How can a performing arts library encourage creativity?

Our mission is to encourage creativity in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland community.

We tend our stock carefully - like a garden, weeding and sowing (but not watering - that would be crazy!).  Books, electronic media, music, sound and video recordings all go into the mix.  That's what libraries do.  We try to provide the materials you need, and other inspirational things for you to find.

We try to keep the environment appropriate for study.  And we talk to our plants!  (Quietly.)

We have library events, like book launches, to bring people into the library and give them an insight into the authors' thought processes.  Quite often, there's live music, or reading poetry/prose from the author's work.  And we exhibit appropriate library materials, again in the hope something might just catch your eye, intrigue or inspire you.

How else can we encourage and foster your creativity?   Do respond to this posting or speak to the library staff!

Summer publishing internship in New York, anyone?

This is an unpaid opportunity that has been shared on the IAML music libraries list.  It could be very interesting to a music student considering publishing as a career - great for the CV, and with a publishing giant - Grove Music at Oxford University Press, no less!

      Internship. We’re looking for a summer intern to help us with a variety of Grove Music editorial projects.  The job posting should be up shortly at the OUP jobs site.  The position is unpaid and students should be able to receive college credit. 

Anna-Lise Santella | Editor, Grove Music Online and Oxford Reference

Oxford University Press | 198 Madison Avenue | New York  10016

anna-lise.santella@oup.com | +1 (212) 743-8322

www.oxfordmusic.com | www.oxfordbibliographies.com  | www.oxfordhandbooks.com

twitter: OUPMusic  | OUP Music blog

Finzi Trust Scholarship Awards

Are you involved in music scholarship?  This is definitely worthy of consideration.  Why not apply?

Details of award scheme

Artists' Development Conference - and we MISSED it!

Whittaker is kicking himself.

He missed all mention of the EFDSS 2013 Artists' Development Conference.  It might be the English Folk Dance and Song Society, but artist development is what we're all about, here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland!

Read the conference report, and see if you don't agree with me?  It must have been epic!

efdss homepage

Money for Music Research

AHRC Doctoral Studentship (PhD)

The Open University in Collaboration with the National Library of Scotland

Do you fancy doing doctoral research in Edinburgh?  As part of 'The Arts and their Audences', the Open University is able to offer this fully-funded studentship.

• Details of Arts and Humanities Studentships at the Open University
• Music Research at the Open University
• NLS Music Collections

JSTOR to the Rescue! (B-listed Composers? No Problem!)

They were in a panic.

"We've got to give a talk ..."

Confidentiality prevents 'Whittaker' from revealing who the B-listed composers were.  Suffice to say, we checked JSTOR - the back-copy journal database - and the problem was sorted.  Instantly.*

The Whittaker Library subscribes to the JSTOR Music package.  Recommended!


* Big names are also covered.  And there's no harm in looking for the wee ones, either!

Librarians Should Be Seen and Not Heard? Think Again!

A book was launched ...

Our Ancient National Airs

Fri 26th April 2013, 4pm
The Whittaker Library
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Talk from author and Conservatoire librarian Karen McAulay and music from Conservatoire students and Karen Marshalsay. 

Clarsair Karen Marshalsay

 WARNING

The author is torn between a conviction that a librarian is a "quiet" kind of person, and modest satisfaction at having published a Real Book!  This was not a quiet event.  (Hopefully it also demonstrated that research can indeed move from the academic sphere to genuine public engagement!)

Tradfest in Edinburgh this week



24 April - 6 May 2013

At the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

• Further info
• Programme

Creativity is our second name!

Creativity is big at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Out of idle curiosity, Whittaker searched the Whittaker Library catalogue to see what we've got on our shelves.

Oh, wow!  Plenty of reading material there.  Take a look.

• Creativity on the drama shelves
• Creativity on the music shelves

A tribute to Sir Colin Davis, from Cambridge

MusiCB3 Blog is the music library blog from the University of Cambridge.  Here's their tribute to Sir Colin Davis, in the latest blogpost.

To Celebrate, to Commemorate: Sir Colin Davis (1927-2013)

Creative Scotland Revised Funding Programmes

Read about the revised funding programmes on the Creative Scotland website, here.

Creative Scotland homepage: http://www.creativescotland.com/

Violinmaking

BBC posting on choosing best materials for a Stradivarius

Today I've just come across a BBC News item about choosing the best musical wood for a Stradivarius.  It might interest you - see it here.

I've blogged before about violin-making.  (If you search this blog for "fiddletree", you'll find my earlier postings, and I also did a Storify posting entitled, 'Musings on Creativity'.)

Have you ever seen a mediaeval plainsong manuscript?

Even if you never look at a piece of plainsong again, these are fabulous images. Take a look, and wonder at the craftsmanship of the monks who copied this … (Sibelius software, eat your heart out!).

St Andrews Special Collections posted: "I didn’t intend to write about the gradual at all for this post, I just happened to be looking at it one day when it was out for Tom Wilkinson the chapel organist to see. He is going to conduct the chapel choir in singing one of the Kyrie settings for a c"  .  Read more ...

Makes me almost nostalgic for my days as a mediaevalist Masters student!!