If you are in Edinburgh, this is worth going to. 

Future Learn runs absolutely amazing free courses. You can join worldwide.

There are two music courses coming up over the summer.  One is Creative Coding.  I've joined it.   Looks great.  It starts on the 3 August.

The other is From Notation to Performance: Understanding Musical Scores 
Looks interesting.  There are lots of courses in many subjects. Why not have a browse if you are looking for something to do over the summer months? 

So its time to vote on the long list of Scottish albums to whittle down to a short list.   What a great selection with something for everyone. Pop over to the site and vote before 27 May.   Its hard to choose. You can sample them all though and enjoy the diversity and fantastic talent we have in Scotland.

Me recording a couple of weeks ago. Taken through the studio window.

Pleased that I am taking a space at the WHALE Arts Agency in Edinburgh.  A mac, coffee and yoghurt.  Perfect.  It a great space for creatives.

Sarah-Jane Summers (don't forget the "Jane") and her partner Juhani Silvola playing Scandinavian folk sublimely.  I can hear some sul ponticello in there.  Cool video too. 

Sarah-Jane taught me for a few year and is one of the reasons I am now a composer.  She has studied a Masters at  Oslo.  They are working on some new material so it will be interesting to see what they do next.  In the meantime check out this video.

I have kept a listening diary this year.  Just quick notes about what listening I have been doing and why I like or dislike certain pieces.  I can highly recommend it.  I have just read over it and I can say I have listened widely to all sorts of genres and periods of music.  It seem a really valuable resource as reading reminds me to go back and listen again to pieces I like. As a composer, listening is really necessary as a spring board for ideas. My listening rages from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, to Debussey, to Simon Emerson, Steve Riech and Louis Andreissen to name just a few.  

Here's bit of Charles Ives

Braveheart is on UK TV tonight.  I have seen it several times but I am reminded as I watch tonight what a great soundtrack it has.  Written by James Horner who is one of my favourite composers.   I did an analysis of the first 20 mins or so of the soundtrack to Titanic and was seriously impressed at how he used the music to suggest objects in the film e.g. the piano, the child's doll and the chandelier on the sea bed.  Anyway, here is the soundtrack to Braveheart.  Enjoy.