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Paul
Anderson, one of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians, has taken up an
three-year Fellowship at the Elpinstone Institute [University of Aberdeen] to carry out a
research project into the future of traditional Scottish music in modern
society. Well-known as a North-East
fiddler, he is now working on a project aimed at exploring the relationship
between traditional fiddle styles and those of modern fiddle players, and to re-connect today’s musicians
with North-East style and tradition.
The research
– believed to be the first of its kind in the UK – investigates the underlying
musical 'dialects' of the North-East fiddle tradition. The aim is to create a
firm foundation for future creative work and a benchmark for future research.
The project will see Paul travel throughout the North-East to introduce
Scottish traditional music to new audiences within local communities – and,
outside the region, to a wider national and international audience.
He says:
‘Scottish traditional music, particularly fiddle music, thrives today with
thousands involved at all skill levels. Many younger players in Scotland,
however, are unaware of the characteristic, traditional markers of regional
Scottish styles and repertories, and addressing this issue is one of my main
aims. […] The music of the fiddle is an important part of the heritage of
North-East Scotland. As yet, no-one has explored the styles of playing or
presented new repertoires, either in formal concert settings or at informal
gatherings of musicians.’
Paul will
employ a variety of research methods during his study, including an archival
study of unpublished music collections and collaboration with older musicians.
He will also organise courses and workshops to develop new styles in group
performance and will introduce students to music and performance with which
many will be unfamiliar. To make this possible, he will draw extensively on the
University’s music collections in Historic Collections, including the Scott
Skinner Collection.
He will also be
involved in setting up the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, to be held in
Aberdeen on 26-30 July 2006.