Graduate Traineeship at Snape Maltings

A 9-month traineeship is offered by the Britten-Pears Foundation. Visit the website to find out more. Here's a brief outline to get you interested:-

HLF Graduate Trainee £14,000 for 9 months full-time, fixed term contract (£18,667 pro rata) With possibility of extension subject to funding The Britten–Pears Foundation, based in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, is a Designated collection holding the archives of composer Benjamin Britten. Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have initiated an exciting project based around Britten’s centenary celebrations in 2013. The role of this new HLF Graduate Trainee post is to support the front line work of the current archive/library staff. The post will include overseeing our Reading Room and dealing with enquiries from researchers, as well as project work in preservation and description of our collections. This fixed term post would ideally suit a graduate wishing to gain work experience before applying for a postgraduate qualification in either Archives and Records Management or Library and Information Management. Training from our qualified Archivists and Librarian in the use of CALM, the archive management system, and Liberty3, the Library cataloguing system, and of the many aspects of work in a specialist music archive and research library will be provided. The successful applicant will be motivated and happy to work on their own initiative, confident in dealing with the public, have strong communication and time management skills and be committed to archives or librarianship as a career. An interest in twentieth-century music would also be an advantage.

ABRSM exams - downloads available

Teaching or sitting ABRSM Grade exams? Recordings of the exam pieces for Piano, Violin, Flute and Clarinet are now available for download from the ABRSM website, for a small charge. Click here.

• Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music homepage here.

The use, value and impact of e-journals

The Research Information Network (RIN) has just published its RIN Annual Review 2009, focusing on the use, value and impact of e-journals. If you've visited the Whittaker Library website recently, you'll have seen that we now have access to a wide range of e-journals. Take a look at the RIN Annual Review to see how we fit into the wider picture? A few hard copies have been requested, but you can read a .pdf file or request your own hard copy at this link.

Call for researcher profiles for new publication

Here's what the RCUK (Research Councils UK) website says:-

The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Vitae are working together on 'The Engaging Researcher', the third booklet in the Vitae series for researchers. They are looking to include profiles of early career researchers who engage the public in their work and can inspire others. Researchers are invited to please complete the template provided at this weblink, and submit their profiles (instructions are in the template document). If you have any questions or queries please contact the NCCPE.

Competitions for Composers

Chris Hutchings, a composer and doctoral student at the University of Glasgow, posts this page listing forthcoming composition competitions. Student and staff composers, take note!

The Ivor Novello Essays - James Macmillan

James Macmillan's essay (pdf)

"The Scottish classical composer and conductor reflects on suffering for your art, how to handle audiences that are only there for the Beethoven, and what would happen to Ludwig if he was alive today "

This is an initiative by BASCA, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. Their website tells you more: "This year BASCA has again commissioned a series of essays by British music writers to mark The Ivor Novello Awards. Now in their 55th year, the awards celebrate excellence in British music writing and are judged and presented by the writing community."

Rare Tunes (Derek Hoy and Stuart Eydmann share their archive)

Rare Tunes We'll invite Derek and Stuart to introduce their own Scottish collection of tunes:-

RareTunes is a personal archive of recordings of Scottish Traditional Music, although it's not all Scottish or Traditional or Music. It's being developed and maintained by Derek Hoy and Stuart Eydmann. The recordings range from near-studio quality to crowded and noisy house sessions, from digital media to old bits of tape.

The Travelling Virtuoso in the long 19th Century (CHOMBEC Conference)

Too late to submit a paper, but plenty of time to book your place to attend, and sort out transport - ash or no ash! Worlds to Conquer: the 4th CHOMBEC Conference in Bristol, 5-7 July 2010.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation: supporting the Arts

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

As an independent grant making body, this trust funds organisations whose charitable activities help people to realise their potential and have a better quality of life.

The Arts programme encourages innovative ways for people in the UK to enjoy, experience and be involved in the arts.

Secondhand music with Austin Sherlaw-Johnson

Catalogue 28 now online.

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra new website

SNJO has a new website. You're invited to take a look and say what you think of it.

GradBritain - looking after research students

FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

• Are you a PGR worried about the financial cutbacks in higher education or someone who has already been on the receiving end of them?
• Are you a first year PGR student struggling with the transition from MA/MSc to PhD?
• Have you been battling with the peer review publishing process? Have you been successful or are you still battling with the reviewers?
• Are you in the process of upgrading to a PhD but still feel like you are just finding your feet?

***** GRADBritain wants to hear about your experiences... We are looking for articles of only 700 words that contain the essential GB mix of humour, experience and advice. We are offering £50 for the best articles which address any of the issues above or anything else you feel may be relevant and interesting!

******* The deadline for articles for the Summer issue of GRADBritain is June 1st. . . Please send your submissions to gradbritain@vitae.ac.uk

******* PHD RESEARCH ANECDOTES You may have noticed our new feature called 'A funny thing happened on the way to the library'.

• If you have any funny research anecdotes send them over to GRADBritain. Again, the best one will get £50 and published in the Spring issue of GB. Same rules apply, 700 word limit by the 1st February to gradbritain@vitae.ac.uk

Lorna Taylor Dept of Psychology PO 78 Institute of Psychiatry King's College London De Crespigny Park London SE5 8AF Tel 020 7848 5715 email: Lorna.Taylor@kcl.ac.uk