Abstract

Music is a popular tool for language revitalization efforts, providing both an attraction for potential language learners and a cultural context for language-related 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 self-esteem is an important component of successful language revitalization, such complications must be addressed.