'Tibet chic': Myth, marketing, spirituality and politics in musical representations of Tibet in the United States

This dissertation demonstrates that Tibetan music in the United States is directly related to multiple Western representations of Tibet in the United States, perpetuated from the 1800s to the present, and that these representations are actively utilized to market Tibetan music. These representations have also impacted the types of sounds most often used to musically represent Tibet in the United States in unexpected ways.;This work also applies marketing theory to demonstrate that "Tibet" has become a term in American culture that acts as a brand and is used to sell music and other products. It also uses semiotics to address the prevalence of certain sounds in music marketed as Tibetan in the United States, finally demonstrating that sounds referencing New Age representations of Tibet have become a symbol representing Tibet as a whole in America.;This study begins with the question, "What is Tibetan music in the United States?" It then examines Tibetan music in the United States from a historical, political, spiritual and economic perspective to answer that question. As part of this investigation, historical sources, marketing sources, New Age religion, the New York Times, and over one hundred recordings are examined.