Post by Traditional Music Forum on Mar 27, 2021 17:31:13 GMT
A weekly two minute catch-up for members from the
TMF Director's desk
These are some of the things that have caught my attention this week.
You've probably all seen or heard about the Scottish Government's 'route map'. Unfortunately it looks like it'll be Phase 4 before our kind of activity can resume, with potentially serious consequences for all of us. I was struck by this gloomy but realistic comment from Matthew Warchus, Artistic Director of the Old Vic theatre in London. “We are all puzzling away, thinking hard about how we can respond to this situation and what our creative input can be. There are some bright people on those calls. We are mostly stumped because our hands are tied behind our backs: if you can’t bring performers and creatives together, with an audience, you’re incredibly limited.” That sums it up really.
In the meantime we need to press the Government(s) to ensure that support for freelancers and businesses is maintained and that people are not hung out to dry before we reach Phase 4. We cannot attempt a resumption with a demoralised and destitute community. The Cross Party Group on Music will be discussing the crisis at its next meeting on June 2. It'll be an online affair. Let me know if you would like to take part, or would like to be added to the CPG mailing list. I'd be interested to know if any of you have been invited on to any of SG's Working Groups on Festivals or Creative Industries. Culture Counts is pressing for a seat on the Economic Advisory Group (which has as yet no culture input at all as far as we can see).
Glasgow's Glad Cafe have been very visible lately, talking about the challenges they face. Manager Sarah Smillie is interviewed in online magazine, Dazed, while founder Rachel Smillie featured in a segment of a recent BBC Scotland programme about Scotland's response to the crisis (19 min, 30 secs in). Also featured are Karine Polwart, Castlesound's Stuart Hamilton and Robert Kilpatrick of the SMIA.
The excellent PiPA, Parents and Carers in Performing Arts, the network which campaigns for carers in all branches of the performing arts, has a webinar on exploring professional development coming up on Thursday morning (28th). 'Guest appearances from kids welcome!' they say. Booking here.
Speaking of maps, the European Folk Network has now opened its mapping project. The survey is here Please send the link to any contacts you think should be included and encourage them to take the survey, and, if you can, post the link to the survey on your website, newsletter or social media. I know you might be groaning at yet another survey, but information is key if we are to make the case successfully for support for our music.
We had a couple of workshops lined up that had to be ditched when CV hit, but they have now been reinstated in an online version. This coming Thursday Kath Campbell asks 'What Makes This Ballad So Great?' exploring all aspects of a favourite ballad and sharing ideas for performance. And on June 18 in similar vein Hamish Napier asks 'What Makes This Tune So Great?' The workshops consider what gives some songs and tunes staying power over the centuries and are suitable for singers and non-singers, players and non-players alike. Both require pre-booking and are 'pay what you can'.
The Community division of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame has just been announced. Forgive us for focusing on two with TMF connections, Morag Dunbar of Balerno Folk Club, and Mary MacInnes of Ceòlas in South Uist. Balerno FC was the very first member of the Forum, with Ceòlas not far behind, and both have continued to be great supporters. Congratulations to them and to all the inductees.
I attended an interesting online meeting earlier this week, which heard from four music education organisations about how they are coping with the CV crisis. The Junior Conservatoire, Tinderbox, St Mary's Music School, and Sistema Scotland are all very different but all had similar issues with appropriate platforms for online learning, keeping engagement, digital access, and access to instruments and practice spaces for some. All agreed that there is a lot of learning that can be carried forward, and that online teaching is likely to have a continuing place. It does, however, have a lot of limitations.
Scotland's Sounds is looking to produce an online directory of sound collections. If you have a collection of archival material and would like to see it flagged up on the Scotland's Sounds website, there is a simple form to fill out here.
This week's earworm comes from Angharad Jenkins of Welsh band, Calan, who was commissioned to write a tune for nurse, Ailsa Johnstone, of Pathhead. Pathhead is, of course, home to a sizeable community of musicians, including Corrina Hewat who picked up the tune, which has gone, er, viral. Here's Angharad playing 'The Key Workers' Waltz' She's also included the dots in the comments.
All the best
DF
David Francis is Director of the Traditional Music Forum
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