Finally after a long process, my new book with Gary West is out!

https://www.routledge.com/Understanding-Scotland-Musically-Folk-Tradition-and-Policy/McKerrell-West/p/book/9781138205222

The book came initially out of the 2014 conference we ran here at Newcastle University–Understanding Scotland Musically, supported by the AHRC.

The final book has 19 chapters with some great contributions:

1	Understanding Scotland Musically Simon McKerrell & Gary West
	Policy & Practice
2	Traditional music and cultural sustainability in Scotland Simon McKerrell
3	‘A sense of who we are’: The cultural value of community-based traditional music in Scotland Josephine L Miller
4	The emergence of the ‘traditional arts’ in Scottish cultural policy David Francis
5	‘Eun Bheag Chanaidh’ Where the Gaelic arts and non-traditional theatre meet: a Song Discussion Fiona J. Mackenzie
6	Referendum Reflections: Traditional music and the performance of politics in the campaign for Scottish independence Mairi McFadyen
	Porosity, Genres, Hybridity
7	The changing nature of conceptualisation and authenticity among Scottish traditional musicians: traditional music, conservatoire education and the case for post-revivalism Joshua Dickson
8	Slaying the Tartan Monster: Hybridisation in recent Scottish music Meghan McAvoy
9	‘It Happens in Ballads’: Scotland, utopia and traditional song in The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Stephe Harrop
10	The problem with ‘traditional’ David McGuinness
11	Salsa Celtica’s great Scottish Latin adventure – an insider’s view Phil Alexander
	Home and Host
12	Distant voices, Scottish lives: On song and migration M. J. Grant
13	The Globalization of Highland Dancing Patricia H. Ballantyne
	The past in the present
14	Locating identity in the aural aspects of Thomas Percy’s Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: A bibliographic perspective Danni Glover
15	Routes, roles and folk on the edge: Scotland’s instrumental music through the revival lens Stuart Eydmann
16	Links with the past in the present-day performance of Scottish fiddle music; or, the historicity of tradition Ronnie Gibson
17	Wynds, vennels and dual carriageways: the changing nature of Scottish music Karen E. McAulay
18	Understanding Scotland musically: Reflections on place, war and nation Gary West
19	Afterword Simon Frith

 

The first couple of chapters are available to read for free for a limited time on the Routledge link above. Many thanks to Gary, and to all the authors who have contributed, I think it’s a really strong contribution to Scottish traditional music and quite a forward looking set of essays. I’d love to hear back from any readers!