"Early Rock 'n' Roll" presentation
All:
Please read and respond (via "Comments") to at least 3 of the following observations/queries arising from this presentation. Both team members and other class members should comment, and should particularly focus on ways in which insights from this presentation reflect, nuance, or contradict insights from your own fieldwork. Make sure your comments address this latter point.
Website at http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cpeoples/
Please read and respond (via "Comments") to at least 3 of the following observations/queries arising from this presentation. Both team members and other class members should comment, and should particularly focus on ways in which insights from this presentation reflect, nuance, or contradict insights from your own fieldwork. Make sure your comments address this latter point.
Website at http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cpeoples/
- You mentioned that the “Majority of building is not taken up with Buddy Holly”, despite the fact that it is named after Buddy Holly. Why might this be? What are the issues of "cultural ownership" and "cultural power" that are involved in the naming of things? If the building entails a number of other functions, what does that reveal about community and/or cultural priorities?
- As I said in class, this is an excellent example of “urban ethnomusicology”. What sorts of tools does this require? What is the impact of presentational choices (e.g., how, using what methods, and with what sort of structure) upon your presentation's clarity and impact? How can an ethnographer make sure that the format in which the data is presented avoids distorting (and ideally clarifies and deepens) the insights implicit in the data?
- Good observation about the necessity of timely attendance at crucial events, regardless of their convenience. What are other examples, from other teams' experience and from our readings, in which an ethnographer found him/herself unexpectedly provided an opportunity for fieldwork? How do you, as fieldworker, make sure you're prepared?
- Issues of “identity,” “appropriation,” and “ownership”; who owns a cultural legacy?
- Unpack nature of your own interactions;
- Nice observations about future work; eg. “so what and who cares”?
- Good question about generational stuff and “passing on” of cultural value
posted by CJS at 11:26 AM
4 Comments:
1. I think that the building is called the Buddy Holly center for financial reasons. If it were called the Bud Jefferson center, who would go? No one knows Bud Jefferson. In fact, I don't even know a Bud Jefferson. It is the name that draws people in, and the items that keep them there. Buddy Holly is one of the most well known early rock and rollers. I think his name alone is enough to draw people into a building, and that is what the city of Lubbock os banking on.
3. I have a similar situation from the Gospel project. I was at the fair, before we had settled in on using the VOL as our main research, and I stumbled upon people singing gospel music. I did not think that I would stumble upon people singing gospel music at a county fair, and for that I was definately unprepared. I had no paper, pen, camera, or video camera. Luckily they had a flyer that I was able to take, but I wish I had paper and a pen to jot down some things that experienced.
6. I like Curtis' observation upon further investigation on this subject. I think it would be nice to do follow-up research on these topics or take them on different avenues, just for a different perspective. I would like to find another gospel choir in Lubbock and compare and contrast the two choirs.
The 'Buddy Holly' Center is another attempt by Lubbock to feign interest in what could have been (& should be) one of the biggest sources of regional (& national, & global) pride. the fact that most of the building is dedicated to selling stuff, (although in all fairness, they do try to sell stuff from Texas artists), is indicative of the community's interests, exploiting anything they can to make a couple of bucks while keeping it at arm's length.
Who owns cultural legacy? those who continue promoting it through performance, blood, sweat, & tears. Paul McCartney (ugh) owns as much of the Buddy Holly legacy as Marshall Crenshaw, Sonny Curtis, or Waylon Jennings (RIP). Whoever 'runs' the BHC owns nothing, & neither does Lubbock (IMO), they didn't care then & they don't care now.
1. Lubbock has a place in the world because of Buddy Holly. Putting the name on this building helps in many ways. One, it gives the center great community clout. If it were called something else it may not get as much attention. Two, it makes it seem more like a museum. It does have a decent collection of memorabilia. Three, it makes it a venue for local musicians to play in front of audiences that may not care for the bar scene any more, but appreciate the music that is happening in the community.
1. I remember being at the Buddy Holly Center for the Day of the Dead festival. I saw a flyer for calendar events and ‘happenings’ going on at the BHC while I was there. I was impressed to see that everyday there is something going on. There were Arts and Crafts and Guitar lessons to photo exhibits and meetings. It made me think that this was more of a ‘community center’ rather than just focusing on Buddy Holly. They started it as a tribute to Buddy and it became what it is today. I get vibes that are battles going on between what can be ‘Buddy Holly” related. If the name is all they can use with a small showcase, I think it is a tribute to name it after the building that houses great community events.
5. The nature of my interactions were different than the ‘everyday meetings’ I usually experience. We were lucky because the Southwest Collections had done research recently, so they were use to the idea of people asking questions and giving out great information. I am also an extrovert, so I tried to make situations as comfortable as possible for those we were with. I heard from one informant, Daniel the oral historian, that I was a warm person to talk to. I was happy to hear this because that is the vibe I want to put off to people we are trying to gain trust and information from.
7. I liked liz’s comment on cultural value for America. I don’t have as much pride in American music as those of the Ballet Folklorico community do. Most of my heritage is Kiowa Indian and I wished my grandparents would teach me heritage of it like those of the ballet folklorico community. The parents want their children to do it because they did it and it brings everyone great pride of Mexico. The teachers teach it because they are passing down the history and the knowledge of Mexico. This shows how much they do value their culture. I wish mine was the same.
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