, ▁Alan ▁L om ax ▁and ▁others ▁to ▁capture ▁as ▁much ▁North ▁American ▁field ▁material ▁as ▁possible . ▁ ▁John ▁L om ax ▁( the ▁father ▁of ▁Alan ▁L om ax ) ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁prominent ▁scholar ▁to ▁study ▁distinct ly ▁American ▁folk ▁music ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁cow bo ys ▁and ▁southern ▁black s . ▁His ▁first ▁major ▁published ▁work ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁Cow boy ▁Songs ▁and ▁Other ▁Front ier ▁Ball ads . ▁and ▁was ▁arg u ably ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁US ▁folk ▁music ▁scholar ▁of ▁his ▁time , ▁not ably ▁during ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁the ▁folk ▁music ▁rev ival ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁Cec il ▁Sh arp ▁also ▁worked ▁in ▁America , ▁recording ▁the ▁traditional ▁songs ▁of ▁the ▁App al ach ian ▁Mountains ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 – 1 9 1 8 ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Ma ud ▁Kar p eles ▁and ▁O live ▁D ame ▁Campbell ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁scholar ▁covering ▁American ▁folk ▁music . ▁Campbell ▁and ▁Sh arp ▁are ▁represented ▁under ▁other ▁names ▁by ▁actors ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁movie ▁Song catch er . ▁ ▁One ▁strong ▁theme ▁amongst ▁folk ▁sch ol ars ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁was ▁regional ism , ▁the ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁divers ity ▁of ▁folk ▁music ▁( and ▁related ▁cult ures ) ▁based ▁on ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁rather ▁than ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁given