THE TRANSMISSION OF DRUM SONGS IN PELLY BAY, NUNAVUT, AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COMPOSERS AND SINGERS TO MUSICAL NORMS Norma Mae Kritsch Vascotto A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto O Copyright by Norma Mae Kritsch Vascotto (2001) National Library Bibliotheque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Otbwa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteu 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, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/filrn, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownerstup 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 celle-ci ne doivent &e imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. THE TRANSMISSION OF DRUM SONGS IN PELLY BAY, NUNAVUT, AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COMPOSERS AND SINGERS TO MUSICAL NORMS Norma Mae Kritsch Vascotto Faculty of Music University of Toronto ABSTRACT Inuit drum songs are snapshots of memorable activities in composers' lives, besides having an accompaniment function in drum dances and a general role in oral history preservation. I investigated the drum song repertoire of one extended family from Pelly Bay, Nunavut, looking for a broader social role independent of textual content and public performance. I looked musicologically at how composers and singers contributed to song style. With assistance from informants, I determined the transmission paths and the perceived meaning of the transmitted information, then related the socio-cultural to the musical findings. Musicologically, the songs showed a variety of expression within compositional nonns. Interval make-up and melodic contour types were largely consistent. Scale appeared to derive from tonal centre relationships established eady in the compositional process. Scale and interval complexity varied generationally, while microtonal make-up displayed compositional and performance components. ornamentation showed positional uniformity, but variety in execution. Transmitted versions, faithful to the memory and style of the composer, showed musical alterations which reflected singer style and the transmission path. Transmission patterns reflected the importance of kin and fictive kin relationships. Consanguineat ties outnumbered affinal ones, with modes of transmission related to composer gender. Women's songs moved to daughters and granddaughters. Men's songs moved through their nuclear families, and then into sons' families by way of mothers and wives. Siblings were in transmission lines, but direct sibling to sibling transmission was not maintained. Songs reinforced namesake ties, and reflected beliefs about commonality of namesake traits. Song transmission in these cases reinforced the importance of song performance in reinforcing ties, and showed the role of women in this maintenance. Teaching and learning followed paths that dealt with obligatory and avoidance demands of traditional kin relations. Teaching methods have changed over time, and much of this is attributable to the change from oral to non-oral learning styles. Opportunities for teaching and learning are reduced in Pelly Bay today, though new contexts in school and home have developed. Reinforcement of traditional kin and fictive ties continues to be an important element in transmission, though a more generalized dispersal of songs seems to be developing. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to a number of people who helped make this work possible. My greatest debt is to the singers and informants in Pelly Bay. Besides performing for me, the singers endured my questions even when in my ignorance I was impolite, and they freely added things they thought I should know Theme Sikkuark, Maria Tuituark, Solomon Ikkujuitoq, Jose Angutingnungniq, Lucie Imrningnaq, Simon Inuqsaq, Simeona Annaqatjuaq, Martha Tunnuq, Bibienne Niuvirvuk, Victor Tungilik, Marie Anguti. (Several of the elders have since passed away, and I'm sure they are greatly missed by the community.) I also thank my main interpreters Lutgarde Angutingnungniq and Yanina Mannusiniq for their advice and patience, and Cedric for his help in one of the recording sessions. 1 thank Kathy Anaituk for being my able guide through the Kugaaruk school library, and the other teachers who helped me. Nick Sikkuark and Guido Tigvareark added to my store of community information, while Mary- Madeleine Nirlungayak kindly allowed me to stay in her home. Sidonie and Bartholomie Nirlungayak were very kind, as were many others in Pelly Bay who gave me tea and made me feel welcome. I thank you all, and apologize to those whose names I forgot. I also thank the Hamlet Council of Pelly Bay for allowing me to come and work, and Mr. Elwood Johnston, Senior Administrative Officer at that time, for facilitating the process. Sister Edith of the Pelly Bay mission was a kind and helpful consultant, and 1 thank her for a memorable Easter dinner at a busy time for her. The University of Toronto provided a travel grant which helped make the trip to Pelly Bay possible. 1 am grateful to Mr. Dennis Fletcher and M. Benoit Theriault at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the former for his knowledge of the recording archives and the latter for his ability to find the even most obscure documentation. The staff at the Prince of Wales Centre in Yellowknife provided recordings and written material which were most useful. I thank my supervisor Dr. James Kippen for his comments, criticisms, and encouragement, and Dr. Beverley Diamond for her vast knowledge of Netsilik music and her willingness to share it Finally, I thank my family: Gian for telling me it was possible and giving me the real and figurative space to do it; my mother for her help, and for telling me to get on with it; and Robin, Sandy, and Kris who pitched in and made it all worth while. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv. LlST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix. LlST OF TABLES xi. INTRODUCTION I. The Study A. Hypothesis B. Rationale C. Scope D. Aims of the Study E. Fieldwork II. Survey of the Literature A. Problems with interpretation B. Literature before 1900 C. Literature from 1900 to 1939 D. Literature from 1940 to 1959 E. Literature from 196G to 1979 F. Literature since 1980 G. The missing element Notes CHAPTER 1. THE STUDY AREA I. The Ethnographic Background A An overview of Inuit society and culture B, Pelly Bay today C. Local History D. Arviligjuarmiut and the relationship with Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, and Repulse Bay E. Acculturation and the effects of Euro-Canadian contact 11. The Ethnomusicological Background A. An Overview of lnuit Music B. The Music of Pelly Bay Notes CHAPTER 2. THE DRUM SONGS IN PELLY BAY I. Methodology A Sources B. Transcriptions C. Organization and composition of the collection i. Choice of songs ii. Exclusions iii. Translations D. Parameters and methods for analysis i. Mode, scale, and tonal centre ii. Melodic analysis a) Intervals, interval frequency distribution, and motivic analysis b) Microtonal pitch alterations and ornamentation iii. Formal structure of drum songs iv. Similarity analysis E. Genealogy It. The Music A. Aspects of musical style among composers i. Structure - song 'parts" ii. Melody a) Interval content and interval count profiles i) Numbers and kinds of intervals ii) Relationship to tonal centres ii) Mutual information analysis based on interval counts b) Melodic contour c) Mode, tonal centre, scale, and range 5. Components of musical style, and contributions by composers and singers i. "Ornamentationn ii. Microtonal pitches iii. Vocal style C. Variants and mncordances i. Contributions of singers to musical aspects of song construction a) Nipta!uqfs song b) Comparison of sets of concordances Notes CHAPTER 3. TRANSMISSION I. The Family A. Social Structure and Kin Relationships i. General considerations ii. Kin groups iii. Kin relationships iv. Fictive kin relationships B. Genealogy of the family of Alakkanuaq i. General considerations ii. Alakkanuaq iii. Genealogical charts 11. Transmission of the Drum Songs A. Introduction 8. Composers, and the Singers of their Songs i. Consanguinity, spousal relationships, and affinity ii. Examples C. Singers, and their Relationships to Composers i. Kin ties of singers to composers ii. Singers and restricted ilagiit D. Namesakes E. Teaching and Learning i. Kin relationships in teaching and learning ii. Teaching methods and contexts iii. Important elements in drum song transmission F. Women's roles in song transmission, composition, and performance Notes CHAPTER 4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 1. Introduction II. Songs over time A. Composers and song style 6. Singers and song style C. Memory Ill. Transmission A. Song transmission - Traditional and postcentralization IV. What drum songs are - Informants' views A. Meaning of songs for composers B. Meaning of songs for singers V. Modernization and its effects on drum songs and their transmission