This thesis tells a story, or more accurately, many stories: The story of the Romani people who have been famed for their musicianship for centuries, but have also been despised and persecuted for their differences and lack of a singular homeland. It tells the story of Serbia; its trials and tribulations; a country keen to be known for its hospitality rather than its wars. There is also my story, and my family's story, the friendships that we made along the way, and how our lives were touched by the Serbian people. There is also the deeper story of human experience through music. One only has to watch the news to feel cynical about the merits of human nature, but this thesis tells the story of a people who were not so long ago torn apart with war, xenophobia, and genocide, now welcoming outsiders and celebrating styles of music that they once sought to eliminate. This thesis will show how Romani brass bands bridged the divide between East and West, local and global, urban and rural, pure and ethnic, and how the Roma, a marginalized race of people, helped rebrand the Serbian identity.
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