Post by Traditional Music Forum on Mar 27, 2021 17:34:36 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.
As the lockdown approaches its ninth week, I hope everyone is doing OK. There are signs that patience is starting to ebb away, as people get caught between the desire to do the right thing and the longing for an end to social distancing.
There's a lot of anger too about what is happening to the music business, with the wiping out of live events following on from the income-weakening effects of digital streaming. Spotify's tip-jar seems like nothing other than an insult. The Musicians' Union has just launched a campaign Keep Music Alive asking in the first instance for a government review of the streaming industry.
In the meantime there are still hopes that live events might be possible at the end of the year, with the Scots Fiddle Festival, for example, still planning to go ahead in some form. Our best wishes go to outgoing Artistic Director, Rosie Munro, who is stepping down after a successful stint in the post. The Festival will be advertising shortly.
Our workshop on the technical side of online performance earlier this week with Ian Stephenson went well. Ian really knows his stuff and puts it across in a relaxed and friendly way. We have a pdf of the main points and some technical recommendations. Drop me a line if you missed the workshop and would like to know more.
Our Scotland Online project is now up and running. A simple form enables you to list and promote your online gigs.
I mentioned this in the main TMF Newsletter which went out yesterday. TMF/TRACS is working with colleagues across the arts to press the governments (UK and Scottish) for clear reopening guidelines, for a commitment to continuing financial support, for keeping venues afloat, for reductions on VAT on tickets.
The board of the European Folk Network met online yesterday. This is one area where continuing to use Zoom will make a lot of sense post-lockdown. With board members in Brussels, Budapest, Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Tallin travelling long distances for a two hour meeting doesn't make a lot of sense. The second EFN conference was due to take place in Hungary in November but has been postponed until February or March next year.
Yesterday, as I'm sure you all know, was World Play a Strathspey Day, another Simon Thoumire brainwave that is really catching on. You can find all of the contributions on social media with the hashtag #worldplayastrathspeyday
I was looking for something in an overstuffed drawer the other day and came across a forgotten second-generation iPod Shuffle hiding behind a box of staples. After a brief hiatus waiting for a charging dock from Amazon I fired it up - still working! The first track on it was this Robert Burns tongue-twister superbly delivered by Karine Polwart.
RIP Bobby Colgan, the last surviving member of the Jimmy Shand Band, who also played with Jim Johnstone, Andrew Rankine, Jimmy Blue, and many other top names in Scottish dance music. A great character.
All the best
DF
David Francis is Director of the Traditional Music Forum
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