In response to whether or not contemporary performers are working to expand the canon or reinforce it, I believe they are. On February 16th, 2002 at Crowder Hall, there was a group visiting from Anchorage Alaska called the Medicine Dream. It was far from anything I had expected that evening, in fact, it was more. The members of the intertribal group represented many different Nations from all over North America. The music they performed was original, and the sounds consisted of mixtures of acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, drums and Native American Flute. The lead vocalist, Paul Pike was an energetic young man with eloquent articulation. He described how the members had a common friend who died from alcoholism and forming this group and sharing their tribal music mixed with pop sounds was their way of extending their healing process to the anyone willing to hear their songs. These traditional folk songs mixed with modern equipment vibrated through the auditorium with intense welcoming. This contemporary blend of ancient song and poetry prayer represented the "classical" sounds of Native American Music. Paul Pike of the Mi'kmaq Nation described that the music of old and new are in cycles with eachother and because of their groups diversity they also were seeking sounds and venues of other cultures and times to be able to reach many audiences. So yes, it seems that there are artists from all walks attempting to expand and reinforce canon.