Traditional music must be nurtured by other soils as well as its own if it is to thrive, and there is little to equal the thrill when musicians from different cultures and traditions meet and spark off each other. This is when true inspiration happens; when common elements of the world’s jukebox can be discovered and differences celebrated and explored. And, of course, it can be incredibly inspiring for those watching and listening too. ‘Crossover’ events are one platform which encourages and enables this magic to happen, yet they seem to be in a relative minority. How to change this?

This was my first year as co-organiser of the Northern Streams festival, organised by the TMSA Edinburgh and Lothians branch (although due credit must go to Fiona Campbell, who helped found the festival 9 years ago with Maria Johansen and Ewan MacPherson), and I saw first hand the buzz and energy when different musical strands meet. This year’s festival (13-15th April), included performers from Britain, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and it was immensely rewarding to see the musicians watching and supporting each others’ performances with rapt attention, and afterwards swap CDs, contact details and – most importantly – ideas. There was a Swedish version of ‘The Two Sisters’, forms of short song-poems only found in one area of Denmark, beatboxing, and Icelandic song-dances that sound so ancient they could predate – and so belong to – us all.

Bringing the songs, music dances and stories of Nordic countries to a Scottish audience not only germinates potential future collaborations among the musicians themselves, but it also, crucially, highlights the common roots we all share and with which we can all relate. The workshops for adults and children and the final open singaround didn’t just dissolve barriers between cultures, but also between audience and performer, old and young.

Yet events like this often struggle to attract audiences, especially of a wide age range. Is this just the ‘unknown’ factor – are people just timid to approach events outwith their normal ‘comfort zone’? Or perhaps they’re reluctant to take the gamble that accompanies seeing unfamiliar artists? I’m not so sure. Major festivals like Celtic Connections and programmes such as the Transatlantic Sessions prove that crossover music can have a major appeal. I don’t think this is just that people trust the ‘brand’ – they genuinely seem to want something different. So what’s the answer?

Well, the answer is, quite simply, to carry on! But to carry on by remaining open to ideas, suggestions and support from others with similar experience. It’s also important to remember that ‘smallness’ gives events and organisers swathes of freedom that the musical megaliths don’t have. This is, I feel, something to be celebrated, though it has to be balanced by feasibility.

As Northern Streams approaches its tenth anniversary next year, we have plenty to think about. We want the festival to go from strength to strength, but we also want to retain the personal touch of a small event, where these cultural intertwinings happen right under our noses (and ears). This blog is a great forum for discussion, and we’d like to hear from other organisations and individuals who have similar experiences and interests. How do we ‘open up’ so that people feel they are accessible, that the music is as much theirs as anybody’s?

Music is untranslatable and transcends geography: it comes from joy, pain, longing and the human urge to create. It can make us look differently at ourselves, it can encourage us to re-examine our own music, our own culture, our own sense of identity. Our horizons broaden, our minds and ears open. Let’s have more of it!