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I' am busy trying to concentrate on writing, after a very hectic few weeks of photos and reviews and also a very fun time at Celtic
Connections 2014, which was magic and a ton of work too! All the amazing concerts and the people I met. If you come over to Transatlantic Sessions it really is worth it!
My music
blog now gets over 5K hits worldwide per month, more elsewhere than the UK oddly. - http://www.musicfootnotes.com/
I still love
photography but feel I need to focus. For the past months while I am still
writing and I am trying to edit and organise my book into appropriate chapters and
all - this is crucial but also a ton of work! oh dear. Its so easy to get
distracted too! I also write
Life blogs, all kind of things - there is not enough time I guess? http://musicfootnoteslifeblogs
After the quality, diversity, breadth
and quality of Celtic Connections 2014 I am more than ever excited for Scottish
music.
CELTIC
CONNECTIONS 2014!
This year I heard some wonderful new musicians at Celtic - Lau, RM Hubbert, Mogwai, ImeldaMay, Nicola B, Del Amitri and from Greece Alkinoos Ioannidis. I also enjoyed artists I'd heard before - Dougie MacLean, Julie Fowlis, Jerry Douglas, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Capercaillie.
It is good
to see and hear the confidence, creativity, pride and range in Scottish music
these days - and I can remember when it was all tartan shortbread caricatures
and Jimmy Shand and his band or Andy Stewart's 'Donald where's yur
troosers.' Its a huge boost for Glasgow to host this
international event each year. Folk music
is driven by a desire to progress the musical traditions thorough musical
abilities, playing live, ethnic traditions, vocal harmonies, unaccompanied
singing, story telling songs and words with a message, real instruments (??)
and by diverse collaborations. There is much encouragement given over the festival to new musicians – with the Late Sessions, Open mic and also Showcase Scotland with music people worldwide attending these concerts.
After the
warmth of all these concerts I try to get back to normal this cold time
of year. I enjoy the writing too and it is all a
hectic buzz too! Most of photography is about the post processing, uploading,
contacts, online, media, text and info...
Rob Noakes -
with
Where Dead Voices Gather' - still relevant and even better than his
younger days.
