Material Cultures - conference, Edinburgh 2010

July 16-18, 2010, at the University of Edinburgh (Centre for the History of the Book). Find out more here.

Summer courses, anyone?

The Strad magazine has released their listing of summer music courses. You can see it online here.

'Music for Stringed Instruments: Music Archives and the Materials of Musicological Research

CONFERENCE June 23-24, 2010, Cardiff University The guest speaker at this conference will be Professor Robert Pascall (University of Nottingham). Details for this conference can be found at http://stringeditions.leeds.ac.uk/news.htm - the deadline for proposals is March 15.

SNJO play the music of STEELY DAN featuring GRAEME SCOTT Saturday 30th January 2010 LANARK

Visit the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra website for more details. www.snjo.co.uk

Phoenix Grants for disabled musicians

New Grant for musicians with disabilities launched The Musicians Benevolent Fund has launched a new grant giving scheme, Phoenix Grants for Musicians with Disabilities. The Grants provide essential funding to music students and professional musicians living with long term disability. The scheme is now open to applications from individuals across the UK. Launched in January 2010, Phoenix Grants for Musicians with Disabilities is a new grant giving scheme administered by the Musicians Benevolent Fund. The Grants will provide essential funding to music students and professional musicians living with long term disability. An MBF Press Release

IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library

Free public domain sheet music library Online since February 16, 2006 (20,868 works -- 50,260 scores -- 2,817 composers) Here's an example - I needed a score of Mozart's Dissonance Quartet. A few clicks, and the PDF was there. If I wanted parts or an arrangement - they were there, too. Apparently users can upload analyses too - which might be helpful, but normal academic guidelines apply: don't believe everything you read on the internet!

This is a collaborative project, not in the European Union. Scores are said to be in the public domain, but exercise caution and heed displayed warnings. A good source for old, out-of-copyright scores and parts. Read more about it below:-

Welcome to the Petrucci Music Library! Our goal is to create a virtual library containing all public domain music scores, as well as scores from composers who are willing to share their music with the world without charge. The Petrucci Music Library also encourages the exchange of musical ideas, both in the form of musical works and in their analysis. Feel free to post your analysis of a particular piece on the "discussion" pages, or join our forums for interactive discussion with the community. IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library

Warwick Folk Festival

23-25 July 2010. Visit the website here.

Grad Britain - online magazine for postgrads

Grad Britain Read it - contribute - get paid if they publish your article! The deadline for submissions for the spring issue of GRADbritain is fast approaching. We would like any potential contributions by 1st Feb. If you have any interesting stories or words of advice to share with the postgraduate community please send your articles to us as gradbritain@vitae.ac.uk Tips on writing an article for Grad Britain Grad Britain pays £50 for any article published and asks for a maximum of 800 words. Part of the Vitae.ac.uk network supporting early career researchers.

Why do some books remain unread?

Remaining Unread: The Top Ten Reasons We Don’t Get to Certain Books Beth Carswell investigates this curious phenomenon for AbeBooks.

Jane Austen in the ballroom

Background to dancing in the early nineteenth century can be seen at a website entitled Persuasions On-Line, by dance historian Allison Thompson. There's another interesting website about the 19th century dance, the Quadrille, entitled Ellis Rogers & Quadrille Club. Dance historians please advise Whittaker Live if there are other useful websites that RSAMD dancers and actors ought to know about!

Classical Scores Library trial

The Whittaker Library has a trial of Classical Scores Library until the end of January. The database is expensive but very useful - the best advice to RSAMD staff and students is to 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may'! Trial within the RSAMD Building

Benslow: Music Making July - December 2010

The July-December 2010 brochure is now available. Celebrating 80 years of amateur music-making this year, the Benslow Music Trust offers short courses, concerts and other events which might be of interest to both adult and younger pupils. Website www.benslow.org Email info@benslow.org Instrument Loan Scheme (highly recommended!) ilsbenslow@benslow.org

Canford Summer School of Music 1-22 August 2010

Canford has just issued their new brochure for the 2010 summer music course at Sherborne. The website is being developed right now - visit to see what's happening.

Aye Write - Glasgow book festival Friday 5 March until Saturday 13 March 2010

Music and drama are sociable activities - and how do you share them? By communicating with other folk, whether this means playing, acting, talking about it, or writing about it. And if you're interested in the written word, you might also be interested in the Aye Write book festival, here in Glasgow. Visit the Aye Write website here. What's it all about? Here's a quote from the website:-

The Aye Write! Book Festival returns to the Mitchell Library on 5-13 March 2010 bringing another stellar line-up of authors to Glasgow. The festival, which is in its fifth year will feature local talent alongside national and international authors for a celebration of books, poetry and family events alongside community projects and another extensive schools programme. Aye Write! 2010 will include a number of themes including The Future of the Media, The Future of the Left, Globalisation and a major debate about the place of Scottish Literature in the school curriculum. The full line up of authors won’t be announced until 17th January but as a taster for what’s to come a few of the authors and writers already confirmed to take part include bestselling author Joanna Trollope, the first female Poet Laureate Glasgow born poet and playwright Carol Ann Duffy, musician and writer Edwin Collins and BBC world affairs journalist John Simpson.