George Ewart Evans - oral history at the British Library Sound Archive

RSAMD staff and students have access to the British Library Sound Archive via the British Library's Archival Sound Recordings website http://sounds.bl.uk/. Just one of the interesting collections at the Sound Archive is the George Ewart Evans oral history collection, and the BL is working on adding these recordings to the Archival Sound Recordings website . Find out more about it here. Read the Sound Archive's description of the collection:-

Around 200 recordings of interviews and songs made by George Ewart Evans, with about 170 interviewees, between 1956 and 1977. Also includes a small number of recordings by John Ridguard, Ginette Dunn and an unidentified male interviewer, with some self-recorded audio-letters to George Ewart Evans by Charles Kindred. Most recordings made in Suffolk, but a number in Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Principal subjects are rural life and agricultural work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, folk beliefs about animals, medicine and witchcraft, folk and popular songs, entertainment and education in rural communities (with some material on domestic service, transport and mining).

Whittaker Live will alert patrons when the recordings become available online via the Archival Sound website: http://sounds.bl.uk/.

Growing Knowledge at the British Library

A physical exhibition at the British Library is parallelled by a Growing Knowledge website. Growing Knowledge: the Evolution of Research

Join the debate and take part in our exciting new exhibition of innovative digital research services and tools.

Twitter #blgk

Research Council UK - Joint Skills Statement

RSAMD research students and staff have been talking about research skills, transferable skills, all kinds of skills. Read the RCUK Joint Skills Statement pdf here.

The Future of our Past - RSAMD @ Greentrax

A new release from Greentrax featuring students of the RSAMD Scottish Music degree course. What a great Christmas present this would make for someone! Meanwhile, we have our own copy in the Whittaker Library - please don't fall over one another in the rush to borrow it! To quote from the Greentrax website,

Scottish Music Of The RSAMD:

The Future Of Our Past (CD)

CDTRAX357 (to be released 1st December 2010) 15 tracks: Jigs and Polkas * Puirt-a Beul * Vincent Black Lightning * March and Reels * Margaret's Walk To The Pier * Banks Of Newfoundland * Pipe Solo * The Almost Reel Set * Accordion Solo * Lover's Heart * Lexie and The Plagiarist * Not Enough Time * Moladh Uibhist * Meg Macrae's * Ali's Big Reel. Recordings by students on the Scottish Music courses of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. A mixture of music and songs, recorded at the RSAMD by Bob Whitney and co-produced by Phil Cunningham and Findlay Napier. The students include Kirsten MacLeod, Katherine MacLeod, Paul McKenna, Alasdair Henderson and others.

Loads of delightful - and useful - content. Click on the image.

Caroline Bowditch - Dance Agent for Change

In 2008, Dance Artist Caroline Bowditch was appointed as Dance Agent for Change by Scottish Dance Theatre for a 2 year period and this has just been extended by two more years until 2012. Her role is to change the way people in Scotland think about dance, about who can dance and about the way disabled people are involved in dance.

• Visit the Dance Agent for Change website. If you click on their "Join in" link, you can post your response to what Caroline was talking about here at RSAMD.
• Etcetera - an online newsletter for disability arts info. This link notes Caroline's appointment as Dance Agent for Change.
• To find out more about Caroline's involvement in leadership programmes and motivational speaking, visit the Sync website - "exploring the interplay between leadership and disability".

Henryk Mikolaj Górecki 1933 - 2010

Composer Gorecki died earlier this month. You know of his symphonies - but you might be surprised to find out how much more he wrote. Visit the Boosey website to learn more.

St Andrew's Day at the Scottish Storytelling Centre

Visit the website to find out about the four-day celebration of our national Saint.

Ewan McVicar materials added to Whittaker Library

• The Eskimo Republic: Scots political song in action, 1951-1999
• Doh Ray Me, when ah wis wee
• Making New Scots Songs: community songwriting in action : a [CD] sampler of songs from projects of the New Makars Trust 1997-2006

All being added to the Whittaker Library at RSAMD this week, and more to follow. Check the catalogue here, to see when they're available to borrow.

Warwick Folk Festival 29-31 July 2011

A little further south than Glasgow, so you might get better weather ... http://www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk/

ELECTRONIC VISUALISATION AND THE ARTS

EVA London 2011 Wednesday 6th – Friday 8th July 2011 CALL FOR PROPOSALS Deadline: 15th January 2011 Conference website Bursaries for attendance are available - see below. From the conference announcement:-

*Visualising* ideas and concepts in culture, heritage the arts and sciences: digital arts, sound, music, film and animation, 2D and 3D imaging, European projects, archaeology, architecture, social media for museums, heritage and fine art photography, medical visualization and more OFFERS OF PAPERS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND WORKSHOPS by 15th January 2011 We invite proposals of papers, demonstrations or short performances, workshops or panel discussions [...] Only a summary of the proposal on up to one page is required for selection. This must be submitted electronically ...

Proposals may be on any aspect of EVA London's focus on visualisation for arts and culture, heritage and medical science, broadly interpreted. We especially invite papers or presentations on the newest and emerging technologies and applications. Papers are peer reviewed and may be edited for publication [...]

If your proposal is a case study, we will be looking for discussions of wider principles or applications using the case study as an example. A few bursaries for EVA London registration fees will again be available if you don't have access to grants.

Academic Writing Club [dotcom]

Whittaker hasn't been asked to promote this organisation, but since it's a bona fide academic writing and research support service - and Whittaker can vouch for the helpfulness of the support - it seemed appropriate to share their website with you. If you have a big writing project coming up, there is a subscription cost, but Whittaker thinks it's worth it!

http://www.academicwritingclub.com/

http://www.academicwritingclub.com/tips A Little Procrastination Inspiration:-

"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday." (Napolean Hill)

"Procrastination is opportunity's natural assassin." (Victor Klam)

"Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage." (Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby)

And here's Whittaker's own free personal advice for getting that thesis/dissertation/article written:-

Draw up a schedule, and turn off Facebook!

Scottish Storytelling Centre

John Knox House, High Street, Edinburgh ... The arrival of the latest Bulletin in Whittaker's inbox reminds 'him' to share the Scottish Storytelling Centre's website with you again. (Trad musicians have always known the value of a good yarn. Classicos are waking up to the importance of establishing rapport with the audience in more informal settings.) http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/ Not forgetting the important bit :- The Events calendar With another eight events in November alone, St Andrew's Day coming up, Christmas and Hogmanay to follow - it's worth a look.

Tales of mere existence - Procrastination

Very short YouTube cartoon on the perils of putting things off ... Click here. (Go on, do it NOW!)

British Library podcasts

Two particular podcasts from the British Library might be of interest to Whittaker's clientele:-

• A podcast debate about the future of physical (as opposed to electronic) libraries
• A podcast about variety theatre

• Also Sylvia Plath, Aldous Huxley, Essential Shakespeare live ...

Look here

New licence extends print for disabled learners

Good news for students or staff with dyslexia or other disabilities affecting their ability to digest printed information:-

The Copyright Licensing Agency recently announced a new Print Disability Licence which ensures that educational institutions are covered when adapting text to alternative formats – either in print or digital.

The Print Disability Licence allows organisations to reproduce copyright works in a format accessible to people with print disabilities (e.g. dyslexia), such as large print, braille or audiobooks.

This news was shared by the JISC Regional Support Centre [Scotland] online Newsfeed.

Read more here.

Edison Fellowship (research at British Library)

Research any aspect of the history of recording and the performance of western art music. Up to £5000 is available for a tenure not exceeding four months' continuous residence. Find out more on the British Library website:-

• BL
• Edison Fellowship

Irish Traditional Music Archive

A useful resource for traditional musicians to know about:- Irish Traditional Music Archive

Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme

Bridging the gap between music college and professional life, the Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme offers unique development and performance opportunities in the inspiring setting of the east coast of England. By forming an integral part of the international Aldeburgh Festival and a year-round programme of concerts and events, the Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme has launched many artists' careers.

To find out more about this highly prestigious and potentially life-changing opportunity, visit the Aldeburgh website.

• http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/bpp

Coming from East Anglia herself, Whittaker Live's editor can vouch for the fact that East Anglia is one of England's under-appreciated treasures. (Indeed, the editor's music teacher lived down the road from Benjamin Britten, thus giving her a tenuous link to the great composer himself!)

Royal Over-Seas League competition deadline

ROSL 59th Annual Music Competition Prospectus and Application form now available.

(RSAMD staff and students - come and look on the Enquiry Desk - a few hard copies of the brochure are there for you to pick up!)

• Deadline: Friday 14 January 2011

Age limit: 30

• Further information, application form, rules - click here.
• ROSL homepage.