Resumen de Instrumental music and Gaelic revitalization in Scotland and Nova Scotia

Jonathan Dembling

• Music is a popular tool for language revitalization efforts, providing both an attraction for potential language learners and a cultural context for languagerelated activities. In both Scotland and Nova Scotia, Canada, Gaelic revitalization is further linked with instrumental music, especially fiddle and bagpipe music, because the language is regarded as directly informing its rhythm and articulation. While this relationship creates the potential for a rich interaction between language and music enthusiasts, it is also complicated by a long history of contested definitions of authentic Gaelic expression. When local selfesteem is an important component of successful language revitalization, such complications must be addressed.