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Canadian Women in Country Music Linda Jean Daniel A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto Q Copyright by Linda Jean Daniel 2000 National Library Biblithirque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wdlhgtocl Street 395, rue Wellington OUawaON K1AOtU4 OaawaON KtAW CMPda cmdft The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prgter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique . The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de cele-ci ne doivent ttre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. SINGING OUT! CANADIAN WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC Linda Jean Daniel, Doctor of Education, 2000 Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto ABSTRACT This thesis explores the experiences of 30 Canadian women country music singers in order to learn more about women's lives as performers. Issues related to the subculture of country music, career path, being a woman country music singer, working lives, the role of radio, and being a Canadian woman country music singer are discussed. In spite of the unique and individual experience of each participant, common patterns emerged. Most of the singers exhibited traits similar to the ones they valued in the subculture of country music. The meaning of country music was found to be both socially constructed as well as physically and emotionally mediated: not only a consequence of what the individual brought to the music, but also a result of an engagement with the music itself. Early socialization played a significant role in choosing to pursue this career. The amount and type of musical training as well as the age of entry varied greatly. While most participants' parents were working class, the number of variables impacting on each individual artist made the issue of defining her class problematic with respect to an analysis of a career performing this genre, especially when the level of income was unknown. Gender has an effect on the life of a Canadian woman country music performer. Although most of the participants did not feel they were treated differently because they were women, some structural barriers became obvious. Many spoke of the amount of energy required to realize a career performing, while at the same time usually being held responsible for the majority of homecare and/or childcare. An analysis of some radio stations' playlists revealed that Canadian Content regulations as to contenC30% Canadian programming-were fulfilled, but as to timing-when Canadian artists received airplay-were usually not followed. Acknowledgements There are many people who have made the completion of this thssis possible and I would like to thank them. Matgrit Eichler, my supervisor, encouraged me to pursue a topic in which I was truly interested and maintained her consistent support with constructive criticism and a warm personality throughout the process. John Shepherd's gracious agreement to become involved in my project, his expertise in music, and detailed suggestions for improvement were greatly appreciated. I valued Helen Lenskyj's interest in my subject and her insights were very helpful. The following people provided information and/or assistance at various times during the writing of the paper and I would like to acknowledge them: Ruth A. Banes, Gary Buck, Larry Delaney, Pierre Demers, Wendell Ferguson, Forrest Greene, Dianne Hallman, Hermina Harris, Laurie Hill, Lyne Lafrance, Marg Malone, Donna Martens, Peter Narvdez, Robert K. Oermann, Richard A. Peterson, Renee Porter, Ronnie Pugh, Helen Shaw, Laura Weihs, Karla Weys, Robert A. Wright, and the radio station personnel who responded to the radio questionnaires. Foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the 30 women who gave so willingly of their time to participate in this study. It was a great honour and pleasure to speak or have written correspondence with such an inspiring group whose openness has helped to deepen our understanding of Canadian women and music. In conclusion, thank you to my partner, Barry Stevens, for his love and support along the way, but most of all for his sense of humour and continued encouragement during the years I worked on this dissertation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Chapter 1 Introduction Defining the Problem Introducing the Study Purpose of the Research Chapter 2 Literature Review Exploring the Female Perspective Studying Women in Music Women and Music Defining Country Music Women in Country Music Chapter 3 Methodology Feminist Methodologies Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Methods Used in This Study Key Informants Target Population Collecting the Data Recording the Data Analyzing the Data Chapter 4 The Subculture of Country Music 61 lntroduction 61 The Social Construction of Country Music 61 The Meaning of Music 76 Popular Culture, High Culture, and Country Music 80 Describing Country Music 84 Conclusion 87 Chapter S Career Path Introduction Singing Country Music: A Non-traditional Career Choosing to Perform the Genre Encouragement and/or Discouragement Musical lnf luences The Profession of Singing Class Background Conclusion Chapter 6 Being a Woman Country Music Singer 132 Introduction 132 The Importance of Studying Gender 132 The Social Construction of the Country Music Female 140 Exclusion 148 Advantages andlor Disadvantages 160 Some Barriers to Progress Conclusion Chapter 7 Working Lives lntroduction Difficult Choices More Than Just Singing Health Issues Conclusion Chapter 8 The Role of Radio Introduction Radio and Country Music Canadian Content Regulations (Cancon) An Analysis of Radio Airplay Cancon: Necessity or Detriment? Conclusion Chapter 9 Being a Canadian Woman Country Music Singer lntroduction The Early Years Country Music, Canadian-Style Conclusion Chapter 10 Conclusion Contribution to the Literature Limitations of the Study Recommendations Appendices Appendix A Appendix 6 Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Bibliography Scholarly Literature Primary Sources Biographies, Autobiographies, and Popular Books Magazines and Newspapers Chapter 1: Introduction A discussion of country music evokes a wide variety of responses. While some of its more ardent listeners are fanatic fans of the genre, there are those who perceive country music as inferior to other forms of music. During the research for this paper, there were times when I was met with an attitude of subtle condescension from those who seemingly had little knowledge of or interest in the subject. From the graduate classmate who laughed and turned away in disbelief upon hearing my thesis topic to a past colleague exclaiming, "...but how can they let you do than" it was as if studying women who sing country music was somehow frivolous and somewhat lacking in credibility as an area of exploration for a doctoral dissertation. Discussing country music with the 30 Canadian women who participated in this study elicited a totally different response. Their replies exuded a love and pride in their chosen vocation as singers. The depth of feeling revealed was evidence of the respect with which they viewed the genre. As one respondent stated, "I think country music gets such a bad rap or has had such a bad rap as being corny and having no sophistication and that's just so untrue." The music which these women chose to perform professionally held great value for them and formed a major part of their lives. Defining the Problem There is limited knowledge about Canadian women who perform country music. Although some information can be found in magazines, newspaper articles, on radio or television, data on Canadian country singers, women or men, are still relatively scarce. Research on the more general topic of women and music in Canada is rare. An important aspect of my dissertation was to gather data on Canadian women who perform country music and to include an examination of gender issues. Women's descriptions of their experiences can provide an interesting account of society.

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