"Kiss Me I'm Not Irish, but I Wish I Was": The Cultural Adoption of Irish Music in America
Ethnomusicological works often examine music as an expression of identity. In these studies, music is seen as the product of culture and ethnicity. This thesis reverses this approach and instead explores how musical experiences, rather than only reflecting identity, can produce identity. Within the...
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Florida State University
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-2473 |
| Summary: | Ethnomusicological works often examine music as an expression of identity. In these studies, music is seen as the product of culture and ethnicity. This thesis reverses this approach and instead explores how musical experiences, rather than only reflecting identity, can produce identity. Within the context of the United States of America, a multicultural society, the Irish music tradition is generally understood to belong to the community of the Irish diaspora. This music is closely associated with a specific population that is delineated by both a common ethnicity and culture. However, this work considers the resulting impact upon identity construction when individuals from outside of this community participate in its music. This thesis examines how and why individuals in the United States, regardless of their ethnic background, incorporate an Irish-American cultural identity into their personal identity through participation in the Irish-American music-culture. This work demonstrates that membership in the Irish-American music community is determined more by musical participation, personal interactions between individual members, and a respect for the tradition than by an Irish ethnic connection. It also shows how Irish music in an American context is uniquely suited for the construction and reconstruction of identity by its participants. === A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Music. === Spring Semester, 2009. === April 8, 2009. === Irish American Music-Culture, Irish Diaspora, Culture, Ethnicity, Identity American, Participation, Community, Respect, Cultural Adoption, Identity Expression === Includes bibliographical references. === Frank Gunderson, Professor Directing Thesis; Benjamin Koen, Committee Member; Charles E. Brewer, Committee Member. |
|---|