Article

Who Owns the Songs? Voice, Songs, and Ownership

Thérèse Smith

Published in: Ethnomusicology Ireland 8 (2022)

Pages: 23-29 | Published Online: December 2022

https://doi.org/10.64208/SSKZ3136

Abstract

This article is based on the plenary lecture delivered by Professor Thérèse Smith to mark the occasion of her receiving the inaugural Oirdhearchas Award for ICTM Ireland. The article reflects on ideas regarding ownership and identity in terms of their relationship to song, articulating questions about these matters that go far beyond issues of mere legality (or copyright). Using primary source recordings from the Tom Munnelly collection, this article challenges scholars to consider ownership from social and personal perspectives.

Keywords: Identity, ownership, archives, Irish traditional song, English-language song

Author: Thérèse Smith | ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9169-3209