WhoMe

LSS,

I've composed several songs.

I make a first copy of the song and turn it into our lead singer. He then "straightens" the song to make it flow better so that it will be more singable. Same goes for the rest of our group. If someone makes a song, they turn in the rough copy to the lead singer and he has an ear for improving it.

If I feel my song needs some words, I ask him to add some and tell him what the song will be used for.

Then we take the finished version to drum practice and everyone learns it. Then we take it to a powwow and we sing it.

To answer your question, we don't really address the "authority" question at all, because all this is done internally within our group. The only authority for our group is our lead singer. He speaks on our behalf but not for anyone else.



Sometimes songs just come to me at the oddest times as I am doing something totally unrelated. I sing them over and over until I can get to a recorder and put down the rough copy so I won't forget. Then I decide what I want to use this song for.



It's really not that complicated.

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"Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture."

WhoMe