TY - JOUR

T1 - Musical boundaries: The making of traditional Newfoundland music(ians)

AU - Breslin, Samantha

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - This article explores the boundaries that are constructed around traditional Newfoundland music and musicianship, focusing on the relationships among place, tradition, and history. Drawing primarily on ethnographic fieldwork conducted during the summer of 2009, I explore how some musicians trace historical and place-based connections based on their experiences playing Newfoundland music on the Island and with particular people. In doing so, these musicians draw on concepts of tradition, and 'emotional' and 'historical' authenticity, to connect certain tunes or settings, and styles of playing to the history and culture of Newfoundland, constructing the "Newfoundlandness" of traditional Newfoundland music. These practices dovetail with the professionalisation of traditional musicianship and provide a means for some to assert their status and authority as traditional Newfoundland musicians. While musicians have varying conceptions about Newfoundland and its music, the connections made among music, place, and history by some musicians work to delimit the boundaries around which music and musicians 'belong' to Newfoundland.

AB - This article explores the boundaries that are constructed around traditional Newfoundland music and musicianship, focusing on the relationships among place, tradition, and history. Drawing primarily on ethnographic fieldwork conducted during the summer of 2009, I explore how some musicians trace historical and place-based connections based on their experiences playing Newfoundland music on the Island and with particular people. In doing so, these musicians draw on concepts of tradition, and 'emotional' and 'historical' authenticity, to connect certain tunes or settings, and styles of playing to the history and culture of Newfoundland, constructing the "Newfoundlandness" of traditional Newfoundland music. These practices dovetail with the professionalisation of traditional musicianship and provide a means for some to assert their status and authority as traditional Newfoundland musicians. While musicians have varying conceptions about Newfoundland and its music, the connections made among music, place, and history by some musicians work to delimit the boundaries around which music and musicians 'belong' to Newfoundland.

KW - Authenticity

KW - Music

KW - Newfoundland

KW - Professionalism

KW - Tradition

U2 - 10.21463/shima.11.2.16

DO - 10.21463/shima.11.2.16

M3 - Journal article

VL - 11

SP - 232

EP - 253

JO - Shima

JF - Shima

SN - 1834-6049

IS - 2

ER -