ABSTRACT
Certain issues of individual and group identity have had historical significance in, and continue to affect, the musical lives of those living in the United States and Canada. Although there is considerable mobility within and among identities, with some more freely chosen than others, all affect music and music making. One's socioeconomic class, for instance, might influence whether or not one takes private music lessons as a child; one's race, ethnicity, or gender might direct one toward or away from certain musical instruments, genres, or learning opportunities; and one's religion might be a major factor in the kinds of music one experiences as a child. Categories of identity are both self-and other-defined, as are musical paths and choices, but they need not totally govern one's musical life. Thus, the categories of identity presented here are not to be taken as fixed or immutable, but rather as suggestions of the varied factors that often affect music and music making within these two countries.
