C/MD/11. Music and national identity

This essay looks at the relationship between music and ideas of national identity. Some key ideas and writings that help us understand the relationship are considered. Particularly those by Martin Cloonan who consider the issue in relation to England; and Benedict Anderson who looks at a wider theoretical perspective. A song by the Rap musician Eminem is looked at in terms of how it may demonstrate some of this relationship in practice. National identity overall is seen to be the creation of the minds of those who share a certain bounded community. A creation that is partly created and reinforced by the music of that community.