Bennets, Spotify and Scotland's Finest for a Day

Bennets Bar has a nice slow session every Wednesday.  Its run by Nigel Gatherer, a well known whistle and mandolin player as well as a great tutor for the Scots Music Group.   

I don't normally play my fiddle here now - its a bit slow.  However I took my guitar along for a change and had a really nice evening.  There was a good crowd playing with a clarsach and bouzouki among the instruments.  Later on, I pulled out the fiddle and played a few sets - including Battle of Waterloo/Nusa which we have been playing lately in the folk band.

I have been listening to Spotify a lot.  I have been a member for ages but it is coming into its own and it's a good source for all genres of music I find that my starred music is getting more and more eclectic!  Recent additions to the ever growing list include Sufjan Stevens, Bela Fleck, Soul Coughing, Fatboy Slim, The Streets, Le Vent du Nord (a French Canadian trad band coming to Celtic connections) and Thomas Newman.  

Also listening to Kind of Blue - which I'll be blogging on soon!

I also joined Grooveshark recently.  They are both a good source of online music and both have a free option.  I have been searching them for inspiration for  composing and possible tunes to work into new sets.  I predict that soon we will all be "renting' music through such online sites more than buying it to own.  I suppose it will take iTunes to make the leap - we shall see. 

While on the subject of composing Wednesday includes a slot for composition.  I have composed a tune called Scotland's Finest for a Day in B minor.  Its now on Sibelius.

My way of working seems the reverse to many of my classical colleagues. I guess it comes from being a trad musician.  I compose straight onto the fiddle and then work out the manuscript and wrestle with Sibelius until it sounds  as close as possible to how I played it.  This is well nigh impossible given that the voices Sibelius has are not particularly geared for folk music!  But it is a useful exercise to get it down accurately and to add other instruments.   I had some nice feedback on it from Tommy.  He suggested changing the instrument voice to an oud -  the folkiest that Sibelius has?   Hmmn.  

Next challenge will be to put in some harmony, percussion, and rythmn lines.  I will probably take it into Logic.

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