Post by Traditional Music Forum on Mar 27, 2021 18:13:44 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 new term approaches it's clear that most trad music classes are going to be happening online, so we've set up a short series of workshops for tutors on making the most of the possibilities of Zoom. Mairi Campbell is going to share some of the experience she has built up over the past few months in finding innovative ways to use the platform. The free sessions are at different times of the day, and people can sign up for more than one if they wish.
Voluntary Arts hosts regular Creative Network gatherings online, which offers the chance to meet colleagues working in all kinds of local arts projects, and not just in the UK. This week's guest speaker was Stephanie Sherman, who runs a project called Elsewhere in Greensboro, North Carolina, revitalising the downtown area in a small town that had seen better times.
This is the kind of work that musicians could contribute to as part of the National Arts Force, of which we hear whispers, but nothing definite as yet.
Universal Basic Income continues to be a topic that is talked about a lot when people consider radical ways to support artists through the current mess. I'm not sure it's the answer, but for a look at some of the options, the Social Justice and Fairness Commission has produced a discussion paper
There's a great old solo step dance called the First of August, appropriate to the time of year. A lovely performance of it by Frank McConnell, danced to An Taillear Mor, sung by Gillebride MacMillan.
I did an interview with Trevor Buck for Living Tradition a while back, which appears in the new issue. The article takes the form of a kind of round table discussion about degrees in folk music with contributions from fiddlers Liz Doherty, Kevin Henderson and Catriona Macdonald and Kevin MacLeod, The Occasionals' multi-instrumentalist. No conclusions drawn, but a good airing of some perennial topics.
Good to see that the Home Office is looking at removing some of the restrictions around visas, particulalry the introduction of an unsponsored route whereby people can come to the UK for a two-year period without the requirement of a job-offer, sponsor or endorsement of their application. There will also be a route by which freelancers can come without sponsorship and work across multiple employers, in our case do gigs in between festival appearances (once that actually becomes possible, of course). The situation for musicians going into Europe is still unresolved.
Very sad to hear the Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley have put The Reel, their performance space, teaching studio, cafe and shop in Kirkwall, up for sale. They opened the business in 2004, but it has been badly affected by the Coronavirus lockdown. Rather than close it completely they've decided to look for a buyer. It was a thriving business before being knocked off its feet by the lockdown, and a vital part of Orkney's music scene, so we hope someone will take up the opportunity.
I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that Tim Edey is an exceptional musician, a genius even. He just took up the ukulele and this is the result. F to G and back to C it ain't!
RIP Tom McIver, storyteller, accordionist and composer, and veteran of the Glasgow folk scene.
All the best
DF
David Francis is Director of the Traditional Music Forum
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