Contestation in musical sub-communities: Lubbock connection

See this link for a NYT review of new Dixie Chicks Shut Up and Sing documentary. References Lubbock as an ethnic and musical environment. Of interest especially for "50s/60s Rock" ethnographic team. Check it out!

Response to Jordan

This is a response to Jordan's previous, which I am posting as a separate entry because I want everyone to see it, and because it speaks to issues which may well arise in other fieldwork situations. It's an example error, as we have been discussing it in class. "Error" (conflict, mistakes, disagreement, contestation, etc) is actually potentially productive; you can learn things about how your informants perceive situations from such error. Don't let it freak you out too badly.

Here's my reply to Jordan (read his posting too):

OK: need more details. Has there been unpleasant interaction b/w yourself and this person previously? Are you aware of basis for it? That will help determine strategies.

If the phone is not working for you, *stop using it*--don't persist in using a communicative means that is being intercepted. Look at the station website to find out when he is there and *go there*. If they don't have a website, take your team with you and *speak in person* with this receptionist.

Never underestimate the power of an apology, even if un-justified by your conduct. Realize (as I'm sure you do) that in this part of the world, people have certain ways of doing business, and that you have to be sensitive to those ways in order to get what you want. If that means saying, in person, in the most non-confrontive and "nicey-nice" way possibility "Oh, gosh, I'm afraid I've gotten off on the wrong here. I am *so* sorry to have pestered you. I assure you that wasn't at all what I wanted to do. It's just that I and my teammates really admire what the station does, and we are writing about the station, and we want to make sure that we present the fullest and most complimentary picture of everything you do. And if we can't speak to Mr X I'm just so afraid that we'll be presenting an incomplete picture. And we sure would appreciate it if you could possibly overlook my gaffe and let us know when would be a convenient time to speak with Mr X. And we sure do appreciate your help." Et cetera ad nauseum.

Realize that you can send the message "hey, we're trying to work this out here, and if you persist in this unhelpful behavior it is going to reflect badly on you personally and on the station." You have power--the trick is to convey that you have it without EVER being anything except deferential and nice. Texas Protestant church-ladies are past masters at this; if you have any experience with them, use them as a model.

Remember: apologies, nicey-nice tones, an aura of humility or deference--even if you're acting--cost you nothing and may get you the results you want.

If it *still* doesn't work, find another time/place/medium with which to speak to Mr X, equally nicey-nice, and say "Oh gosh, I just think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot with the receptionist, and we're just so sorry, but she just seems to think we're nothing but a nuisance. And we really admire what you and the station do, and we sure do want to present you-all in the broadest and most favorable light possible, but gosh, we just seem to have irritated her too much for her to want to help us. Is there anything you could do?"

And then, if possible, don't go through her at all.

If you *still* can't get to Mr X in person, *write to him in care of the show* with this same message. Don't include a visible return address--it's highly unlikely that she'll round-file his snailmail.

Don't let it freak you out too much. These kinds of interpersonal conflicts do arise in fieldwork/ethnography; learning how to avoid them where possible and cope with them when they occur is all part of the drill. It'll work out OK.

Mariachi Field Work

"Quick & Dirty" Version of my Field Work Notes

10/20/06
7 PM
Mar y Tierra Mexican Restaruant

Observing: Mariachi Mi Tierra

Going to do this field work obeservation was almost a last minute-decision. I was hoping to go but didn't know if I'd be able to work it in with my schedule. FORTUNATELY I could.

I went to this one alone (and by "alone" I really mean without the rest of my group. 3 of my friends went with me for dinner since Mar y Tierra is indeed a restaraunt).

I made an audio recording at this event, but ran out of tape shortly before the end.

This is a regular gig for Mi Tierra. We arrived around 7, they started playing around 7:30-7:45.

Atmostphere: The restaraunt had bright lights, except for the one above our table which kept flickering on and off. While Mi Tierra was playing (at least at first) it sounded to me like a radio was playing in the background and I noticed that the TV at the front of the restraunt was on as well.

One of my friends, we will call him "Scuba Steve" for the sake of anonymity, has been playing mariachi professionally for about 6 years outside of the Lubbock area. I asked him several vocabulary and standard technique questions unofficially as I did this observation in order to try and get as much out of it as I could without disturbing the performers to ask questions, since it was a gig.

The Mariachi uniform is called a Traje. Mi Tierra was wearing black pants, white shirts, and big red bowties. 3 of the men were wearing black vests and the female of the group was wearing a black skirt and a black vest.

Instrumentation: 1 guitar, 1 guitaron, 1 vihuela, 3 violins, 1 trumpet. All of the members of the ensemble were the same this time as the rehearsal we observed except for one of the violin players who I had never seen before.

Mi Tierra traveled from table to table playing 2 songs/tunes to each, taking requests. I couldn't see them due to a wall for the first 30 minutes, but it was continuous music, usually alternating slow and fast tempos. The first opportunity we had to see them once they came around the wall, one of the violin players who goes to Texas Tech with us recognized me and shot me a head nod. Good. One caucasian woman sitting at the table across from us stood up with her baby and danced around the floor. She looked a little awkward, but you know how people are when they have babies with them.

They began singing to two women who I'd guess were about 45-65 years old. The song, Steve informed me, was called "Amor Eterno" or "Eternal Love" and (we believe) was written by a woman who had just lost her child. Both women were crying through this song, which leads me to believe that they had lost a loved one and this song had personal significance to them. Steve also informed me that people usually cry when they hear this song, so this would definitely be one which my group would need to look at with text and ask questions about. The other song Mi Tierra played for these ladies was upbeat and apparantly more cheerful, since they got up and danced with the vihuela player.

Just a note: The trumpet player is very careful to not play right at people and make them go deaf.

Mi Tierra played for a large table of hispanic people next, and they were all very animated and enthusiastically interacting with eachother. They played a slower song and then a woman at the table request a children's song, to which they responded by playing an (perhaps) adult song with childlike musical tendencies and simple melodies.

Our table was next, and unfortunately my tape recorder had run out of tape by this point. A lot of the musicians recognized me now and smiled and we exchanged "How are you's." I don't remember the name of the song that Steve requested, but Mi Tierra had worked on it during the rehearsal we attended. The vihuela player sang, as he tended to do with most of the songs.

Note: The vihuela player is very good at making eye contact with his audience. He seems to be the "personality" one of the group. The guitaron player kind of just stared at the table for awhile (or so it looked like to me) and all of the other musicians were watching eachother for musical reasons, I assume.

After the song was through the vihuela player asked the guitaron player (in spanish) if they could play a song in english. They didn't, though, because my roommate Ashley requested a song called "Besame Mucho" which is very very popular and if you search it on iTunes you find a thousand different versions. It means "Kiss me Much" or something along those lines and it is very mushy and romantic and all that. The guitaron player sang the majority of this one with only a spoken verse done by the vihuela player.

After our turn was over, Mi Tierra migrated back to the large group and played another song or two for them before moving to the other tables. Nothing noticeably exciting happened during these few minutes, and the people in the large group seemed more preoccupied with their margaritas than with the mariachis.

By this time, my friends were ready to go home. I gave a quick wave and mouthed a goodbye and thank you across the room to the violin player who goes to Tech as we were paying. It was 9:30.