Jan 09 2009
MusicWorks in Craigmillar, Edinburgh
A new year, a new month, a new job.
Tomorrow I commence working as a part-time Musicianship tutor with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). The post is with the traditional music project at Craigmillar in Edinburgh, which is part of the RSAMD’s successful Musicworks programme.
I’m delighted to be able to participate in this project as it brings together a number of personal and professional interests. Not only have I been playing traditional music since 1981, but it was also music that led to an interest in teaching when people started approaching me for lessons.
A few years ago I also worked in Pilton on the other side of Edinburgh and it feels good to be once again involved in bringing something to the parts of Edinburgh that are off the tourist trail.
I’ll be working in a team proving traditional music and song tuition to school children of Primary and Secondary ages outwith school hours. The project provides instruments and tuition for free and has already been going for a period. In Sighthill in Glasgow, the children have gone on to play on tour and will be playing at a public concert in Glasgow at Christmas.
It is interesting to see music for children in the community being in the news recently as well. Not only is El Sistema being piloted in the Stirling area, but Julian Lloyd Webber has launched an English version, In Harmony, and talks about this and the Scottish experience in the Times and in The Observer earlier in the year.
I feel that it is also important not to overlook one’s own culture. Traditional music helps to make sense of one’s accent, language, history and cultural identity and can help boost self confidence. In this sense it can be seen to tick some of the boxes for the Curriculum for Excellence.
It also operates in a different social context and with a different dynamic to many other forms of music. While much of it may be informal, it still requires a discipline and expertise that can elude many musicians of other genres who attempt it, regardless of training and experience. And it’s very enjoyable!
It’s a great skill to have for many reasons and, having attended the Christmas concert and met everyone involved, I’m really looking forward to it.
Photo by Andrew Niddrie, released under Creative Commons licence.
