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haggis - Posted - 03/25/2018: 06:16:09
Regional styles in the old country......... I am not so sure. If I stood in the dead centre of Scotland I could be in the Highlands, the Lowlands, Strathspey and the Lothians and North East ( all Scottish " regional styles" ) all within one hour. Perhaps centuries ago, before the roads' when these regions were semi isolated but today I hear little difference as I travel around. Historic Regional Styles from an academic point of view, yes, but generally............ not so sure? Or have I just got a cabbage for an ear?
UsuallyPickin - Posted - 03/25/2018: 07:11:10
Well ... I don't know diddly about Keltic / Scottish fiddling. I expect your idea of differences in style disappearing due to better transportation needs to include the ubiquitous nature of mass media. The recording industry began this rush to the middle over a century ago. Radio and TV accelerated it some more. On this side of the pond regional styles and what is true regional fiddling gets a great deal of research , categorization and copying these days. I expect similar musicological studies are going on over there. I believe looking in universities and conservatories would bear fruit. Though the research through a long line of pub jams would be more entertaining. It certainly would provide better ale and single malt availability. Cheers R/
Old Scratch - Posted - 03/25/2018: 09:28:44
Here's a neat little rule-of-thumb I've just pulled out of my nether regions: 'When regional styles start being subjected to "research , categorization and copying", they are on the verge of, if not in a state of, extinction'. Discuss.
RPr - Posted - 03/30/2018: 08:49:23
Prior to the wide spread use of radio and then TV, music was highly regional. I remember in the 1950's tuning across the AM radio dial at night and listing to Cajun music fro LA, western swing form TX, the "Opry" from TN, as it would fade in and out with the signal skip.
Now instant communication was change all that and the world of music is open 24/7. I remind folks to try finding a new song without using the internet and you will get a taste of how regionals styles evolved.
Brian Wood - Posted - 03/30/2018: 13:27:46
quote:
Originally posted by Old Scratch
Here's a neat little rule-of-thumb I've just pulled out of my nether regions: 'When regional styles start being subjected to "research , categorization and copying", they are on the verge of, if not in a state of, extinction'. Discuss.
Maybe not extinction so much as fossilization. I'm from California and as far as I know I don't have any regional roots here, so I borrow everybody else's. I am always torn by respect for the passion some players feel to enforce the rules preserving their style on the one hand, and annoyance at the modern balkanization of of fiddle styles on the other. Before widespread transportation and the recording industry allowed styles to spread quickly and easily I suspect most fiddlers wanted to just be good fiddlers. No one felt a need to prevent the mixing of styles – it probably wasn't a concept most players even had. I don't have a moral to this. It's just how it is.
