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. They certainly don't want to listen to Bruce Springsteen covers. You really expect to see fiddling and step-dancing, and some traditional folk singing. There's a lot of Irish groups that are doing OK, like Irish type pub groups. But they're basically just a weekend outfit. Most of the members of those bands all have jobs as well. It's kind of difficult even though they have CDs. There's a bunch of bluegrass as well. And there's different venues like in the the French community, the Acadian community we put on shows during the summer, like a two month… like a variety show, or some kind of musical – but a real show with production, costumes and lights. There's one here in Charlotteown and they put one up in Tignish as well. And they put a couple up, actually three shows up in the Evangeline area this summer. That was very good for the traditional musicians of the area. But you know they last July and August. So the good players will always be front and center carrying the ball there, but in the wintertime what do the good players do?
KP: What do they do?
RA: Well, some of them teach.
