Proceedings of the 13th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Rome, 2005, 2009
This paper explores the notion of ‘vocal authority’ (Potter 1998) in relation to perceptions of a... more This paper explores the notion of ‘vocal authority’ (Potter 1998) in relation to perceptions of authenticity and musical style among Irish audiences. The analysis is based firstly on a description of a national radio poll conducted in 2004 that sought to find which male and female voices were deemed to be the ‘most Irish’ by domestic radio audiences. Emerging patterns from the radio poll lead to a review of interview transcripts and ethnographic observations that were carried out at selected music events between 1999-2001.
Combining these sources, the paper argues that there are two interrelated ways that style acts as an articulatory principle in perceptions of Irishness and Irish vocal music. At one level, there is the apprehension of particular intra-musical elements, including the ‘para-musical detail’ of vocal grain (Middleton 1990). At a broader level, the assumed Irishness of traditional vocal styles can condition the way that particular musical features and practices come to be perceived and cognised. The analysis suggests that the presence of traditional song repertoire and/or the use of traditional accompaniments do not necessarily lead to perceptions of an ‘Irish sound’. Indeed, as opposed to focussing on the musical materials employed by various singers, their relative Irishness is more likely to be measured in terms of vocal technique, timbre and accent. Equally important in these consumer appraisals are perceptions about the authenticity of individual singers, and how such perceptions can be linked to notions of a national vocal authority.
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Papers by John O'Flynn
The idea for the research arose from informal observations made over the past six years where, among other courses, I facilitated a series of workshops on group compositions in music. Over this time, students have generally opted for a wide range of topics and ideas on which to base their group compositions. Of note over the last three years however, has been the growing number of students who elect to base their creative work on the general theme of intercultural/multicultural issues in contemporary Irish society.
The paper reports on how ideas and perceptions of cultural pluralism come to be articulated through specific musical and ‘extra-musical’ processes and products. The interpretation of this data is discussed with reference to the changing social and musical contexts of contemporary Irish society and to existing provision for the incorporation of intercultural issues in general education studies. Findings from the project are compared with previous theory and research in the field of intercultural music education.
Combining these sources, the paper argues that there are two interrelated ways that style acts as an articulatory principle in perceptions of Irishness and Irish vocal music. At one level, there is the apprehension of particular intra-musical elements, including the ‘para-musical detail’ of vocal grain (Middleton 1990). At a broader level, the assumed Irishness of traditional vocal styles can condition the way that particular musical features and practices come to be perceived and cognised. The analysis suggests that the presence of traditional song repertoire and/or the use of traditional accompaniments do not necessarily lead to perceptions of an ‘Irish sound’. Indeed, as opposed to focussing on the musical materials employed by various singers, their relative Irishness is more likely to be measured in terms of vocal technique, timbre and accent. Equally important in these consumer appraisals are perceptions about the authenticity of individual singers, and how such perceptions can be linked to notions of a national vocal authority.
The musical-linguistic analogy that is implied by the term bimusicality finds resonance in a number of established music education theories and methodologies. In a brief review of the principles of Kodàly and others, a critical distinction is drawn between, on the one hand, systems of music education that integrate two or more musics into one general methodology and, on the other hand, conceptions of musicality which afford recognition to a plurality of music learning practices.
The third section opens by setting the context for a discussion on music and music education in Ireland. Dualistic constructs of Irish musical culture along with aspirant models of music education are questioned on ideological grounds and with regard to the diversity of existing socio-musical practices.
Finally, the appropriateness of the concept of bimusicality is examined with specific reference to Irish music education. ‘Tight’ interpretations of the term may have some relevance in professionally oriented settings where a thorough immersion in two or more musical styles is a desirable outcome. For general music education, a number of layers of intermusicality are proposed as a means by which educators might interpret and face the challenges posed by a differentiated musical culture. Finally, and with due regard to the specificity of all cultural experience, a modified idea of bimusicality could be based on a general distinction between formal and informal modes of music learning.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Popular Music in Ireland: Mapping the Field
ÁINE MANGAOANG, JOHN O’FLYNN AND LONÁN Ó BRIAIN
Part 1: Music Industries and Historiographies
1 A History of Irish Record Labels from the 1920s to 2019
MICHAEL MARY MURPHY
2 Broadcasting Rock: The Fanning Sessions as a Gateway to New Music
HELEN GUBBINS AND LONÁN Ó BRIAIN
3 Don’t Believe A Word? Memoirs of Irish Rock Musicians
LAURA WATSON
4 Raging Mother Ireland: Faith, Fury and Feminism in the Body, Voice and Songs of Sinéad O’Connor
AILEEN DILLANE
5 "Missing From the Record": Zrazy and Women's Music in Ireland
ANN-MARIE HANLON
6 "Alternative Ulster": The First Wave of Punk in Northern Ireland (1976-1983)
TIMOTHY A. HERON
Part 2: Roots and Routes
7 Irish Lady Sings the Blues: History, Identity and Ottilie Patterson
NOEL McLAUGHLIN AND JOANNA BRANIFF
8 The Politics of Sound: Modernity and Post-Colonial Identity in Irish-language Popular Song
TRÍONA NÍ SHÍOCHÁIN
9 Communal Voices: The Songs of Tom a’ tSeoighe and Ciarán Ó Fátharta
SÍLE DENVIR
10 Popular Music as a Weapon: Irish Rebel Songs and the Onset of the Northern Ireland Troubles
STEPHEN R. MILLAR
11 "…Practically Rock Stars Now": Changing Relations Between Traditional and Popular Music in a Post-Revival Tradition
ADRIAN SCAHILL
12 "Other voices" in Media Representations of Irish popular music
JOHN O’FLYNN
Part 3: Scenes and Networks
13 Assembling the Underground: Scale, Value and Visibility in Dublin’s DIY Music Scene
JAIME JONES
14 Parochial Capital and the Cork Music Scene
EILEEN HOGAN
15 Death of a Local Scene? Music in Dublin in the Digital Age
CAROLINE ANN O’SULLIVAN
16 Fit for Consumption?: Fanzines and Fan Communication in Irish DIY Music Scenes
CIARÁN RYAN
17 Hip Hop Interpellation: Rethinking Autochthony and Appropriation in Irish Rap
J. GRIFFITH ROLLEFSON
Coda
18 Making Spaces, Saving Places: Modern Irish Popular Music and the Green Turn
GERRY SMYTH
Afterword
19 Songs of Love: A Conversation with Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy)
ÁINE MANGAOANG
Reviews
"There can be little doubt that Ireland is an enduring and prolific presence in the world of popular music. The editors of this book are to be congratulated on drawing together a quality cast of contributors, whose expertise in various aspects of Irish popular music serves to produce a rich and compelling exploration of the significance and legacy of Irish popular music artists in both local and global contexts."
- Andy Bennett (Griffith University), author of Popular Music and Youth Culture: Music, Identity and Place
"Made in Ireland is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging study of popular music (broadly understood) in Ireland currently available. The contributors come from a variety of disciplines and offer a number of illuminating perspectives that should make this book of interest to readers in popular music studies more broadly."
- Timothy D. Taylor (UCLA), author of Global Pop: World Music, World Markets
"This unique volume addresses a number of lacunae in Irish Music Studies in a way that broadens and deepens the field immeasurably. Extending far beyond the jigs and reels of pub sessions or performances at rural song circles, Made in Ireland is both urgent and immediate in its examination of Ireland’s direct engagement with rock, hip hop, country, punk, and other popular genres. Underlying these sounds is a pulse of identity, rebellion, and connection to place and scene that no other current book explores."
- Sean Williams (Evergreen State College), author of Focus: Irish Traditional Music