Contemporary Innovation and Scottish Traditional Music (working title)
The traditional music world in Scotland is divided regarding innovation. On one hand, some musicians condemn innovation as a threat to the preservation of tradition: it is seen as damaging the perceived integrity of the traditions. On the other, there are musicians who view creativity as integral to traditions: enriching what is already there by a natural process that has always taken place.
The author believes innovation is essential - it is the main focus of her work as a professional musician. Her research will explore issues surrounding the question of innovation and creativity in a contemporary Scottish context. It will examine the process of successful innovation through 5 creative projects; 4 of these are planned at the outset and have a clear context previously applied within contemporary music making in Scotland . The 5 th project is unplanned at the outset, and will aim to be striking clear of established contexts.
The issues to be explored include the assessments made of creative innovations by 'traditional' musicians (including the author). Notions such as 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable' 'deviations' from tradition; 'Integrity'; 'Respect', 'Contrivance' and 'Carelessness' will also be investigated.
The submission is expected to take the form of a portfolio of (possibly diverse) materials from the 5 projects together with a written dissertation of 30-40 thousand words.
Doctoral Supervision Team:
Stephen Broad
Liz Doherty
Stuart Eydman
Raymond MacDonald
Previous Doctoral Research:
Here are extracts from research into new tunes in a Glasgow session.
Continually Reshaping The Present:
New Traditional Tunes In Scotland
Tradition is fashioned from both an authenticity that clings to the past and a process of change that continuously reshapes the present. That folk music is both a product of the past and a process of the present is essential to the co-mingling of stability and vitality, which together provide the substance and dynamism of oral tradition. (Bohlman, 1988:13)
Introduction
It is the 'process of change that continually reshapes the present' as mentioned here by Philip Bohlman that prompted my investigation of the admission of new tunes in session repertoire in Scotland . This investigation is not restricted to Scottish traditional music; the sessions featured are in Glasgow where the musicians meeting to play music are from a range of backgrounds. The emphasis of this investigation is on the creation of new music by musicians from within the traditional music scene and the possibilities of this new material being accepted as part of the tradition.
This investigation is based on a case study of twelve composed tunes played regularly in sessions in Glasgow . It features fieldwork carried out with a group of musicians who regularly play in the same sessions in Glasgow and with the composers of the twelve tunes.
Through this case study I am looking at why newly composed tunes composed between 23 and 5 years ago are learned and performed frequently thus improving the chances of the tunes being played in the future.
I will address the following questions in this research:
- What tune-types are played most frequently?
- Is it possible to identify features in the case study tunes that make them desirable to learn and play?
- What does the session group look for in new session tunes?
- What factors aid successful admission of a new tune into session repertoire?
- Can factors affecting the choice of material in sessions be identified?
- What is the purpose and importance of sessions to the session group?
- How the case study tunes were initially distributed and how do they circulate?
- How does the session group perceive the possible lifecycle of the case study tunes?
- How might the terms vitality and stability relate to traditional music development?
- What is the relationship between tradition and innovation? [1]
Background
Case Study Tunes
On consulting with members of the session group about what new tunes they felt had been played frequently in recent years a common list began to emerge. I have chosen to include a range of composers despite several tunes by both John McCusker and Gordon Duncan being suggested. [2] The scale of this study demanded the exclusion of a number of tunes for the purposes of depth and detail.
The case study tunes are:
Frank's Reel - John McCusker (fiddle/bouzouki)
The Salvation - Simon Bradley (fiddle)
Bulgarian Red - Charlie McKerron (fiddle)
MacLeod's Farewell - Donald Shaw (piano accordion/piano)
Ramnee Ceilidh - Gordon Duncan (pipes)
Pressed for Time - Gordon Duncan (pipes)
The Waves of Rush - Aidan O'Rourke (fiddle)
A Punch In The Dark - Gerry O'Connor (fiddle/banjo/guitar/mandolin)
Highlander's Revenge - Bruce MacGregor (fiddle)
Farewell To Whalley Range - Michael McGoldrick (uilllean pipes/flutes/whistles)
The Road To Errogie - Adam Sutherland (fiddle)
Wes and Maggie's Ceili Croft - Leo McCann (melodeon)
Seven of the tune writers were born in Scotland ; there are two from England and two from Ireland . It is important to take into account the influence of music from other areas on repertoire in Scotland .
The Session Group
The musicians in the session group are Glasgow-based and meet at and run or have run (usually two or three players run a session) the weekly sessions held in the Ben Nevis Bar on Argyle Street (Sun 8pm-12, Wed 8pm-12) and Waxy O'Connor's on Buchanan Street (Sun 4pm-7.30) and more recently in The Spirit on Dumbarton Road (Wed 8pm-12). There is a small fee paid by the pub to a few core musicians who ensure that it takes place every week and are responsible for maintaining momentum during the session. Some members of the session group have been involved in these sessions from the beginning of the sessions while other members have become core players in the last one to two years.
The session group backgrounds can be roughly divided as follows: five from the Highlands and Islands ; four from the Central Belt (incl. Arran ); two from the Borders; one from Ireland ; one from the North East. The musicians are aged between 18 and 34 years old.
The session group are:
Ross Ainslie (pipes/whistles/bouzouki)
Gillian Frame (fiddle/voice)
Ali Hutton (pipes/whistles/guitar)
Findlay Napier (guitar/voice)
Hamish Napier (flute/whistles/piano/voice)
Kevin O'Neill (flute/concertina)
Sean O'Donnell (guitar)
Barry Reid (guitar)
John Somerville (piano accordion)
Adam Sutherland (fiddle)
Daniel Thorpe (fiddle/whistle)
Innes Watson (fiddle/guitar)
Lori Watson (fiddle/voice)
Sessions
Session. A Loose association of musicians who meet, generally, but not always, in a pub to play an unpredetermined selection, mainly of dance music, but sometimes with solo pieces such as slow airs or songs. There will be one or more 'core' musicians, and others who are less regular. (Vallely, 1999: 345)
Traditional music sessions are a relatively new phenomenon. They emerged in Britain post WWII and it was during the so-called folk revival of the 1960s that they really took hold. 'It has been suggested that the first move to play Irish music in a pub was in The Black Cap in London 's Camden Town in 1947, followed by The Devonshire Arms, also in London .' (Gatherer: accessed 12 th May 2005 )
Sessions are now considered not only a mainstay but an icon of traditional music in Britain . As Fintan Vallely observed, the session has become such an 'all pervasive form of traditional music performance that it has a much longer pedigree than is actually the case' (Vallely, 1999: 345).
My experience of sessions has mostly been one of inspiration and enjoyment. It was the energy and excitement of seeing and joining sessions of older, skilled musicians that initially determined, and continued to support, my career path.
Today, sessions are a forum through which musicians can keep abreast of developments in repertoire, technique, social circles, opportunities and the traditional music scene at large. The session also contains potential for the creation of new opportunities; some of the leading groups today have formed through playing in the same session. Examples include Fine Friday, Cantrip and Session A9. Indeed the potential for creating new music through improvisation and composition also take place in less common sessions when a small group of skilled musicians are in a facilitating situation.
Although to the outsider, a session appears to be a random event, where the instrumentation, the location, the duration, the number of musicians present, etc., all seem to be highly variable, in fact there are controlling factors. The musical behaviour in a session is largely controlled by the relative status of the people playing, with the higher status musicians exercising more control over the way the session develops. Status is conferred by such factors as instrument played, ability, reputation, and age. The way in which musicians react to this is largely unconscious. (Vallely, 1999: 345-6)
There is significant variation between sessions, particularly regarding how they operate. There have been several attempts to explain the etiquette involved which is complex, subtle and often contrasting from group to group and venue to venue. The one rule that remains hard and fast in every session, however, is to listen with sensitivity and respect for the music, the other musicians and the way in which the musicians choose to perform.
Nigel Gatherer includes three categories of session on his website. The advance definition can be applied to the session group in this investigation. 'Advanced: The session appears to be going at warp speed, with long strings of tunes played by all those there. There is an inner circle of experienced musicians who prefer the company of others of the same skill level.' (Gatherer: accessed 12th May 2005 )
Borders Fiddle featuring fieldwork with Bob Hobkirk.
Dissertation on fiddle playing of Jimmy Nagle and Wattie Robson (also featuring fieldwork)
Borders Young Fiddles CD project
see http://www.islemusicscotland.com/byf.htm
Work on Borders Traditional Music Education Resource including fieldwork and research on Borders Fiddle, Song, Accordion and Border pipes.
