Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

File: jayroland-oh-hadtoplay_M.mp3

Speakers

RJ - Roland Jay

AM - Angus McPhee

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP Did you find that if someone could play the fiddle they were pretty much obligated to play at these events?

AM Yeah, I suppose so

File: arsenaultlouise06-oh-keepingmusicalive_M.wav

Speakers

LA: Louise Arsenault

KP: [summary] I understand you are thinking about founding a fiddle camp that focuses on Acadian fiddle, to keep Acadian music and culture alive. Why do you think that's important?

LA:

File: macdougalljim06-oh-playsfirstdance_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Jim MacDougall

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM: I was 16 years old when I played for my first dance in Grand River Hall.

KP: How did it happen that they asked you to play?

JM: That

File: wightelliott-oh-dances_countryshowers_M.mp3

Speakers:

EW – Elliott Wight

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP And were there house parties in [your area]?

EW A lot. They call 'em around here "country showers". If a girl's getting married, they'd always have

File: princecountyfiddlers-edmathews_M.mp3

Speakers

EM – Ed Mathews

EM: You got my name: Ed Mathews. I was about 18 when I started I suppose. I picked up an old two dollar fiddle I bought from [inaudible]. It had a string on it: no case – just take it up into the barn up at the

File: cranerobert06-oh-homemadebeer_M.mp3

Speakers:

RC – Robert Crane

RC: A cousin of ours was home from the States, a whole bunch at the house, and a couple of jugs, and one feller had an old car he put it in the woods at home, [inaudible]. And he said, "Are you goin' to the dance in

File: gotellhugh-oh-twists_M.mp3

Speakers:

HG – Hugh Gotell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HG: My idea's whoever makes the tune sound the best - Hell with the note, play it that way. That's for all those people that put the music on paper, they're only

File: pitredennis06-oh-firstfiddle_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

DP: The first fiddle I bought, I was 12 years old. And it took me two years to pick up bottles in the road trying to get enough money. It was nineteen dollars and ninety five cents for the fiddle. That'

File: macdonaldward06-oh-youngergeneration_M.mp3

Speakers:

WM – Ward MacDonald

WM: I definitely see people giving too much recognition to some of the younger kids. It's not that the fans of the music mean to do it. But I know they are trying to encourage the kid; they want to see the

File: gotellwilfred-oh-television_M.mp3

Speakers:

WG – Wilfred Gotell

KP – Ken Perlman

WG [When] radio and television started -- came in the houses, that's when they really died down.

KP That was when?

WG 25, 30 years ago, they started to dwindle

File: smithtony06-oh-pauljones_M.mp3

Speakers:

TS – Tony Smith

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: So the played that for the Paul Jones dances?

TS: Yeah

Mrs. Smith: You're swinging, eh.

TS: And you change your partner, and

File: baglolesidney-oh-olddays_M.mp3

Speakers:

SB – Sid Baglole

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

SB: Oh, it was terrible in them days, terrible in them days. Oh, my goodness! There was no money (laughs). they used to pass the hat around, you know, to pay me,(laughs) Used to pass

File: macdougalljim06-oh-parishpicnics_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Jim MacDougall

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM: All the country schools used to have dances in the summertime to raise money for to support the schools. I played for quite a few of those.

KP: Who were

File: biggarjackie06-oh-twists_M.mp3

Speakers

JB- Jackie Biggar

KP – Ken Perlman

JB: And You know you're doing a good job when people start playing your tune the way you play it, cause that tells you that people want to listen to your playing. If you play a tune and you put

File: bergeronhelene06-oh-barachoisappeal_M.mp3

Speakers:

HB – Helene Bergeron

PA – Peter Arsenault

KP – curator Ken Perlman

KP: Was there anything in particular about PEI music that you felt the audiences [for Barachois] reacted to?