Geography 490c The Country and the City Fall 2009

Country Music and Rural Develoment

Topics and Questions for Discussion

The article talks about the way that an "actor-network" constructed Tamworth as the Country Capital. In groups identify all of the actors that helped to construct make Tamworth the Country Capital. What was their role, and what did they have to gain?

How was the idea of the Country Capital built into the landscape of Tamworth and how does that landscape in turn reinforce the Country Capial image?

Why do residents seem to support country music as a development strategy?

The article defines country music as music that has its origins in rural areas, but is country music really from the country? Was it ever?

We tend to think of country music as American music, yet the Australians in Tamworth seem to have other ideas. How did country music develop in Australia? How is it that country music is assocated with both American and Australian national culture and nationalism? Why is it that country music in general is associated with nationalism?

How does country music in Australia both exclude and incorporate indigenous identities?

Does the marketing of the Tamworth Festival and the city itself match the reality of the festivals musical content and the character of the place?

In class we have argued that "being country" is simply a product of growing up and living in a rural area. We have also argued that the ideal of "the country" or the rural is socially constructed. To what extent is there an essential country culture? Can anyone just decide to "be country" and what would that involve? Can a city slicker or a suburbanite adopt a country identity? Have we seen examples where country folk have adopted urban identities? Who decides who is country and who is not?

How are music and place connected? What role does music place in creating place and what role does place play in creating music?

Geo 490c The Country & the City Spring 2009 Department of Geography and Meteorology Valparaiso University
Today's Readings Gibson C. Davidson D. Tamworth, Australia's 'country Music Capital': Place Marketing, Rurality, and Resident Reactions. Journal of Rural Studies. Reading Notes: One emerging theme in economic geography is the interconnection of cultures and economies. The article for today's disucssion shows how a culture industry has radically transformed the economy of the rural town of Tamworth, New South Wales in Australia. In doing so it also relates to our discussions of what it means to be a "country man" or "country woman" and rural identity. Think about how idea of "the rural" or the country is constructed both by powerful interests for economic benefit. Furthermore notice how ideas about the country are materialized in the landscape. Finally pay attention to how people either resist or buy into the idea of the country by either resisiting or performing rural or country identities. Key Terms: place marketing, performing identities, landscape.	Country Music and Rural Develoment Topics and Questions for Discussion The article talks about the way that an "actor-network" constructed Tamworth as the Country Capital. In groups identify all of the actors that helped to construct make Tamworth the Country Capital. What was their role, and what did they have to gain? How was the idea of the Country Capital built into the landscape of Tamworth and how does that landscape in turn reinforce the Country Capial image? Why do residents seem to support country music as a development strategy? The article defines country music as music that has its origins in rural areas, but is country music really from the country? Was it ever? We tend to think of country music as American music, yet the Australians in Tamworth seem to have other ideas. How did country music develop in Australia? How is it that country music is assocated with both American and Australian national culture and nationalism? Why is it that country music in general is associated with nationalism? How does country music in Australia both exclude and incorporate indigenous identities? Does the marketing of the Tamworth Festival and the city itself match the reality of the festivals musical content and the character of the place? In class we have argued that "being country" is simply a product of growing up and living in a rural area. We have also argued that the ideal of "the country" or the rural is socially constructed. To what extent is there an essential country culture? Can anyone just decide to "be country" and what would that involve? Can a city slicker or a suburbanite adopt a country identity? Have we seen examples where country folk have adopted urban identities? Who decides who is country and who is not? How are music and place connected? What role does music place in creating place and what role does place play in creating music?

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