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Complete Concept List

Complete Resource List

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Festivals
There has been a huge growth in the number of traditional music festivals recently - it’s now possible to visit a festival somewhere in Scotland almost every weekend of the year! Some are locally run and some have the help of national organisations such as the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland and the National Gaelic Arts Project . Some festivals, such as Celtic Connections at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, are run by venues themselves, with the support of public funds.

At most festivals the programme is a mixture of formal ticketed concerts and more informal events such as sessions and festival clubs. There may also be associated workshops or other educational activities. There is always merchandise for sale, from CDs and T shirts to tunebooks!

Education
There are an increasing number of classes, courses and qualifications in traditional music where students can learn formally from tutors. Learners can also teach themselves, and many make use of recordings and published collections as a resource for this. Opportunities range from informal learning to degree courses in Higher Education institutions.

Traditional Music and Young People
Many young people who make traditional music are keen to appeal to others their own age. This happens through events such as Feisean and through recordings blending pop and traditional music. Examples of this can be found in the music of Martyn Bennett and compilation recordings with titles such as Fast and Furious: Traditional Music for a Modern Generation which try to select instrumentation and repertoire with particular appeal for younger audiences.

Competitions
Competitions are an important platform for musicians, and prizewinners often launch or advance their musical careers by these means. In Scotland competitions include the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships, the Gold Medal for Piobaireachd, the National Mod (Gaelic music) and, most recently, the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year.

Broadcasting
Traditional music appears on television either as background music for particular programmes, or as the focus of a programme in its own right. The latter may include Burns night and Hogmanay programmes. Gaelic music has regular exposure on television just now due to separate funding given to Gaelic broadcasters.

BBC Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gaidheal feature regular broadcasts of traditional music. Best known are probably the dance music programmes Take the Floor, Travelling Folk, and Pipeline. Local radio may also put out traditional music programmes.

Funding
Public funds go to support many of the above, often through local authorities and the Scottish Arts Council. Some posts exist for traditional musicians in residence, and for Music Officers in Local Authorities who have responsibility for traditional music. Many activities run on a project basis, and must annually raise funds to support what they do. Scottish musicians who are professional performers often rely on overseas touring to earn enough income - there aren't enough bookings in Scotland alone.

Archives
Many people are increasingly interested in having access to resources and information through which they can learn more about traditional music. Their interest may be as performers or local historians, those interested in wider Scottish culture, or teachers looking for materials for their pupils. Various bodies try to meet this need. Smaller archives often form part of local museums or heritage centres. Well known archives include:

School of Scottish Studies

North East Folklore Archive

Scottish Centre for Political Song

Dualchas Project

Scottish Music Centre

There are also, of course, collections of material in all kinds of local and national libraries in Scotland and abroad.