Trad Music Schools

Exciting and fun residential Scottish music schools for young people

Next Easter Youth Gaitherin 8-10th April 2019 tickets on sale now!

The Easter Youth Gaitherin’ is an exciting opportunity for young musicians to come and take part in three days of workshops led by some of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians. Each participant can chose from three options, including fiddle (mixed levels), whistle, highland pipes, song and group work. We are delighted to announce that this years EYG will be based in Leith Theatre.

This event for 10-18yr olds is all about creativity, making friends through music and having fun. Over the three days you will work with our tutors towards an exciting performance to showcase to family and friends on the final night.

We are very lucky that this event has been able to go ahead after gaining some support from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s Access to Arts and Culture Fund.

Your 2019 tutors will be;

Steven Blake

Sally Simpson

Roo Geddes

Heather MacLeod

Tickets – www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/easter-youth-gaitherin-2019-tickets-56477610052

If you have any questions just drop Laura-Beth an email at eyg@handsupfortrad.co.uk

Tinto Summer School 2018 Daily vlogs

We had a fantastic week at our annual Tinto Summer School. It’s a brilliant week of tutors and young people learning Scottish music and song. We posted a daily vlog of our activities on Facebook and YouTube to keep people keep up todate. You can also see them below. Last week we posted a link to last years vlogs and you can see them here. If you are interested in attending next years Tinto Summer School you can keep up with all the info at www.tintosummerschool.com

Tinto Summer School is next week. Watch last years vlogs!

It’s always an exciting time of year when Tinto Summer School comes round and loads of young people head to Wiston Lodge, Wiston, South Lanarkshire to learn music for the first week of July. Last year we made a daily vlog and they’re all below for you to get a feel the fun of the week. Watch the 2018 vlogs on our Hands Up for Trad YouTube channel.

Tinto Summer School vlog day 1

Tinto Summer School vlog day 2

Tinto Summer School vlog day 3

Tinto Summer School vlog day 4

Tinto Summer School vlog day 5

Find out more at www.tintosummerschool.com

Assistant Tutors aged 16+ to help teach at Folkworks Youth Summer School

Folkworks are looking for Assistant Tutors aged 16+ to help teach at Folkworks Youth Summer School.

An Assistant Tutor is a participant who will help the Tutor in one of their classes, whilst still having the full Summer School experience being a participant in their other class. Assistant Tutors are expected to follow the participant code of conduct and fully participate in all activities.

These participants only pay for their food and board, which comes to £235 (this can be payable in instalments)

We are looking for young people who are passionate about playing and teaching folk and traditional music, song and dance. You can apply to be an Assistant Tutor in any of our classes (see website for full class list).

We are looking for Assistant Tutors who are:

• Between 16-20 years old

• Passionate and experienced musicians or singers

• Friendly and considerate

• Willing to learn from our experienced tutors

• Happy to participate in everything Summer School has to offer

The benefits of becoming an Assistant Tutor:

• Learn to teach from some of the best folk music tutors in the country

• Develop your skills as a musician and teacher

• Pass on your experience and knowledge to other young people

• Significantly reduced fee for the week (food and boardonly, £235)

How to apply:

To apply to be an assistant tutor please email folkworks.summerschool@sagegateshead.com with subject title ‘Assistant Tutor Application’. Let us know in no more than 200 words:

1) Why would you like to be an Assistant Tutor?

2) What experience do you have of playing and/or teaching folk and traditional music?

3) Which class would you like to assist?

4) How would you benefit from this experience?

To apply or find out more please contact us on folkworks.summerschool@sagegateshead.com

Nurturing Talent – Time to Shine Fund in Learning

Creative Scotland’s ‘Nurturing Talent – Time to Shine Fund’ aims to support young people aged 14-20…

Are you interested in developing your skills in one of the following areas?

Drama, Dance, Music, Film, Visual Arts, Literature, Digital Arts

Sometimes creative talent needs a little bit of financial help to reach its full potential.

Whatever your creative passion, look no further than the Young Scot and Creative Scotland’s Nurturing Talent – Time to Shine Fund.

Who can apply?

Anyone aged 14-20, living in Scotland. Both individuals and groups can apply for funding ranging from £50- £600.

In the case of group applications, details of all group members should also be provided and the majority of the group should be aged between 14 and 20 years old.

Can I apply for funding on behalf of an organisation?

Applications from professional arts organisations, schools or other educational institutions will not be accepted.

What kind of thing can I apply for?

The fund provides financial support to help nurture talent in a number ways. From recording a demo with your band, to putting on an exhibition of your own artwork, and lots more in between.

For more info on what you can get funding for check out the application guidance notes linked in the related section at the bottom of this page.

How do I apply?

You can fill in the embedded form below, download the printable application form, or complete an application form online, or call the Young Scot Infoline for free on 0808 801 0338 to request an application by post.

https://young.scot/information/learning/nurturing-talent-time-to-shine-fund/

Fèis Dhùn Èideann Secondary Group Workshop day on Saturday 10th February (10am-5pm)

Fèis Dhùn Èideann would like to encourage you all to come along to Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce on Saturday 10th February to take part in their annual Secondary Group Workshop day.

It’s always a really enjoyable day where singers and musicians work together during the day on to arrange a song or set of tunes. Everyone then shares some pizza together before getting the chance to perform their song/set of tunes at a Family ceilidh in the evening. This year we have two fine young musicians Joseph Peach and Owen Sinclair from the band Tannara (https://tannaramusic.com <https://tannaramusic.com> ) leading the instrumentalists while the wonderful Darren MacLean will be back again to lead the singers.

The Secondary Group Workshop day on Saturday 10th February (10am-5pm): Open to singers and instrumentalists of Intermediate/Advanced level.  Participants will attend workshops from 10 am to 5pm where they will learn some new tunes for part of the day and work on group arrangements for the rest of the time. They also welcome singers who can learn a new song or two in the morning and work on a group arrangement with some of the instrumentalists in the afternoon. It is hoped some of the groups will perform their pieces at the Family Ceilidh in the evening.

This year the Family Ceilidh will take place on Saturday 10th February 6.30-8.30pm. This is always an enjoyable evening where parents can join their children to dance the evening away to music provided by our wonderful group of tutors. It’s a great chance to meet the other families and share a dance and a glass of wine!

An application form for the workshop is attached here. Places are limited so be sure to get your form back to me by January 25th at the latest.

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Book your place on the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin 3-5th April 2018!

Registrations are now open for Hand’s Up for Trad’s Easter Gaitherin’ 2018 3-6th April! Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin’s long established event will be lead by some of Scotland’s finest folk musicians who will give lessons in your chosen instruments, as well helping you to create exciting arrangements for performance.

Book your place!

We are happy to announce the tutors and classes for 2018 are;

Sarah Hayes (Admiral Fallow) – Song/ Keyboard / Flute & Whistle

Sally Simpson – Fiddle / Groupwork

Innes Watson (Treacherous Orchestra) – Groupwork/Guitar/Drama

Lori Watson (Scots singer of the year 2016) – Song / Advanced Strings

We have moved to an exciting new venue too! We are pleased to anounce that this years Gaitherin’ will be held at The Music Box – a specialist music complex at Edinburgh College’s Sighthill Campus.

Over the three days you will work with your tutors towards an exciting performance to showcase to your friends and family the final night. Whether you choose to play sessions or just relax in your breaks, there will always be plenty of opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

If you are aged 9-18 and interested in joining us (or know someone who is) click here.

Full Price = £100

Price per additional sibling = £85

Concession = £50

Book your place!

Inspiring Scotland Alasdair Gray Bursary 2017 award winner: Iona Fyfe

The Saltire Society’s Inspiring Scotland Alasdair Gray Bursary 2017 award winner has been announced.

On 30 November, 2016, at the Songs for Scotland 2 event in the Oran Mor Auditorium, a new Scottish bursary was created for young Scottish creatives. On that night a £500 bursary was awarded to a promising young Scottish music student. In 2017 the Saltire Society agreed to take over the bursary and to make it into a £1000 annual award given to a young Scottish creative enrolled in a school or university.

On 15 December the recipient of the 2017 award was named at the Saltire Society’s offices in Edinburgh.

Congratulations Iona Fyfe!

According to the Saltire Society:

‘The winner of the Alasdair Gray Bursary is an emerging folksinger who will use the bursary to research and record the ballads and folksongs of the north east. She will use the funds to produce an album of songs with accompanying songbook to include the historical background and lyrics of each piece, to be released in 2018.’

According to Iona:

‘It is an honour to be awarded the Alasdair Gray Inspiring Scotland Bursary. It is a great support for young arts practitioners in Scotland, and I’m delighted it will support my project, ‘Away from my Window’. The album will combine an in depth ethnographic research and musical collaboration to nurture Aberdeenshire balladry and encapsulate traditional song through modern interpretation. The album is due out in early 2018 and the support the Alasdair Gray Bursary provides will help get it there.’

Iona Fyfe sings ‘Lovely Molly’.

If you wish to offer further support to Iona, her website is here;

Iona Fyfe Band

Applications for the 2018 Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail are now open!

The Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail is a paid summer job for outstanding young musicians aged 16-25. The Ceilidh Trail will be touring for four weeks: 16th July – 11th August. Includes training week from 9th-13th July.

Participants will discover what it is like to be a touring artist – they will experience every kind of gig imaginable as you will play informal sessions, concerts, ceilidh dances, outdoor gigs, background music, and festival stages!

Auditions will be held in Cromarty. Applicants must be available from 10am on Saturday, 17th February through to 3pm on Sunday, 18th February. This is a residential audition weekend. Closing date for applications: 10th January 2018.

Apply now online!