Historical Approaches Towards Pedagogy in the Moravian Labrador Inuit Brass Bands - Mark David Turner and Nainip Tittulautingit | Nain Brass Band

Fifty years after the widespread introduction of western European classical music by Moravian missionaries to Northern Labrador, Labrador Inuit themselves assumed control over the pedagogy of this musical tradition. Widely regarded amongst Moravian commentators, this milestone is an important one. Within the span of half a century, Labrador Inuit had assumed total command of an imported musical tradition. But the manner of regard amongst generations Moravian commentators can sometimes make it difficult to understand the full significance of the event. Within the span of half a century, Labrador Inuit had developed a sustainable pedagogy for musical instruction that continues to be used and adapted today. In the absence of Inuit-authored sources, it is difficult to know how this pedagogy worked. However, in the case of the brass band tradition, we are beginning to develop a fuller picture of precisely what such training practices look like. Since re-forming in 2013 as a result of the Tittulautet Nunatsiavuttini / Nunatsiavut Brass Bands workshop, the Nain Brass Band / Nainip Tittulautingit has been deeply involved in reviving both the musical tradition and pedagogical tradition that underwrite it. In this presentation, we will consider the historical development of brass band instruction in Northern Labrador from the perspective of current tradition-bearers and audiences.