7.2 hootenanny

7.2 Hootenanny- from Appalachian Mountain Region Dialect

gadget or gathering at which folksingers entertain often with the audience joining in.  from Merriam Webster online

I have heard this word all my life as my parents are folk music fans and I have always attended hootenannies with them from an early age.  Though I no longer attend these, I do have eclectic taste in music and still like the music.  I heard this word as I was listening to a documentary about Woody Guthrie, a very famous folk singer and political activist.  He was a favorite of my parents, so I know many of his songs and of course my favorite is "This Land is your Land, This Land is my Land."  It talked about how a group of folk artists living in NYC used to have hootenannies or rent parties where they charged admission to their apartment and played music and had drinks to raise money to pay their rent.  Hootenannies are fun and lots of people dance and sing along and get up and play instruments along with the bands.  The music is usually a cross between country music and folk music often with political messages embedded but not always.  I asked some classmates if they knew this word and they said they did not so I thought it would be a good word to know and you should also attend a hootenanny too they are fun if you go to the right kind.  The people are very friendly.