Library and Information Services, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Decibel Danger!

RNID (The Royal National Institute for the Deaf), has recently promoted a Deaf Awareness Week.
People need to be more aware of the damage that too much noise can do to your ears, says the RNID. A few hours of ghetto-blasting volume, over-loud iPod listening or sole-vibrating sound at an eagerly anticipated gig could do damage to your inner ear that you'll only find out about years down the line. Same goes (unfortunately) for prolonged instrumental practising. You can do a DIY hearing test online from the RNID website. (Hearing test link.) Having a hearing impairment doesn't always mean you're completely deaf. However, hearing problems can creep up on you. Can't hear other people in the cafe-bar? Always asking people to repeat themselves? Guessing what someone might have actually said? Makes you think. (Though being able to turn down the sound on a noisy train is a distinct advantage! I know.) And if your own hearing is fine - maybe you might consider supporting the good work RNID does for those less fortunate.

Book tickets to Warwick Folk Festival (23-25 July 2010)

Web link to Box Office Festival Programme

Thursday 24 June 2010

1200 jazz CDs

To support the new Jazz degree course here at RSAMD, I'm happy to announce that 1200 new jazz CDs (mainly from the Classics and Document series) have now all been catalogued. A small triumph for the library staff, and thanks to volunteer library school student Jill Allardice for her keyboarding assistance. Whittaker Library catalogue These CDs provide unsurpassed coverage of jazz in the early 20th Century. Our next goal is to increase coverage of late 20th Century jazz.

Friday 18 June 2010

AddressingHistory

Just heard Nicola Osborne talk about the EDINA project entitled AddressingHistory, on using social media to frame an EDINA Crowd-Sourcing Project. This JISC-funded project aims to georeference historical post office directories of Edinburgh and use Web 2.0/ social media tools to publicise the project. Nicola is inspirational - a real Web 2.0 evangelist. So many thoughtful and ingenious ways to promote a project - quite apart from the value of the project itself. Anyone with an interest in 18th and 19th century Edinburgh will be interested in the outcome. Find out more - visit the Addressing History blog.

Friday 11 June 2010

Learn to remember: the Donald Clark Plan B

This is probably the most significant blog posting you'll read today - possibly this month. Find out how to remember more of what you learn in this very readable article. (And if you don't believe that leaving lecture notes in your bathroom is a good idea - well, go and find out why Clark disagrees with you!) Donald Clark Plan B: 10 techniques to massively increase memory

Thursday 10 June 2010

Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra

Visit the TSYJO website for details of Tommy's sizzling contributions to the 2010 Glasgow Jazz Festival on 20th June. There's also the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra playing on 22nd June. Website currently undergoing development but try here.

Thursday 3 June 2010

Bliadhna nan Òran: Brand new website!

New website from BBC Alba to mark the Year of Gaelic Song - available online from 1 June 2010.
450 songs, up to 200 video clips, biographies for over 250 singers and writers, with further content to be added on a weekly basis.

Tobar an Dualchais - Kist o' Riches

This website contains thousands of oral recordings recorded in Scotland and further afield, from the 1930s onwards. The items you can listen to include stories, songs, music, poetry and factual information.

In association with ...

  • University of Edinburgh
  • BBC Alba
  • National Trust for Scotland
  • Sabhal Mor Ostaig
  • Edina
  • and other partner organisations

Summer courses at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Enjoy the idyllic surroundings of the Hebrides and learn something at the same time!
Take a look at the short courses on offer this summer here.
(Image unashamedly borrowed from the SMO website)

North Atlantic Fiddle Convention at Elphinstone

Another traditional music event being promoted by the Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen this summer.
14-18 July 2010

Traditional Singing Weekend at Cullerlie

23-25 July 2010 Organised with the Elphinstone Institute (University of Aberdeen).