalog Library Search. Use can search using "Filk music" as a subject or genre heading. Using the related subject headings "Science fiction -- Songs and Music" and "Star Trek -- Songs and Music" will expand search results. 

You can limit results by Resource Type like sound recordings, books, scores, or periodicals.

The filk community, like many fan groups, maintains an active online presence, runs their own conferences, promotes and helps to publish filk materials, and honors prominent filk performers. 

While there are many filk resources on the web, two particularly merit further exploration for researchers or performers interested in learning more about filk.

Interfilk is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting filk music and supporting filk conventions, which occur regularly in several areas of the United States, as well as Canada, Great Britain, and Germany.  

The Filk Hall of Fame website contains information about filk, information about the Filk Hall of Fame history and induction procedures, and profiles of the Hall of Fame inductees beginning in 1995.