Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

File: arsenaultedwardp06-oh-musichome.wav

Speakers

EPA: Edward P Arsenault

ML: Marie Arsenault Livingstone

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Your parents, did they fish or were they farmers?

EPA: They farmed, pretty well.

KP

File: biggarjackie06-oh-unclesparties_M.mp3

Speakers

JB: Jackie Biggar

JB: We'd used to go out to my uncle's place there; he'd have three or four parties a the summer, George milligan, we'd go there and play probably from 9 o'clock to 2 or 3 in the morning. They used

File: gallanternie06-oh-partiesegmontbay_M.mp3

Speakers:

EG – Ernie Gallant

PD – Pat Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

They were up to three or four parties a week. One house would have it one night, then they'd take a night off and another house would have it

File: doucettepat06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speaker:

PD – Pat Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were you born on a farm?

PD: No, a little fishing village. Dad used run the Post Office; he worked the lumber woods. We had guitars in the house, and one of my brothers he

File: smithmary06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speakers:

MS – Mary Smith

MS: I was born in a lighthouse in North Rustico. My Dad [George Pineau] was a lighthouse keeper and he was a fisherman. And he was a lighthouse keeper for 34 years.

KP: You say he played the fiddle

File - trainorcecil06-oh-musichome_M.mp3

Speakers:

CT – Cecil Trainor

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: The community was called Peake's Station?

CT: Yes.

KP: Did you grow up in a family where people played music.

CT: My

File: wilsonteresa-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

TW – Teresa MacPhee Wilson

JM – Jenny O'Hanlon McQuaid

TW I heard my mother sayin' that, before her time, when she was younger growin' up, they had two - They called them "tuners," two women or a man and a woman - They'd sit on

File: wedgeclifford-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

CW – Clifford Wedge

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CW: When we were younger, we used to do a lot of jigging; just as kids, fooling around. not at the dances.

KP: When? Was it a game?

CW: Maybe going along the road (

File: pitredennis06-oh-familyreaction_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

VD – Vincent Doucette

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Did you get encouraged in your house?

DP: No, there was no music – Well, on my mother's side side, but she didn't play anything

File: morrisseyjohnny-oh-lemjay_bonaparte_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Johnny Morrissey

JM There was an old fellow from Mt. Stewart, Lem Jay, did you hear tell of him? And every New Years he'd go into Charlottetown – When radios came out first, it was a long time ago, he'd go into

File: hughesemmett06-oh-weddings_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: Back then all the weddings were at home, and it was a big deal. The weddin' part was an odd time in the house too, but most of the time it was in the church. But then

File: oconnorattwood-oh-farmwork_M.mp3

Speakers:

AO- Attwood O'Connor

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

AO: The worst job I think there was, was haying and potatoes. Oh I detested them two jobs. Had to work by hand, fork the hay by hand. Fork it on the wagon and sometimes fork it off

File: macinnislargus-oh-decline_culturallosses_M.mp3

Speakers:

LM – Largus MacInnis

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

LM See, when radio started coming in, well, probably there'd be a place that had a radio, and there'd be old time music on sometimes, and there'd be a crowd gather in to

File: macdonaldjoe-oh-miqmacs_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Joe MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM: Well, there was an Indian village around here, and there was about four fiddlers there, permanently.

KP: Were they Mi'kmaq fiddlers?

JM Yeah.

KP Do you

File: chipmangary-oh-donmesser_M.mp3

Speakers:

GC – Gary Chipman

KP – Ken Perlman

KP: Were there fiddlers in particular that you liked to listen to?

GC: Messer!

KP: Messer.

GC: Don Messer was really the only one I heard. That was only show that was on the

File: hughesemmett06-oh-agriculturalpractices_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: At that time there was as much trade as there was using money. The farmers mostly always went to Clarke [Clarke's General Store in Mount Stewart] in the Spring of the

File: macdonaldhilda-oh-womensrole_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hilda MacPhee MacDonald

GM – George MacPhee (Hilda's nephew)

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: And how old were you when you started playing for dances yourself?

HM: Oh, I never played at very many dances.

File: mcpheehugh06-oh-familyorigins_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hughie McPhee

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HM: I guess it started, probably started when Wolfe was in Quebec. In Wolfe's Army, they had a pipe regiment and my great, great uncle was a piper there with him. His nephew, Archie

File: mcpheedan-oh-origins_M.mp3

Speakers

DM – Dan McPhee

DM There was, I don't know how many shiploads of McPhees came from the Hebrides and settled here. They bought a Lot which was 20,000 acres, and that extended from this shore here to south shore just east of Souris. And there was

File: dauschmidtkathryn06-oh-philosophy_M.mp3

Speaker:

KD – Kathryn Dau Schmidt

KD: I figure everybody can learn something, can learn enough to have fun at it. And that's the first thing, to have fun. And the second thing is, you have to have a lot of people who just enjoy fiddling

File: macintyrestewart-oh-origins.mp3

File

SM – Stewart MacIntyre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

SM: The MacIntyres came to the Island, well around 1800. I haven't been able to find out exactly when – They came around 1800. My grandmother was a Stewart, she was indeed related to

File: macinnisbillyjunior06-oh-musiccareer_M.mp3

Speakers:

BM – Billy MacInnis Jr

BM: When I started playing fiddle, that was my first instrument. And then to make a long story short, I recall gettin' up one morning and finding a guitar in the house. And I didn't know my Dad played

File: macdonaldfrancis-oh-ancestry_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Francis MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

FM Yeah, we try to maintain a family tree back five generations, anyway.

KP How far back have you – Oh, you have traced it back five generations?

FM Yes, as

File: maccormackfrancis06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

FC - Francis MacCormack

FM: I was the youngest of eleven, there was eight boys and three girls, and we all played the fiddle. And if I hadn't learned to play the fiddle my father would have shot me (laughs). When I was too

File: wilsonteresa-oh-lordmacd_M.mp3

Speakers:

TW – Teresa MacPhee Wilson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

TW Back years ago they used to have fiddlers' contests

KP Yeah.

TW And you had to be able to play Lord MacDonald's Reel before you were

File: macintyrestewart-oh-farmlife_M.mp3

Speakers:

SM – Stewart MacIntyre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: If you lived on a farm when you were young about how many hours a day would you be working?

SM: There was really no such thing as as hours, it was sunrise

File: biggarjackie06-oh-contests_M.mp3

Speakers:

JB – Jackie Biggar

KP – curator Ken perlman

JB: Cape Breton's got Buddy MacMaster, we had Elmer Robinson. They tell me Elmer Robinson and Bill Harvey - Bill Harvey played the fiddle too up in this area. They went to

File: macleandanny-oh-lumberwoods_M.mp3

Speakers:

DM – Danny MacLean

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

DOM – Donny MacLean (Danny's son)

DM: But I did learn tunes in the lumber woods. That's mostly where I did learn them. I spent a lot of time in the lumber woods.

File: cheveriecharles-oh-radio.mp3

Speakers:

CC – Fr. Charlie Cheverie

CC: Way back on PEI when radio came about, in the late 20s and early 30s, then you'd be speaking of hearing tunes from Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Antigonish. And the fiddlers in those days were were

File: woodrichard06-oh-olderfiddlerspart2_M.mp3

Speakers:

RW – Richard Wood

RW: When I was 11 – 9 I should say, a lot of my best friends were 60 really, and 55. Every second night I'd be goin' to a place where there would be a benefit or a ceilidh and meetin' up with these older

File: hughesemmett06-oh-learningtodance_M.mp3

Speakers:

EH – Emmett Hughes

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EH: When I was a young lad, you learned how to dance a set before you ever tried it. The people would - If there's four couples, they'd dance a set just to show you

File: banksreg-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers:

RB – Reg Banks

KP – Ken Perlman

RB: He used to drive the mail through here. Main road from Cardigan to Annadale. Annadale's 2 miles on the highway. And sometimes I'd take the violin out to the mailbox and meet Jack [Webster

File: princecountyfiddlers-oh-womenfiddling_M.mp3

Speakers:

GB – Glenna Bowness

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: WE have noticed that women were under-represented in the ranks of. What was your sense growing up about women and fiddling?

GB: I think fiddle was

File: doucettejoe-oh-marmotteuse.mp3

JD: La Marmoteuse? The origin of that is, There's an old couple that lived in the country like this, and there was a Bingo in the village. They played Bingo. The old lady she liked to play Bingo, and the old man didn't want to go, see?

KP: Yeah.

JD: So

File: dockendorffharold06-oh-farmlife_M.mp3

Speakers:

HD – Harold Dockendorff

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Were you born on a farm?

HD: Yes.

KP: What kind of farm?

HD: Just mixed farming. It was mostly all mixed farming at that time on the Island.

File: robinsonpeter06-oh-keithrobinson_M.mp3

Speakers:

PR – Peter Robinson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP – Tell me about your father's musical activities. I believe he was a prominent musician on the island.

PR – His name was Keith Robinson; he was known for

File: jonesandrew-oh-fatherpermission_M.mp3

Speakers:

AJ – Andrew Jones

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP Did you learn tunes from your father at all?

AJ No, I don't think so. I don't think I learned anything from him at all. He wouldn't leave me take the fiddle. I'd sneak

File: cheveriecharles-oh-tunetitles.mp3

Speakers:

CC - Fr. Charles Cheverie

CC: Well a lot of the times if you go to the eastern part of the island here and ask the fiddler for the name of a tune, forget it! (laughs).. But yet, they'll have a sequence of tunes. Give one tune, and

File: lowejudy06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

JL – Judy Lowe

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: How did you get started on the piano?

JL: From my grandmother. She taught me to play organ, to chord. My Dad played fiddle, and so he would be in the room playing fiddle and

File: chaissonkevin-oh-joepetechaisson_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Why was it that your family in particular took it upon itself to, almost single-handedly…

KC: Well, I wouldn't say that, just the thing is, I wish you

File: chaissonyoungpeter-oh-parentopposition.mp3

Speakers:
PC – "Young Peter" Chaisson

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KC But see the music got passed down. Like my grandmother on my father's side, I mean; she used to jig the tunes to my father when my grandpa would be away, because grandpa

File: arsenaultrobert-oh-joebibiennefamily_M.mp3

Speakers

RA: Robert Arsenault

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

RA I never saw my grandfather play too much. But he's sort of still like known like his name was Joe Bibienne -- his name was Joe Bibienne -- because there was a whole bunch

File: bernardalvin-oh-jimmybearisto.mp3

Speakers:

AB – Alvin Bernard

ES – Edwin Simmons

KP – curator Ken Perlman

AB:He used to cut hair there in Kensington and he played the fiddle. And every time you'd go in there, ther'd be a fiddler in there playin eh;

File: macpheegeorge-oh-oldjimcarter_M.mp3

Speakers:

GM – George MacPhee
KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP You were telling us before a story about a fellow with one arm who used to come over to your house.

GM Oh, yeah. That was the old feller that lived over at my

File: brucestanley-oh-jigging_M.mp3

Speakers:

B – Stanley Bruce

AO –Attwood O'Connor

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

My oldest daughter [says] "Dad, you're forever whistling a tune or singing something . Why?" You don't even know you're doing it.

File: webstercarlandjackie06-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers

JW – Jackie Webster

CW – Carl Webster

MQ – Merlin Quinn

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: One of you mentioned that that Jack Webster only played with three fingers.

JW: He got this finger

webstercarlandjackie-oh-jackwebster_M.mp3

Speakers:

CW – Carl Webster

JW – Jackie Webster

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CW: When people would come to the house. When people'd come in. Dad would always play the fiddle for them, day and night. If someone come along in the

File: cranerobert06-oh-fiddlerspay_M.mp3

Speakers:

RC – Robert Crane

RC: I played with my Dad for a lot of weddings. Oh, the old fashioned weddings was great. One weddin' him and I played when I was only young. And he was rakin' hay with the old horse and rake, and I was kylin' hay in

File: johnstoneroy06-oh-futureofmusic_M.mp3

Speakers:

RJ – Roy Johnstone

RJ: In terms of where the music's going, I think there's gonna be a strong continuation of playing the tunes that are part of the repertoire here. And the players are gonna get better and better

File: macdonaldfaber-oh-fiddlecontests_M.mp3

Speakers:

FM – Rev. Faber MacDonald

FM You could get the sense that there were some very, very deep feelings about what had happened among fiddlers over the years as a result of them being engaged in competitions. I picked up

File: huestislowell06-oh-huestisorchestra.mp3

Speakers:

LH – Lowell Huestis

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

LH - We had the band and when we went to play they would want old time music, see, so we had to get the fiddler to come along with us.

KP – Oh

File: macdonaldpaul-oh-irishrolls_M.mp3

Speakers:

PM – Paul MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: What are some of the others?

PM: One that's slowly moving its way into Scottish fiddle music which has been prevalent in Irish music is the roll. And that's

File: arsenaultpeter06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers-

PA: Peter Arsenault

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Tell me how you came to take up the instrument.

PA: One night we were on a thing called Sea Sail, we were in in New York City. Well Dad [Eddy

File: johnstoneroy06-oh-hisinfluence_M.mp3

Speakers:

RJ – Roy Johnstone

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: What affect do you think [your approach] has had on the younger players?

RJ: I wouldn't really think personally I've had a big influence. It's

File: bergeronhelene06-oh-barachoisfounding_M.mp3

HB: Albert, my brother and myself had decided one year that we wanted to write a dinner theater, which is a local comedy musical production given every summer, mostly for tourists. We auditioned some local people for it. We knew we wanted Louise who is a local

File: arsenaultrobert-oh-familyencouragement_M.mp3

Speakers:

RA – Robert Arsenault

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

RA: The type of encouragement there is now from parents -- to give their kids everything and to become super-achievers is a nonexistent thing in Acadian

File: gotellhugh-oh-gettingstarted_quitting_M.mp3

Speaker:

HG – Hugh Gotell

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

HG: Well my dad played, the violin. He played at, we used to have concerts, once a year there, St. Patrick's concerts: 17th of March. And they had a little

File: chappellella06-oh-womensinsitute_M.mp3

Speakers:

EC – Ella Thomson Chappell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EC: There was the Women's Institute. Well you see, the men had to take them in the winter time.

KP: Tell me a little bit about the women's Institute

File: cheverieomar06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

OC – Omar Cheverie

KP: At what age did you take up the fiddle?

OC: About 11. I tried the fiddle before that but my arm was a little too short to reach the neck. They wouldn't let me play it, you better wait

File: mellishreg06-oh-dancenotallowed_gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

RM – Reg Mellish

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: Was there music in your house?

RM: No.

KP: Was there music in your community?

RM: Not much, not at that