Fiddle Grooves

Fiddle Grooves: Identity, Representation, and the Sound of Cape Breton Fiddle Music in Popular Culture by Jeffrey James Hennessy A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Jeffrey James Hennessy 2008 Abstract Fiddle Grooves: Identity, Representation, and the Sound of Cape Breton Fiddle Music in Popular Culture Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Jeffrey James Hennessy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto This dissertation investigates Cape Breton fiddle music from a popular culture perspective. It introduces a conception of musical groove comprising two interrelated components: a social component wherein individual musical actors retain their own identities and relationships with the music while also uniting collectively in their response to the music, and a sonic component consisting of an acoustical repeating of a rhythmic idea that forms the metrical underpinning for a piece of groove music. Each of these two components is informed and mediated by the other. Cape Breton fiddle music is considered here as a form of groove-based popular music, similar to other groove musics. The two dimensions of the groove are analyzed in turn, revealing aspects of social identity, political and commercial representation, and processes of intercultural syncretism that have resulted in the evolution of the music within the pop culture mainstream. The dissertation is divided into two large sections. The first section concerns the social component of the Cape Breton fiddle groove, considering aspects of cultural representation, social identity, globalization and perceived external threats, and intersections with popular culture. The second section examines the sound of Cape Breton fiddle music as a form of groove-based music by first proposing a general model ii for the analysis of groove-based musics, and then applying the model to the Cape Breton fiddle context. The social and sonic components of Cape Breton fiddle grooves are treated as mutually reinforcing components of the same cultural product. Explorations of social identity and cultural representation of Cape Breton fiddle music determine those aspects of the sonic dimension of the music with the most social salience. In turn, analyses of the sound of Cape Breton fiddle grooves influence the understanding of the contemporary and historical socio-cultural community. Cape Breton fiddle music is therefore used here as a case study for combining the powerful modes of inquiry from the disciplines of music theory and ethnomusicology, leading to a richer and more nuanced understanding of musical traditions and cultures in general. iii Acknowledgments This dissertation is the culmination of a long journey involving many people. I arrived at the University of Toronto with only a vague notion of what I wanted to pursue for a research topic and soon realized that I was already behind most of my fellow students who had already chosen their thesis topics. My initial stress was soon relieved as the faculty in the Graduate Department of Music encouraged me to explore the seemingly divergent areas of musical interest that would eventually lead to this interdisciplinary thesis. The path to completion featured a number of detours including changing provinces twice, securing a faculty position at Acadia University in my third year, an Acadia faculty strike, dealing with the death of a close family member, and a very poorly-timed case of Benign Positional Vertigo. Yet despite these hiccups, I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my Ph.D. studies. I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to learn from such an incredible group of scholars and musicians at the university and want to single out a few who were instrumental in bringing this dissertation to fruition. My first contact with the University of Toronto was Robin Elliott who assured me that my areas of interest would receive support from the music faculty. It was after a conversation with Robin on the Toronto subway that I first began to think that Cape Breton fiddle music could form the central case study of my research. Mary Ann Parker ran the first year Ph.D. seminar which would prove a pivotal course for me in providing assurance that I had the skills to succeed as an academic. In addition to this seminar, I took a course in theories of rhythm and metre with Ryan McClelland. It was through this course that I began to develop the theoretical model that would form a central component iv to my research. Ryan also agreed to serve on my dissertation committee and provided invaluable analytical insight despite having little familiarity with the music. Knowing that I was interested in pursuing studies of rhythm in popular and non-Western music, Mary Ann and Robin also advised me to consult Russell Hartenberger and Jim Kippen as potential advisors. Russell eventually joined my dissertation committee and provided substantial insight from his perspective as a performer. Russell also suggested that Jim Kippen would be the best advisor for me. Jim is always in high demand as a graduate advisor but agreed to accept me as a student despite my barely half-formed ideas of what I planned to pursue. After one meeting with Jim, my head swam with possibilities and our conversations would prove to be some of my fondest memories of my time at the University of Toronto. I wrote the majority of this dissertation after I had moved back to Nova Scotia, but Jim made this a lot easier on me than it could have been and I will always be grateful for his support. I would also like to thank my son Rory for often having to share his daddy with a computer and for continuously reminding me for whom I was doing this. Finally, I would like to thank my wife Erin whose love and encouragement provided the extra fuel I needed to reach the finish line and whose companionship makes all of my life experiences worthwhile. v Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents vi List of Examples viii Chapter 1 – Introduction 1 Chapter 2 – Tartanism, Folk, and Fiddles: Cultural Representation in Nova Scotia 22 Tartanism and “The Folk” 23 Gaelic Fiddling 33 The Vanishing Cape Breton Fiddler 44 Chapter 3 – External Challenges: Globalization and the Perception of Cultural Imperialism in Canadian Popular Music 54 Cultural Imperialism 56 Theories of Cultural Evolution 61 Globalization of Popular Music 65 Popular Music and Social Identity in Canada 72 East Coast Music Industry 80 “Celtic” Music as Popular Music 88 Chapter 4 – Fiddle Pop: Cape Breton Fiddle Music in Popular Culture 94 Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac 97 Cape Breton Music Online 113 Chapter 5 – An Analytical Model for Groove-Based Music 137 Theories of Musical Grooves 141 Groove States and Metrical States: The Case of Rock Music 158 “De Do Do Do” 167 vi “I Got You” 174 “Beautiful Day” 178 Electronic Dance Music 183 Rap Music 193 Simon Shaheen – “Longa Farahfaza” 199 Summary 206 Chapter 6 – Cape Breton Fiddle Grooves 209 Cape Breton Fiddling 210 Piano Accompaniment 221 “Wake Up to Cape Breton Medley” 230 Ian Hardie Set 238 “Catharsis” 254 “Sleepy Maggie” 260 Chapter 7 – Conclusion 269 Bibliography 276 Discography 290 vii List of Examples 5–1 Standard rock drum pattern (4-on-the-floor) 146 5–2 Standard rock drum pattern variant 146 5–3 Overlapping metrical structure, Lerdahl and Jackendoff 148 5–4 Additional standard rock drum pattern variant 161 5–5 “Small Town” opening drum pattern 162 5–6 “Small Town” main drum pattern 162 5–7 “Paper In Fire” verse rhythm pattern 164 5–8 “Paper In Fire” last line of verse 1 165 5–9 “De Do Do Do” instrumental intro 168 5–10 Electric guitar beat classes 169 5–11 Metrical dissonances between guitar and drum–kit 170 5–12 “De Do Do Do” verses 171 5–13 Comparison of electric guitar accents in verses and intro 172 5–14 “De Do Do Do” pre-chorus 173 5–15 “De Do Do Do” chorus vocal line 173 5–16 “I Got You” intro and first line 175 5–17 “I Got You” first chorus line 177 5–18 “Beautiful Day” introduction 179 5–19 “Beautiful Day” verses 180 5–20 “Beautiful Day” choruses 181 5–21 Underworld “Cups” (0:55–1:00) 189 5–22 Underworld “Cups” (0:59–1:13) 190 5–23 Composite rhythms from Underworld “Cups” 191 5–24 Underworld “Cups” (1:13–1:28) 192 5–25 Vocal rhythms for opening four lines of “MCs Act like they Don’t Know” by KRS-One 196 5–26 Vocal Rhythms for first verse, first couplet of “MCs Act like they Don’t Know” by KRS-One 196 5–27 Vocal Rhythms for two (plus) lines from third verse of “MCs Act like they Don’t Know” by KRS-One 197 5–28 “Longa Farahfaza” introduction 201 5–29 “Longa Farahfaza” refrain 205 6–1 Traditional Scottish strathspey 212 6–2 Traditional Scottish reel 212 6–3 Traditional Irish jig 213 6–4 Jerry Holland strathspey 213 6–5 Jerry Holland reel 214 6–6 Jerry Holland jig 214 6–7 Phrase from strathspey showing sixteenth-note flourish 218 6–8 Basic strathspey accompaniment pattern 222 6–9 Basic reel accompaniment figure 222 viii 6–10 Basic jig accompaniment pattern 222 6–11 Scottish piano accompaniments for jig and reel 223 6–12 Alternate jig pattern with right-hand syncopation 224 6–13 John Morris Rankin piano accompaniment 226 6–14 Sheamus McNeil piano accompaniment 228 6–15 Jerry Holland – “Wake Up to Cape Breton Medley” piano intro 231 6–16 Jerry Holland – “Wake Up to Cape Breton Medley” piano intro re-notated 231 6–17 Jerry Holland – “Wake Up to Cape Breton Medley” “Union Street Session Reel” – phrase 1 with piano accompaniment 233 6–18 Jerry Holland – “Union Street Session Reel” section 2 with piano accompaniment 234 6–19 Jerry Holland – “Union Street Session Reel” repeat of phrase 1 with piano accompaniment 235 6–20 Jerry Holland – “Rannie MacLellan” second half guitar rhythms 237 6–21 “The Poetic Milkman” first section 240 6–22 “The Poetic Milkman” alternate metrical interpretation 240 6–23 “Ian Hardie Set” bodhran entrance 241 6–24 “Ian Hardie Set” synthesizer entrance 243 6–25 “Ian Hardie Set” synthesizer accompaniment, fourth jig statement 244 6–26 “Mr.

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