Durham E-Theses The Great Highland Bagpipe in the Eastern United States :inception, development, and perpetuation REGAN, PATRICK,WILLIAM How to cite: REGAN, PATRICK,WILLIAM (2016) The Great Highland Bagpipe in the Eastern United States :inception, development, and perpetuation , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11626/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ABSTRACT This study is an analysis of the inception, development, and perpetuation of the Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) in the United States, and in particular examines the culture and community of competitive bagpiping. With a focus on the Eastern United States, the study traces the inception and development of bagpiping through three distinct eras. In the first two eras, the GHB enjoyed increasing degrees of popularity among various populations in the United States, before its presence declined almost to the point of extinction. The study then proceeds to the third era, still in progress, exploring the present state of competitive bagpiping in the Eastern United States including an in-depth examination of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA). Obstacles to the growth of bagpiping in the EUSPBA are considered, revealing growth trends, as well as attitudes toward and awareness of growth issues. Student perceptions and motivations are analyzed, followed by an examination of teacher attitudes. Specific teaching methods are compared and analyzed. Finally, learning environments, categorized as formal, non-formal, and informal, are described and examined. 1 The Great Highland Bagpipe in the Eastern United States: Inception, Development, and Perpetuation Ph.D. Dissertation by Patrick William Regan Department of Music Durham University England 2015 2 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 1 List of Tables ............................................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 11 OBJECTIVES AND THESIS STATEMENT ........................................................ 11 Format ................................................................................................................. 12 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 13 Research Context ................................................................................................ 13 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS ........................................................................... 14 RESEARCH DECISIONS ................................................................................. 17 Folk Music, Ethnic Music, Traditional Music, or Art Music? ........................... 20 Authenticity ........................................................................................................ 26 The Scottish Bagpiping Community .................................................................. 30 Cultural Transmission and Perpetuation ............................................................ 32 Aesthetics ........................................................................................................... 35 METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES ............................................................... 36 Lack of Scholarly Approach ............................................................................... 36 Perceived Insider Bias ........................................................................................ 37 Outsider Misinterpretation .................................................................................. 40 LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................... 42 Historical Works ................................................................................................. 44 Music Pedagogy and Educational Research Sources ......................................... 51 3 Literature Review Reflections ............................................................................ 53 PART I: INCEPTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BAGPIPING IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES .......................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER II: INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GHB IN AMERICA ......................................................................................................................... 56 Early Evidence of GHBs in the Americas .......................................................... 57 1700-1790: THE FIRST ERA ................................................................................ 59 Early Scottish Immigration to America .............................................................. 59 The French and Indian War ................................................................................ 64 The American Revolution .................................................................................. 66 Post-Revolutionary War Eighteenth Century ..................................................... 69 1800-1860: ASSIMILATION AND DECLINE .................................................... 71 Introduction of Highland Games and Gatherings to the United States .............. 72 The American Civil War .................................................................................... 77 1865-1890: Decline and Transition .................................................................... 79 1890-1930: THE SECOND ERA ........................................................................... 81 Immigration and Reawakening ........................................................................... 81 The Arrival of Pipe Bands .................................................................................. 83 The Expansion of Highland Games .................................................................... 85 1930-1945: The Second Decline ........................................................................ 86 1945- 2013: THE THIRD ERA .............................................................................. 88 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 94 CHAPTER III: THE EASTERN UNITED STATES PIPE BAND ASSOCIATION .... 96 Early Years ......................................................................................................... 96 4 DEVELOPMENT, EXPANSION, AND INNOVATION ..................................... 98 Competition Sanctioning .................................................................................... 98 Certification Programme .................................................................................... 99 Judges’ Exams and Seminars ........................................................................... 101 Standardized Score Sheets ................................................................................ 104 Solo Competition Grading ................................................................................ 105 An Educational Approach ................................................................................ 108 Continuing Education ....................................................................................... 113 The Voice Magazine ......................................................................................... 115 AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ....... 116 AMERICAN PECULARITIES: VARIATIONS ON A SCOTTISH THEME .... 117 Irish-American Pipe Bands ............................................................................... 118 Ensemble Judging ............................................................................................. 121 Solo and Pipe Band Bagpiping ......................................................................... 122 Differences in the Drumming Community ....................................................... 123 Military Bagpiping ........................................................................................... 127 Differences in Teaching Styles ......................................................................... 129 Adult Beginners ................................................................................................ 130 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 131 CHAPTER IV: THE FUTURE: OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES .................... 136 RECRUITING METHODS .................................................................................. 136 OBSTACLES TO TRANSMISSION .................................................................. 139 5 Challenges of Geographic Distance ................................................................