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Canada Living with Music: An Ethnography of Sessions in St. John's, Newfoundland by Samantha Breslin A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology Memorial University of Newfoundland April 2011 St. John's Newfoundland Abstract This thesis offers an ethnographic account of the musical lives of musicians who play traditional Irish and Newfoundland music at "sessions" in St. John's, Newfoundland. Drawing on interviews and participant observation, I explore the significance of this music for musicians in terms of their self-definitions, social networks, senses of place and belonging, and livelihoods. I show how, in learning and playing this music, musicians also learn to become a particular type of person, with certain aesthetics, ethics, and behaviours associated with ideas of "tradition," "musicality," "community," and "place," I also explore the different ways that musicians express these ideas and the politics, hierarchies, and exclusions implicated in debates over what it means to be a "traditional musician." I argue that, in becoming part of these negotiations, musicians establish their position within the St. John's music scene and organize their lives and construct their selves through the performance of this music. ii Acknowledgements First and foremost, many heartfelt thanks to all the musicians in St. John's who welcomed me into their lives and their music, without which this thesis would not have been possible. More than that, you have given me a musical home in this city and anywhere else in the world that 1 might find a session. To my wonderful Fiddle Group, for so warmly accepting this anthropologist/flute-player that you barely knew into your midst and for just being great people to hang out and play music with. Thanks to Greg for introducing me to the group. I am also deeply grateful to Sue for all your musical and personal encouragement and support and to Margaret for your enthusiasm and for visiting and checking in on me. You both always made sure that I took the time for a few tunes and didn't get too lost in the busyness and stress. Thank you also to all my anthropology professors and peers for your intellectual and personal guidance. Robin, you always had insightful suggestions, helpful advice, and words of support throughout this process and in my occasional moments of panic. Thank you for being such a great supervisor. Dianne, Dave, and Laura, you have all been amazing sources inspiration in every aspect of our programs. Thank you for your friendships, which have sustained me through all problems and challenges, great and small. Thanks also to Jill, for your help with just about anything in the world. To Tracy, for the wine, hugs, songs, and for your endless enthusiasm for everything. I also could not have finished this process without the help of Consuelo, who always had the essentials of life, tea and chocolate, on hand. Thank you also to August Carbonella, Rex iii Clark, Reade Davis, Wayne Fife, Kathy Gordon, Alison, Greg, Josh, Ken, Sol, and all other members of the anthropology department. Another essential contribution to this project came in the form of funding generously provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), and the A.G. Hatcher Memorial Scholarship. Certainly not to be forgotten are my friends and family who, even at a distance, have been of great help. Thank you to Beverley for your 18 years of friendship and to Jenn for never stopping to inspire me to try and do more with my life. To Colin, your unfaltering belief in my academic and non-academic abilities was always a comfort when I was more than a little doubtful of myself. To Steph and Fox, for the chats, the laughs, and for visiting. Also, to my family in Ireland who introduced me to the vast and wonderful world of traditional Irish music to start. Finally, and above all, thanks to my parents for your support throughout my life. This thesis is a testament to the independence and courage that you taught me, as well as to your continued insistence that I followed my dreams, whatever those may be. Thank you for always being there. iv Table of contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of contents v List of appendices ix Chapter 1: Playing traditional Irish (and) Newfoundland music in St. John's 1 1.1 Tunes and sessions 9 1.1.1 A note about tenses 13 1.2 Existing research and theoretical perspectives 14 1.2.1 The anthropology of music 14 1.2.2 The study of "tradition" 19 1.3 Thesis outline 25 Chapter 2: A brief history of traditional Irish (and) Newfoundland music in Newfoundland 28 2.1 Early settlement to confederation 28 2.2 Post-confederation 34 2.3 The folk revival 38 2.4 Pub sessions and professionalization 45 2.5 The St. John's traditional music scene in 2009 50 2.5.1 The downtown sessions 51 2.5.1.1 Erin's Pub 52 2.5.1.2 Nautical Nellie's 54 2.5.1.3 Shamrock City 55 2.5.1.4 Bridie Molloy's 56 2.5.2 The Georgetown Pub 57 2.5.3 Auntie Crae's 59 2.5.4 Fiddle Group 61 2.5.5 Other venues and events 62 Chapter 3: Methodology - Playing the field 65 3.1 Early introductions 65 V 3.2 Research goals 67 3.3 Fieldwork methodologies 69 3.3.1 Participant observation 69 3.3.2 Interviews 75 3.3.2.1 Participant demographics 79 3.4 Living and writing in the field 81 3.4.1 Performing fieldwork 81 3.4.2 Writing in the field 84 Chapter 4: Becoming a traditional musician 87 4.1 Learning the ideal 88 4.1.1 The aural archetype 92 4.1.2 "New" methods 99 4.2 Musical lives 106 4.2.1 First beginnings 107 4.2.1.1 Music in the family 108 4.2.1.2 Straight ahead 110 4.2.1.3 A winding path 114 4.2.2 Later introductions 117 4.2.2.1 Music lessons 118 4.2.2.2 Introductions to traditional music 120 4.2.2.3 Learning a tradition 122 Chapter 5; The politics of musicianship 133 5.1 Negotiating status 134 5.1.1 Talent and ability 135 5.1.2 Musicality, professionalism, and authenticity 137 5.1.3 Evaluating status 140 5.2 Playing musical politics 143 5.2.1 "Egalitarian" sessions 144 5.2.2 Professional sessions 148 5.2.3 "Getting it" 154 vi 5.3 Political pathways 158 Chapter 6: Playing music together 162 6.1 Social music 163 6.1.1 Collective music-making 168 6.1.2 "Give us a tune" 170 6.1.3 "You feel like you're inside the music" 172 6.2 Structured relationships 176 6.2.1 "They're not ladies, they're session players" 177 6.2.2 Bearing the tradition 183 6.3 Musical social lives 185 6.3.1 Creating networks 186 6.3.2 A global network 189 6.3.3 "Belonging" 191 Chapter 7: Experiencing Newfoundland 195 7.1 The music of Newfoundland 196 7.1.1 Different perspectives 197 7.1.2 Making distinctions 202 7.2 A musical place 206 7.2.1 Music that "belongs to us" 207 7.2.1.1 Experiencing the past 208 7.2.1.2 Re-presenting Newfoundland 212 7.2.2 The place of Irish (and) Newfoundland music 218 7.2.2.1 Ireland and Irish (and) Newfoundland music 219 7.2.2.2 Experiencing the past 221 7.2.2.3 The St.