Live Music Now
Live Music Now Scotland continues to share uplifting concerts during lockdown, with their Together at Home online music series
Over the past four weeks, the community music outreach organisation Live Music Now Scotland has been continuing to bring the joy of music into people's lives, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their ‘Together at Home’ series is a programme of brand new concerts, recorded especially for sharing with their longstanding audiences, whether that’s older people in care homes, children who would normally attend school or nursery, or people on lockdown in every one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.
Following the cancellation of many concerts last month, Live Music Now Scotland was keen to find alternative ways of sharing music in the community. Music is more vital than ever in these uncertain times, providing a way to take our minds off the current realities that are unfolding and lift us out of the stress and worries of daily life. The charity also considered it crucial to find a means of financially supporting the 118 emerging artists on their roster during a difficult time, and ensuring their work remains accessible.
They devised a solution: pre-recorded concerts, direct from the artists’ homes that can be shared with care homes, arts venues and nurseries. Or straight into the living rooms or mobile phones of their supporters.
Live Music Now Scotland commissioned a special series of videos, recorded in living rooms around Scotland – or wherever their artists are on lockdown – that are available to view on YouTube for a limited time. Please visit their YouTube channel or join them on Facebook to share some wonderful music Together at Home.
The series launched with a relaxing concert of classical harp and flute from the Clark-Michie Duo on Monday 30th March, recorded at musician Aimée Clark’s parents’ home in Glasgow. The Together at Home programme has gone on to include music from the Munich branch of the international organisation, as well as archive performances in celebration of the birthday of Live Music Now’s founder, the violinist Yehudi Menuhin. The American musician, conductor and human rights campaigner was born in New York City on April 22 1916 and founded Live Music Now with Ian Stoutzker in 1977.
This week’s schedule
Wednesday 29th Apr at 7pm
We share another fabulous concert from Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now München e.V., this time with music for piano and clarinet from Duo Towa, featuring Siaoshenshen Huang and Liao Hsiang-Ching.
Friday 1st May at 11am
New Antonine Brass. A fun, interactive music workshop, suitable for under fives
Sunday 3rd May at 7pm
Traditional Scottish singer Iona Fyfe. Suitable for the general public, older people in care homes and those living with dementia.
Some highlights from the past few weeks that you can find on Live Music Now Scotland’s YouTube channel
Scott Wood & Mhairi Marwick, a husband and wife duo playing lively traditional Scottish tunes on Border pipes and fiddle in their home recording studio. Suitable for primary school children.
Kaitlin Ross & Catriona Hawksworth, traditional Scottish, Gaelic and Irish songs with piano, including ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, commonly known as ‘Will Ye Go Lassie Go’. Suitable for the general public, older people in care homes and those living with dementia. Wednesday 1st April, 1pm.
Grant McFarlane & Ron Jappy, a fun, interactive music session with Scottish songs on guitar and accordion. Follow actions to ‘Katie Bairdie’ and dance to Scottish jigs at home. Aimed at pre-school children, 0-5 years old.
Sophie Rocks, a solo harpist playing a soothing concerto by Handel, a song from The Sound of Music and some of Sophie’s personal favourites. Suitable for the general public, older people in care homes and those living with dementia.
Ryan Young & Seán Gray, traditional Scottish tunes for fiddle and acoustic guitar, featuring ‘I Belong to Glasgow’ and ‘The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen’. Suitable for the general public, older people in care homes and those living with dementia.
Siannie Moodie, relaxing classical music on the clarsach (Scottish harp). Suitable for the general public, older people in care homes and those living with dementia.
Comments from Live Music Now Scotland’s partner venues
Rosemary Macklin, staff member at Walter and Joan Gray Care Home, Scalloway, Shetland
“The people in our home always enjoy hearing music and it’s such a lovely idea to have these online concerts. You can’t come to us in person but we are very happy that you come to us over the ether! Thank you Live Music Now Scotland for making this happen.”
Rebecca Sinclair, Activities Coordinator at Arran View Care Home, Saltcoats, North Ayrshire:
“Music makes such a big difference to the people in our home and I know that they are going to get a lot of enjoyment from the online concerts. Whenever we have music in our home it brings a lot of happiness and it’s great to see residents interacting and singing along. I am so glad that we won’t have to miss out on music concerts in the next few months and it’s brilliant that you can do this. Thank you to Live Music Now for bringing your concerts to us.”
Carol Main, director, Live Music Now Scotland:
“During these uncertain times, Live Music Now Scotland musicians continue to do what they do best – connecting with people of all ages and circumstances through sharing the joy and pleasure of music, but now straight from their own homes to online audiences who are at home too. The musicians’ engaging personalities and presentational style (with optional audience participation!) ensure that the power of music remains part of our everyday lives”
Over and above the Together at Home concert series, Live Music Now Scotland has adapted its ongoing series of Training Sessions for the artists on its roster to include mentoring, teaching and peer to peer learning of new digital skills and online performances. This week they held an online training session via Zoom on ‘How to be a Green Musician’.
To donate to Live Music Now Scotland, please visit our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/livemusicnowscotland
Find more info on the Live Music Now website, or follow Live Music Now Scotland on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.