Instrumental folk music has flourished in south eastern New Brunswick and the accordion, while a relative newcomer to the region, enjoys great popularity. Over the years, accordion players have filled many roles, from providing wedding music, to entertainment for house parties. However, there has been a lack of scholarly work done on the subject, especially when compared with folksongs, which have been the object of many studies. To date, little has been written on Acadian instrumental music in New Brunswick and there has been nothing written specifically on the accordion.
The main focus of this work is a study, transcription, and analysis of accordion pieces collected from players in south eastern New Brunswick between 2007 and 2011. Some time is also spent on detailing the history of the accordion in the region, talking about the players themselves, as well as looking at the role of the instrument and its repertoire in a constantly changing world.
The pieces in question were collected over a four year period in various venues, including accordion festivals and players’ places of residence; archival recordings were also consulted. The pieces were transcribed and afterwards analyzed and categorized. Multiple recordings of the same piece were checked for variations, which were found to be an important part of the style of the region. Historical data is often based on personal accounts, which were taken during interviews with players from the region.
The accordion remains popular in the region and is adapting to changing circumstances. The annual accordion festivals occurring in Moncton every summer are providing new venues to keep the instrument relevant. This study will help to bring further attention to the instrument, stimulate new research, and perhaps even attract new younger players.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/31722 |
| Date | 05 January 2012 |
| Creators | Cormier, Joel |
| Contributors | Elliott, Robin |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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