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Native American Choral Music: Strategies for Celebrating and Incorporating Music of Indigenous People
Abstract
*Language usage is fluid and evolving, representing past and present people groups. During my discussions with my Indigenous composer colleagues, I've found that they hold varying preferences regarding how they wish to be addressed and the terminology they prefer. Because of this, I use the terms Native, Native American, First Nations, Indigenous, American Indian, and First Peoples interchangeably.*This document will discuss the historical exclusion of Native American music in the Western art forms, specifically the choral tradition, and provide solutions to incorporate it in modern choral performances. Considering first the wars, disease, displacement, colonization, and missionization, it is no surprise that Native music is underrepresented and scarcely preserved. Additionally, missteps in initial attempts to record the music of American Indians further widened the gap between musicologists and culture-bearers. With laws now in place meant to protect Native culture and spirituality, the twenty-first century is an opportune time to help instigate the reclaiming of Native art. Reclamation is accomplished by finding composers affiliated with Native communities who are qualified to write about those communities, commissioning them, and performing their works.The four composers chosen for this document claim Native heritage, participate in their tribal culture, and compose choral music influenced by those connections. There will be a brief biographical sketch of each composer followed by a discussion of how each composer is tied to their community and how that connection informs their music.Finally, I will give recommendations for the commissioning process and suggestions for further research. Commissioning works of ethnic composers is a unique procedure that requires sensitivity to secular vs. sacred music, verifiable source materials, and programmability. I will also suggest further investigation into language study, dictionaries, orthographies, and anthologies.
Subject Area
Music|Native American studies|Ethnic studies|Musical performances
Recommended Citation
Young, Mary Ruth, "Native American Choral Music: Strategies for Celebrating and Incorporating Music of Indigenous People" (2024). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI31293298.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI31293298