The music that originates from a given region can be a genuine representation of a person’s homeplace and a reflection of local culture. Advances in technologies provide access to different cultures, styles and sounds on a global scale, yet some traditional musicians of specific musical genres and their listeners may feel that outside influences put the authenticity of a genre at risk. Across the island of Cape Breton, musical traditions have roots from Gaelic, Scottish, and French influences and Cape Breton fiddling in particular is a major style within traditional Maritime Canadian music that is completely unique to the area and draws from these influences. Contemporary technologies, including the internet and specifically YouTube, can help preserve historic music which is simultaneously kept alive through modern performance. Contemporary technologies can give instant access to musical instruction, instead of musicians being taught as apprentices in person as happened in the past. With so many accessible musical influences available in the modern day, traditional sounds may blend and change. While shared learning and the social atmosphere of participating in music in person can’t be replaced virtually, individuals are currently learning through these contemporary technologies, a modern development in the way music is shared and played.

 

The diverse music of the Maritimes in Cape Breton has a history that parallels the unique development of Appalachian music from the southern region of the United States. As Gaelic, Scottish, Irish, and French Acadians settled in what is now Nova Scotia, Gaelic and Scots-Irish groups settled in the Appalachian Mountains. Both groups settled in geographically isolated regions, cut off by mountains, valleys, and islands, which resulted in their own unique and distinct development of musical styles. 

 

Music and perspectives highlighted in this podcast are part of a larger archival research project supported through the US Fulbright program grant funding. The Fulbright program is an international educational and cultural exchange program that is available to students, scholars, and professionals in all backgrounds in more than 160 countries worldwide and provides the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to mutual understanding. Fulbrighters get to live, work and learn from the people of the host country and share daily experiences. Additionally, granted approval by Cape Breton University’s Research Ethics Board (CBU REB) was obtained for this research project. 

 

This research involved a collection of over three dozen oral history interview recordings with various Cape Breton musicians and tradition bearers throughout 2024 over a ten month period. Along with field recordings from events and gatherings from square dances to ceilidhs, the project’s goal was to document the perspectives and experiences of interviewees and explore traditional musicians’ current relationship with contemporary technologies. Sample interview questions included: How do you define traditional Maritime music here on Cape Breton? Do you perform other styles of music outside of the traditional genre? Do you utilize digital technologies in your practice and if so how? What does the future of traditional music here sound like? Who is participating? In what ways do contemporary digital technologies play a positive, negative, or neutral role in influencing traditional music? 

 

Full interviews and archived field recordings have also been deposited into The Beaton Institute and Archives, the official repository for historically significant records of Cape Breton University.