As a music teacher, I wanted to try and keep within my subject area for the final project. In my own classes I generally teach the Western Music curriculum based on European music theory with a few examples from various world cultures.  There are a few Canadian indigenous pieces that I will use, but I am quite unfamiliar with the history and theories behind the various styles.

While researching current First Nations performers, I found a group called A Tribe Called Red that uses technology to combine electronic music with traditional pow wow vocals and drumming. The result is an intense and very interesting sound. I can see why they are gaining popularity, particularly among Canadian indigenous youth.

For my project, I plan to research how Western Music is groups like this are having an impact on indigenous culture, particularly as the Library and Archives Canada (2008) suggests that traditionalists believe that recording is a violation to the spiritual integrity of songs and ceremonies. Is this type of new music beneficial to the preservation of indigenous culture, or is it a type of “watering down” of sacred ceremonial culture?

Library and Archives Canada. (2008). The First Nations Traditional Music. Retrieved from http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aboriginal-music-song/028012-2100-e.html