This evening, we had a great time at a local Irish
restaurant named the Runcible Spoon. Not
only does this quaint restaurant offer a delicious corned beef sandwich, but
also every Tuesday night its patrons enjoy the music styling of local
musicians. In the front corner of the
room exists a booth, similar to the other available seating, for about five to
seven musicians to play some traditional Irish music, eat some food and talk
about their lives.
The musicians do not sit on a stage
or separate themselves from the audience; in fact, a group of five of us was
sitting right next to them, with nothing to differentiate between us except for
some instruments. These included
customary Irish instruments such as a bodhran, mandolin, Irish tin whistle,
concertina, Irish flute, and bouzouki.
Grey, who we were told is one of the world’s greatest Irish flute
players, served as the session leader.
However, we did not discover this on our own, as it appeared that
everyone very naturally started different pieces. Dr. MacDonald told us that the first person
to start playing a song is the leader, and that person usually leads a few sets
consisting of three to four songs each.
If a member of the group does not know the song that is being performed,
he simply sits back, listens, and jumps back in once he recognizes an ensuing
song. Additionally, each person normally
comes with his own knowledge of different songs, and occasionally the musicians
teach them to one another. There is no
defined set list or time slot that must be filled; they simply sit around a
table and play some tunes. There existed
an effortless flow among the musicians, almost a tacit knowledge of when to
stop a song and begin the next. Nothing
was forced, however; an end to a song was indicated by a change in tune or a
seamless movement into the next song, and once the music and talking stopped,
the music playing began again effortlessly.
What immediately struck me was the
evident camaraderie amongst the musicians.
As Dr. MacDonald stated, they talk just as much as they play. This demonstrates that these people do not
just get together to play music-it just so happens that they all share a common
interest in a certain genre of music, have the ability to play that type of
music, and wish to share it with others through a bonding experience. This sort of cultural cohort allows a person
to unite an aspect of his or her identity with others that may have come from
different backgrounds, but share a propensity for a specific activity. The point of the weekly meetings is to catch
up on one another’s lives, socialize with a fluid group of people that can
change each week, and simply have some fun.
As discussed in the chapter “Old Time Music and Dance- Cohorts and
Cultural Formations” in the book “Music as Social Life”, Thomas Turino speaks
of a band he was a part of as a young teenager.
It consisted of a group of boys that played music in a garage, put on
some forgettable performances at high school events, and generally had a good
time enjoying one another’s company.
Turino states that, “Our band was simply about getting together in my
basement; it was just something to do”.
A similar sentiment can be felt when observing the musicians at the
Runcible Spoon. They do not get paid,
are not advertised as live entertainment for the night, and do not set up any
sort of speaker system or lighting. The
group provides valuable entertainment for the patrons, yes, but mostly are
there to socialize with one another.
What I found extremely fascinating
was that this type of music did not seem to fit perfectly into any of the four
categories of music making. As Dr.
MacDonald told us, it was not really presentational music, as there was no
distinct separation between band and audience and they weren’t really playing
for an audience in the first place. However,
it also was not participatory music, as the entire restaurant was not expected
to join the band and play an Irish instrument.
Interestingly, though, was that the music making had the potential to be
participatory. Anyone can join the
group, but it is not a necessary component of the social environment. People seemed to be content by simply
enjoying their meals, company, and the live music being played in the corner of
the restaurant.
To conclude, my observations of the
evening led me to surmise that when a people choose to play music with one
another that is not necessarily the main purpose of the event. Other aspects, such as socialization, serve
as an equally important element.
Additionally, the environment of the place music is played in has an
extremely significant role. People that
play music together simply because it is a shared love do not organize concerts
at large concert halls or venues. The
musicians at the Runcible Spoon all have the potential to perform a concert,
based on the quality of music. However,
they do not go to the comfortable, modest Irish pub once a week to put on a
show for diners. I would imagine that the
group does not consider itself a “band”; they use their talents as an excuse to
socialize with one another, not create a solely musical group. It is extremely apparent that the musicians
regard a sense of community and social connectivity as significant, which is
promising for the future of a general society that does not greatly value music
making as a means of creating relationships.
So much of our communication is achieved through mediums such as the
Internet or a telephone. This form of
communication, however, provides an added awareness of intimacy because it
reaches people on a greater level than the abstract.
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