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

Jazz quotes from Tommy Smith

The leader of our jazz course here at RSAMD thought you might enjoy these jazz quotes:- Quotes from the Road - Europa Jazz, Le Mans, France

• "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." (Decca in response to the Beatles, 1962)
• "Art Blakey continued as an ambassador, defender and professor right up until just shortly after his death at age 71 on October 16, 1990 (he had a gig already scheduled for the 18th, and Art was nothing if not dependable)." (Genius Guide to Jazz)
• "Music is the vernacular of the human soul." (Geoffrey Latham )
• "Boxing is like jazz, the better it is, the less people appreciate it." (George Foreman)
• "The history of a people are found in its songs." (George Jelline)

Researcher development and skills

The nice people at Research Information Network have created this page of of useful resources to help researchers develop their skills. Click here to find out more.

Material Cultures (Centre for the History of the Book)

A three-day conference at The University of Edinburgh July 16-18, 2010

Here's the introduction from the Conference website:-

Following the Material Cultures conferences which took place at The University of Edinburgh in 2000 and 2005, the third in the series is scheduled to take place in July 2010. The key theme of the conference is 'Technology, Textuality, and Transmission', though papers relating to all aspects of Bibliography and the History of the Book will be delivered. The conference programme is now available online and registration is open. All enquiries should be sent to materialcultures@ed.ac.uk

The Centre for the History of the Book, 22A Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9LN Tel : (+44) (0) 131 651 1716 email: chb@ed.ac.uk

RMA Annual Conference 2010: Boundaries

RMA Annual Conference 2010 Boundaries 15 – 17 July 2010

Institute of Musical Research, Senate House, Malet Street,

London WC1E 7HU

• Conference website

Collaborations in Practice-Led Research

A must for all RSAMD postgrads and their supervisors!

Collaborations in Practice-Led Research, an RMA study day taking place in Leeds on 23rd October.

Go for it! Sign up now ...

Oran Sang at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Conference on Scottish song, taking place on the Isle of Skye, 1-4 June. Booking form here (Gaelic) (English). Organised jointly by RSAMD and SMO, and featuring leading academics and some of Scotland’s foremost musicians and singers.

Writing Successful Academic Books, by Anthony Haynes

New accession at RSAMD Whittaker Library. Find out more here

Ether on the Southbank

Contemporary music enthusiasts going anywhere near London (well, when the volcanic ash subsides) might like to visit the Ether festival at the Southbank Centre.

Hebridean Celtic Festival 2010

14th -17th July 2010 The Hebridean Celtic Festival is a multi-venue event taking place on Stornoway. Click here for more info.