An Ethnographic Analysis of the Cblocals Music Scene Bryce James Mcneil
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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Communication Dissertations Department of Communication 7-17-2009 Building Subcultural Community Online and Off: An Ethnographic Analysis of the CBLocals Music Scene Bryce James McNeil Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation McNeil, Bryce James, "Building Subcultural Community Online and Off: An Ethnographic Analysis of the CBLocals Music Scene." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2009. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss/17 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BUILDING SUBCULTURAL COMMUNITY ONLINE AND OFF: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE CBLOCALS MUSIC SCENE by BRYCE J. MCNEIL Under the Direction of Ted Friedman ABSTRACT This dissertation contributes to music scene and online community studies. It is an historical examination of the CBLocals music scene in the summer of 2006. This scene is located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the website with which its participants identify. This study analyzes the CBLocals website as a cultural infrastructure of a music scene and thus positions itself to advance pre-Internet arguments about scenes. This dissertation argues that on the one hand, the Internet changes how music scenes function by increasing accessibility and mobility. On the other hand, it has left the social composition and ideological outlook of music scenes unchanged. Users celebrate the medium's possibilities and what the CBLocals website has brought to their scene. They also feel nostalgia for the practices they feel their scene has lost along the way. The result is that the most significant consequence of CBLocals.com and the Internet on the music scene is a feeling of ambivalence in its participants. In the second and third chapter, I demonstrate how local context still greatly affects the representation of the CBLocals scene. In Chapter Two, I analyze the social composition of CBLocals based on race, gender, region, class, sexuality and age. I conclude that this social composition is unaffected by technological advances. In Chapter Three, I analyze discussions of "selling out" within the scene. I conclude that regional perspectives of state-supported professionalism in music and arts inform discussions on "selling out" that are specific to the CBLocals community. The fourth chapter explores the CBLocals users' perceptions of the website and messageboard. Users celebrate a variety of benefits, such as an interactive forum, the social lubrication provided by online gossip and the ease of promoting music online. However, many users dislike what they see as the erosion of work ethic and standards of discourse that have occurred in the Internet age. These mixed emotions reflect the ambivalence resulting from the celebration of possibilities and the nostalgia emergent with new technology. INDEX WORDS: Music scenes, Local, Glocal, Online community, Subculture, Authenticity, Professionalism, Amateurism, Social groups, Internet, Fandom, Identity v BUILDING SUBCULTURAL COMMUNITY ONLINE AND OFF: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE CBLOCALS MUSIC SCENE by BRYCE J. MCNEIL A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2009 vi Copyright by Bryce James McNeil 2009 d 2009 vii BUILDING SUBCULTURAL COMMUNITY ONLINE AND OFF: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE CBLOCALS MUSIC SCENE by BRYCE J. MCNEIL Committee Chair: Ted Friedman Committee: Emanuela Guano Kathy Fuller-Seely Jonathan Sterne Alisa Perren Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University August 2009 iv DEDICATION To my parents, Jim and Orella McNeil In Memory of Emma Locke, 1979-2009. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For many, it is inevitable to unintentionally exclude significant figures in their acknowledgements. It was a lengthy task to complete this dissertation— literally and figuratively— and there is no small number of people that played in a role in supporting me. Do know, while you read this, there are other important names besides those you see here. In my very first class with Ted Friedman, I learned of his description of electronic folk culture as a counter to commodified conceptions of music. I had similar thoughts but he had articulated them in concise theoretical form. I wanted to do the same and my journey into cultural studies began. When I was too quick to a conclusion, Ted replied with his dreaded "I just want to push you a little further…," a sign he was not going to let my ideas remain undeveloped. When I was too long-winded, he interrupted with a blunt "tell me in a sentence what you're trying to say." I am also happy to say that I did not just find an advisor but a friend in Ted. As quick as he could point me to five different references in one sentence, he could also de-stress me by relating the virtues of Hall & Oates or how he related to baseball differently in the 2000s than in the 1990s. I appreciated those moments of zen amidst a whirlwind of theory. I am grateful to my entire committee. Whatever I learned about ethnography, I owe to Emanuela Guano. She was exceptionally patient in dealing with an amateur in her field. I appreciated that she was boldly presented both the good and the bad of the ethnographic world so that I understood which roads not to take. I have seen few people who express the sheer delight of a great idea that Kathy Fuller-Seely does. At the times when I was feeling particularly flummoxed with the life of a graduate student, her optimism at the slightest bit of my progress convinced me I would finish. Jonathan Sterne provided me with illuminating perspective on labor and technology in music that I had not considered. I joked upon first meeting him as a vi conference respondent that this "Canadian in America appreciates the feedback of an American in Canada." It holds true today. Finally, I owe Alisa Perren thanks for stepping in at a crucial juncture of the dissertation where, as they say, "life happened" and I needed a new contributor and a new perspective. She did so admirably. I also thank Anna Szemere, who during her time at Emory provided me with a valuable survey of music scene studies and whose work provided a great inspiration. Greg Lisby, Merrill Morris, Michael Bruner and Greg Smith were all valuable contributors in the early stages of my academic life at Georgia State. I also cannot forget various members of GSU staff that were there to help keep the computers and paperwork rolling along the way, including Gary Fessenden, Lyshandra Holmes, Carmella Pattillo, Roland Stewart and Tawanna Tookes. Celeste Sulliman set my life on a new course in 1996. She recommended I pursue Communication Studies at Cape Breton University. 10 years later, she was of invaluable assistance in developing my protocol. Judy Rolls gave me with the single best piece of scholarly advice I have ever received ("just write it!") and she provides wise counsel to this day. Carol Corbin, Tanya Brann-Barrett and Michael MacDonald also helped to make my time at CBU an instructive experience that encouraged me to pursue my academic path. I also acknowledge my M.A. chair Sandra Berkowitz and the entire Communication department of the University of Maine. I grew as a person and student during my time in Orono and for that I thank them. In his 2006 Acknowledgements, Joe Valenzano wrote of our friendship that dates back to my time in Maine: "there is nothing more encouraging when you are down than the sight of a familiar face." He puts it better than I ever could. Joe helped me out in so many ways that I would run out of fingers counting them. I am glad that we were able to go down the road to a degree together not once, but twice. vii Danielle Williams deserves all the credit in the world for picking me up and forcing me to sprint when I was dragging my heels to the finish line. She cracked the whip on my writing schedule when it was desperately needed. Shane Toepfer is a great friend and peer and for as long as we can analyze wrestling and talk about football, it will remain that way. I also enjoyed the company and advice of Jason Edwards, whose hilarious arguments with Joe down the hall from my office provided me with levity in the midst of grading and dissertation madness. There is a seemingly countless number of students that provided support during my time at GSU, either through advice or just sharing time out to vent. That long list of people includes Bryan Cardinale-Powell, Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, Stacy Rusnak, Rick Herder, Chara Van Horn, Harper Cossar, Kim Huff, Ruth Dávila, Eric Dewberry, Rasha Ramzy, Caroline Gallrein, RuAnn Keith, Kris Curry, Jan Saathoff, Laszlo Strausz, Anna Hajiyev and Drew Mosley. I developed a working relationship with the Student Activities department through my involvement with WRAS. Everyone in the department was very supportive as I worked into the night hours after the 9-5 to get this done. What can I say about WRAS? — except that it completely saved my life in Atlanta. It was my refuge when I needed a break from being "Bryce the Grad Student." Left of the Dial, Right on the Music and the radio station I carry as a badge of honor where ever I go. It was through WRAS that I started my relationship with Zanna Huff.