HEATHER SPARLING is Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (Musical Traditions) at Cape Breton University. Heather teaches a range of ethnomusicology and Celtic music courses. A Gaelic speaker and teacher, she is actively involved with both local and international Gaelic organizations, sharing her expertise in Cape Breton Gaelic song. Her publications have addressed genre theory, Bourdieu's theories of social distinction, language attitudes, and oral and print transmission. Her current research focuses on disaster songs of Atlantic Canada, including their role in processing grief, nationalism and commemoration.