Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

File: richardfred06-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

FR – Fred Richard

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

FR: And I always wanted to play the violin.

KP: Why was that?

FR: Well I used to like the sound of it. And there was an auction sale and I

File: cheverieomar06-oh-learningtunes_twists_M.mp3

Speakers:
OC – Omar Cheverie

RC – Randy Cheverie

KP: Curator Ken Perlman

OC: When I was young I had an exceptionally good ear for picking up tunes. In fact, some tunes, if it was an easy tune if I heard it once I could play

File: macdonaldhilda-oh-breakdowns_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hilda MacPhee MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

GM – George MacPhee (Hilda's nephew)

HM: I forgot all those old tunes: not all of them, but I forgot a lot of them.

KP: Uh-huh.

HM: Can't play

File: raffertyervin06-oh-familyorigins_M.mp3

Speakers:

ER – Ervan Rafferty

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

ER: James, James Rafferty.

KP: Do you know what part of Ireland he came from?

ER: The area he was born in was County Down.

File: raffertyervin06-oh-wedding_M.mp3

Speakers:
ER – Ervan Rafferty

ER: Weddings, there was always music at weddings. And if you were lucky enough to get a violin player that wasn't too far away, he was in great demand, because there wasn't that many violin players like there are today

File: gauthierjohn06-oh-batteryradios_M.mp3

Speakers:

JG – John Gauthier

ID – Ivan Day

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

mid-late 30s).

6:50

JG: That would be around the mid 30s. Until that time we didn't have a radio. And of course with

File: hornbyjim-oh-fiddlersociety_M.mp3

Speakers:

JH – Jim Hornby

JH Yeah. I was around just when they started. At that time they sort of gathered a lot of people who were players and had been for years, and hadn't in some cases been very active, and sort of got them

File: arsenaulteddy-oh-twists_M.wav

Speakers:

EA - Eddy Arsenault

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

EA Some put extra note in them - you know - different --- you know - - - a lot of players ... they put a lot of... It's like buildin a house -- you know, the rough work. But after

File: macdougallherb06-oh-firstfiddleandbow_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM - Herb MacDougall

HM: My Dad [George MacDougall] used to play for dances, before I was born. I found the violin up in the attic; my parents would say I was an inquisitive type and tinkering all the time at something

File: doucettevictor06-oh-puppetmishap_M.mp3

Speakers:

VD – Victor Doucette

KP: curator Ken Perlman

KP: I know your Dad used to make a lot of things out of wood, and puppets, he showed me these dancing dolls he made [a set of dancing dolls operated by the fiddler's

File: chaissonkevin06-oh-fiddlingsurvival_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kevin Chaisson

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: So looking back at the last 15 years, what's happened ?

KC: When you were here the last time, I would have to say fiddle music was probably at one of

arsenaultrobert06-oh-livingfrommusic_M.mp3

Speakers

RA- Robert Arsenault

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

RA: There's an attachment to traditional music with PEI and when you get visitors from the States or wherever. They come to PEI and they want to listen to PEI music.

File: gauthierjohn06-oh-danceband_M.mp3

Speakers:

JG – John Gauthier

ID – Ivan Day

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: When did you start playing for dances as a fiddler?

JG: That was probably during the war, when I was working for the phone

File - sonierervan-oh-gettingstarted_M.mp3

Speakers:

ES – Ervan Sonier

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

ES Two pieces of stick, and I used to – I'd take them and go through the motions of tuning the fiddle and all. They used to get a great kick I remember. They'd be back watching me

File: dauschmidtkathryn-oh-peerpressure_M.mp3

Speakers:

KD – Kathryn Dau Schmidt

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KD - My one problem is about Grade 6 with the boys and Grade 8 wityh the girls you lose them -- often yuou lose them unless they're really secure.

KP