La proposition sur laquelle je fais reposer mon analyse est que le rap montréalais est plus qu’un genre musical, mais un lieu qui est le résultat changeant de l’intersection de forces, d’interactions sociales, ce que Doreen Massey (1993 et 2005) appelle des «trajectoires». Pour elle, un lieu se construit continuellement, à la fois dans le temps et dans l’espace, par l’interaction simultanée, à plusieurs niveaux, de ces «stories-so-far» (Massey, 2005). Mon objectif est de circonscrire quelques-unes des «trajectoires» qui composent le rap à Montréal, et d’identifier celles quisemblent être les plus pertinentes. Pour ce faire, j’ai effectué une filature de trois groupes/artistes faisant du rap à Montréal. En suivant ces artistes dans leurs activités professionnelles sur une période de quatre mois, je suis entré en contact avec des acteurs humains (journalistes,programmateurs de festivals, agents d’artistes, fans) et non-humains (salles de spectacles, studio, locaux de répétition, boutiques restaurants, stations de métro). Ce sont leurs interactions qui forment les trajectoires qui recomposent continuellement le rap comme lieu. / The research proposition that guides my thesis is that rap in Montreal is more than a musical genre, it can best be understood as a place. The (re)definition of rap-as-place is the product of intersecting lines of force and social relations which Doreen Massey (1993, 2005) calls trajectories. According to the feminist geographer, place is constantly constructed, both in time and in space, by the simultnaeous interactions, at different levels, of «stories-so-far» (Massey, 2005). In this thesis, I identify and discuss three of the most prominent and pertinent «trajectories» that constitute rap in Montreal. I have conducted ethnographic work that consisted mainly in the shadowing of three rap groups/artists in Montreal. For a period of four months I have accompanied and followed these artists through a wide range of professional activities (media interviews, live performances, studio recording sessions, rehearsals). Through this process, I have met and dealt with the human (journalists, festival programmers, agents, fans) and non-human (venues, recording and practice studios, shop restaurants, métro stations) actors that inform both their practice and the music they make. It is their interactions that shape and (re)compose rap as a place.

À l’heure où l’industrie de l’enregistrement sonore connait un certain nombre de bouleversements, Internet apparait à la fois comme un responsable d’une crise du disque et comme une plate-forme de diffusion et de promotion de la musique enregistrée. C’est dans ce contexte de mutations des industries culturelles que sont les industries de la musique que les labels indépendants voient les possibilités liées à la promotion se multiplier. Notamment par le biais des sites internet que j’envisage ici comme discours encodé et diffusé. Ce mémoire explore deux sites internet officiels de labels indépendants de rap québécois à l’aide de la proposition de la présence du mythe dans le discours de promotion. S’appuyant sur la théorie de Barthes, mon analyse s’articule autour de l’étude de la signification afin de mettre en lumière la façon dont le mythe fonctionne dans le discours. En m’intéressant principalement à l’image et au texte, je mets notamment en valeur le traitement de l’artiste, de la création musicale et du label dans le discours. / At a time when the music recording industry is going through some shake ups, Internet is seen both as a responsible for a disc crisis and as a plateform for diffusion and promotion of recorded music. This cultural industries' mutations context is now revealing multiple promotion opportunities for independant labels, as part of the music industries. This can be seen through websites which I consider to be a broadcasted, encoded and decoded discourse. This master thesis explore two independant record companys’ websites, both producing rap music in Québec, with the proposal of the presence of the myth in the promotionnal discourse. Based on Barthes' theory, my analysis is built around the study of the signification in order to outline the way the myth works in the discourse. While focusing on images and text, I mainly emphasize the treatment of the artist, the musical creation and the record label in the discourse.

Since the first Scottish Gaelic-speaking settlers arrived in Nova Scotia in the late 18th century, their Gaelic singing tradition has been an integral part of life in communities on Cape Breton Island. With the waning of the Gaelic language, however, came efforts to collect and preserve the song tradition, and the intention to pass it along intact. This dissertation eschews the consideration of Gaelic singing as a monolithic tradition with a common repertoire and experience, and instead examines it as a multifaceted process enacted by individuals in three main sites: home, public performance and the archive. It examines the various ways the practice manifests itself, concluding that memory and individual agency are constants, both for singers and listeners. Through interviews, participant-observer activity and archival research, this study demonstrates that Gaelic singers have been far from passive culture-bearers but have instead actively shaped their song practice by choosing repertoire, melody variants and texts. It also discusses the dynamic role of memory and social interaction in the transmission and performance of Gaelic song. Memories of other singers, discussion of the text, and contextual details draw singers and listeners into a community that is both synchronic and diachronic. This practice is chiefly oral, but is supported by recordings and printed songbooks as well as an array of objects – photo albums, clippings, tapes – which evoke the sense of previous performances and their singers. Despite their intention to transmit the songs with little or no change, singers have a flexible relationship with the material and in some cases subvert the authority of recorded or printed sources by turning instead to first-hand experiences. This simultaneous presence of past and present has tremendous implications for what it means to know a song, and one comes to understand it as a composite of multiple memories, performances and meanings.

In this dissertation I examine arguments for teaching post-secondary violin students to be versatile musicians rather than specialists in one genre or area of music. In order to do this, I assess the professional and educational opportunities in Toronto based on interviews with nine professional violinists as well as teachers and administrators at four institutions that offer post-secondary instruction in violin performance. To supplement information gathered through interviews, violinists and violists performing with the National Ballet of Canada and the Esprit Orchestra were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their training and work experiences. Data collected through fieldwork is contextualized by an analysis of scholarly writing, periodicals and websites on the topic of current post-secondary music curriculum and pedagogy methods. Throughout the dissertation, I build the case that, despite strong opinions and many years of pedagogy that emphasize the contrary, versatility provides many advantages to professional violinists when compared to specialization. In order to maximize the benefits of versatility in a professional career, I draw on Benjamin Brinner’s notion of core competences (Brinner 1995) to posit the skills necessary for professional musicians to pursue successful, enduring careers in Toronto. Applying these core competences to an analysis of violinists’ training, I explore the violin curriculum of post-secondary music schools in Toronto: The University of Toronto, the Glenn Gould School, Humber College, and York University to examine how students are being trained. In particular, I query how students are being prepared to be profession violinists with a focus on whetherthey are being prepared to be versatile musicians or specialists in one style. I conclude by offering recommendations as to how to better teach versatility based on the findings of the previous chapters. I explain that versatility can be nurtured in the school environment through teacher training and curricular changes that emphasize informal learning approaches, shifts in conventionally held assumptions about musical value and career success, and by encouraging exploration and improvisation as a basis of developing creativity.

Since the first Scottish Gaelic-speaking settlers arrived in Nova Scotia in the late 18th century, their Gaelic singing tradition has been an integral part of life in communities on Cape Breton Island. With the waning of the Gaelic language, however, came efforts to collect and preserve the song tradition, and the intention to pass it along intact. This dissertation eschews the consideration of Gaelic singing as a monolithic tradition with a common repertoire and experience, and instead examines it as a multifaceted process enacted by individuals in three main sites: home, public performance and the archive. It examines the various ways the practice manifests itself, concluding that memory and individual agency are constants, both for singers and listeners. Through interviews, participant-observer activity and archival research, this study demonstrates that Gaelic singers have been far from passive culture-bearers but have instead actively shaped their song practice by choosing repertoire, melody variants and texts. It also discusses the dynamic role of memory and social interaction in the transmission and performance of Gaelic song. Memories of other singers, discussion of the text, and contextual details draw singers and listeners into a community that is both synchronic and diachronic. This practice is chiefly oral, but is supported by recordings and printed songbooks as well as an array of objects – photo albums, clippings, tapes – which evoke the sense of previous performances and their singers. Despite their intention to transmit the songs with little or no change, singers have a flexible relationship with the material and in some cases subvert the authority of recorded or printed sources by turning instead to first-hand experiences. This simultaneous presence of past and present has tremendous implications for what it means to know a song, and one comes to understand it as a composite of multiple memories, performances and meanings.

Abstract Evaluative performances, such as festivals and conservatory examinations, frequently play a large role in formal piano study. Many teachers and parents assume that requiring students to participate in these evaluations will result in several benefits, including increased discipline and motivation, exposure to a balanced and rigorous music curriculum, and access to helpful feedback from expert adjudicators and examiners. However, not all students experience positive outcomes as a result of their participation in evaluative performances. Using a multi-method approach that incorporates grounded theory and narrative inquiry, this research provides insight into how beginning and intermediate piano students experience participating in festivals and examinations and what factors contribute to the quality of students’ experiences. Positive experiences with evaluative performances are characterized by positive emotional outcomes, meaningful music learning, and the development of a strong musical identity. The theoretical model developed through this research presents several important contributors to students’ positive experiences with evaluative performances, including students’ understandings, values, and goals related to music learning, and their abilities and inclinations as performers. The entire learning process must take place within a supportive relational context. When students have positive experiences with evaluative performances, their self-efficacy is heightened. They also experience self-determination regarding their music studies and their involvement in evaluative performances. The self-efficacy and self-determination that follow students’ success and positive experiences motivate further involvement in music study.

In this dissertation I examine arguments for teaching post-secondary violin students to be versatile musicians rather than specialists in one genre or area of music. In order to do this, I assess the professional and educational opportunities in Toronto based on interviews with nine professional violinists as well as teachers and administrators at four institutions that offer post-secondary instruction in violin performance. To supplement information gathered through interviews, violinists and violists performing with the National Ballet of Canada and the Esprit Orchestra were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their training and work experiences. Data collected through fieldwork is contextualized by an analysis of scholarly writing, periodicals and websites on the topic of current post-secondary music curriculum and pedagogy methods. Throughout the dissertation, I build the case that, despite strong opinions and many years of pedagogy that emphasize the contrary, versatility provides many advantages to professional violinists when compared to specialization. In order to maximize the benefits of versatility in a professional career, I draw on Benjamin Brinner’s notion of core competences (Brinner 1995) to posit the skills necessary for professional musicians to pursue successful, enduring careers in Toronto. Applying these core competences to an analysis of violinists’ training, I explore the violin curriculum of post-secondary music schools in Toronto: The University of Toronto, the Glenn Gould School, Humber College, and York University to examine how students are being trained. In particular, I query how students are being prepared to be profession violinists with a focus on whetherthey are being prepared to be versatile musicians or specialists in one style. I conclude by offering recommendations as to how to better teach versatility based on the findings of the previous chapters. I explain that versatility can be nurtured in the school environment through teacher training and curricular changes that emphasize informal learning approaches, shifts in conventionally held assumptions about musical value and career success, and by encouraging exploration and improvisation as a basis of developing creativity.

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