This study examines the development of a comprehensive
transcription method for Northwest Coast Native music. In the past,
ethnomusicologists have presented methodologies which sometimes lacked
data useful for present comparative studies. For this reason, research for
this study was conducted in the field to gain a more complete
understanding of both musical and cultural characteristics. Eighteen
songs were recorded for this study between November 1990 and February
1991. They were sung by Mr. Peter Webster, an Ahousat elder of the
Central Nuu-chah-nulth people located on Flores Island near Tofino on
Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Melodies, drum rhythms and song
texts were discussed in depth with Mr. Webster, thus providing many
musical and cultural insights from an 'emie' (inside) point of view. Much
of this information is included with the song transcriptions and analyses.
Song texts are presented in the T'aat'aaqsapa dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth
language, together with English translations, Comparisons are also made
with Ida Halpern's 1974 recording, Nootka: Indian Music of the Pacific
Northwest to determine the extent of musical continuity and variation over
this brief period.
One of the limitations of my work has been the lack of opportunity to
record songs during the ceremonies in which they are usually performed,
such as potlatches or tlukwanas. Another limitation has been the Western
notation system, which, as received, is not sufficiently flexible for the
transcription of Native music. For this study, additional descriptive signs
have beau created to adapt the Native musical characteristics to the
Western notation system. While the method developed in this study has
facilitated the transcription of Nuu-chah-nulth music, there is still a need
for further development of an independent notation system.
A clear, comprehensive transcription method, flexible enough to
accommodate this music, has been the primary aim of this study. If this
transcription method is useful for transcribing other Native musics, then
future comparative music studies will benefit from it. / Arts, Faculty of / Music, School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/42066 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Bowles, Kathleen E. |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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