Post by tradiitional Music Forum on Sept 9, 2021 9:27:06 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.
We had a wee discussion about various TMF communications and who sees them at the Board meeting this week. This bulletin only goes to named contacts for the various member organisations (as well as individual members), but please feel free to ping round colleagues, members and associates if appropriate.
Congratulations to Lisa Whytock of Active who has managed to secure funding from the Scottish Government to help to get live music back on its feet. Scotland's Music on Tour is a year-long scheme to bring new venues and promoters on to the map while also helping out those planning to pick up the reins again. Musicians, bands, promoters and venues will be able to apply to the fund when it opens in October, but notes of interest can be made by emailing here.
Congratulations too to Fiona Dalgetty and her team at Fèis Rois for winning the Digital Innovation category at the Highland Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Two women who have shown tremendous leadership for our community over the past difficult period.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival has launched a new project Talking Statues, and is asking 'If you could honour someone with a statue or tell the unheard narrative of a monument that exists — who would it be and what story would you tell?' We've now got a statue to Niel Gow, for example. Who else? Plenty more candidates from our world.
The UK Government and music biz organisation the BPI have launched another round of the Music Export Growth Scheme, which aims to provide support for marketing campaigns aimed at introducing UK music abroad. Grants from £5-50k are available, deadline 27 September.
TMF member, Magnus Turpie and an Irish friend Fionn Crombie Angus have a monthly Facebook show, Fionn and Magnus. They'd love to hear from any musicians with Down Syndrome, particularly in Scotland, who would like to take part in the music and chat. Let us know if you know of anyone and we'll pass on the info.
Thanks to monumental efforts by all concerned, but especially administrator Nod Knowles, the European Folk Network has managed this week to put in a funding bid to Creative Europe which, if successful, would put the EFN on to a more secure financial footing and enable it to develop more of its potential. Everything crossed...
This is the time of year when the teaching organisations are gearing up for the new session. Blackford Fiddle Group and Merlin in Melrose are already under way, GFW starts this Monday, Scottish Culture & Tradition and Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel kick off on 6 September, Riddell Fiddles on 13 September, the Scots Music Group on the 14th and Fun Fiddle on the 16th. Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop is a bit later, 30th October.
We are so fortunate to have access to that level of music making. News came in this week that the Afghan Musical Institute had been ordered to destroy all their instruments by the incoming regime. (And we're reminded that as recently as 1805 there were calls for fiddles and bagpipes to be destroyed in a great bonfire at Loch Snizort on Skye.) This clip shows one of Afghanistan's characteristic instruments, the rabab, variants of which can be found all over the Middle East.
RIP Hamish Menzies, veteran conductor of Dingwall Gaelic Choir.
All the best
DF
David Francis is Director of the Traditional Music Forum
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Morag MacSween
10:22 AM (0 minutes ago)
to SANDY, Lorna