The 30th April was a very special date for the BBC’s long-running Take the Floor as presenter Robbie Shepherd celebrated his 80th birthday. Robbie has been the voice of the show now for over 35 years, and his rich, Doric dialect makes him instantly recognisable, not only in Scotland, but all around the world. The … Continued

“If you want ideas on how to narrow the attainment gap then I think politicians are forgetting to ask the most important people. John Swinney should go and speak to those support teachers. More importantly still, he should talk to these young authors and ask, “how did you achieve this and why did you want … Continued

“You know, in times past, ceilidhs weren’t all about skipping around community halls. It wasn’t just about the dancing, but gathering and sharing, with stories, songs, and whatever else folk had to offer. More about the craic than sets and reels.”

For quite a while I’ve been concerned about the wellbeing of the people I work alongside. I’m a freelance arts manager; I produce concerts and arts projects for a variety of independent artists and small artist-led groups. Most days I find myself on the phone to a colleague asking, ‘Are you OK?’.

By David Francis, TMF Co-ordinator At the recent collogue, ‘Who’s Got an A?’ which focused on questions about how we go about organising teaching and learning in traditional music, Kathryn Deane suggested that we launch an investigation and call it ‘How Ever Did It Go So Right?’ Kathryn runs Sound Sense, the national community music … Continued

The network for Europe’s organisers of folk and traditional music The European Folk Network was set up when it was found there was no European equivalent to the US-based Folk Alliance. It held its first meeting on the last day of Celtic Connections this January. Over 30 people from 9 different European countries were at … Continued

Guest blog by Andrew Bachell Music books are for those who wish to play or learn from a music score.  Like many traditional music groups, Blackford Fiddle Group is mainly based around learning to play by ear.  That said we have always had music books and have recently published a new extended version of our … Continued

Begun as a dream to bring alive and celebrate the traditions and history of the small handloom weaving Renfrewshire village of Kilbarchan through story, song and music, it was amazing to see it become a reality at the end of 2015.

Gordon Duncan, one of Scotland’s most influential and innovative musicians, died ten years ago this week at the age of 41. Stuart Cassells wrote this piece at the time, and has given us permission to reproduce it here. Like everyone I am completely saddened and stunned by the sudden passing of Gordon Duncan. Gordon Duncan … Continued

Report The day drew people with a wide range of experience and from different fields, including music, storytelling, local government and education.  Presentations were focused on oral and local history and local resources. Erin Farley started the day with a practical outline, including hints on recording and transcription techniques, of how to access the experience … Continued