Monday 1 March 2010

Strathclyde Uni Applied Music course - under threat

Who would have believed that within a week of another successful Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow with its cross-cutting progressive music programme that Strathclyde University could plan to lop off a limb of the vibrant Scottish music scene?

At the same time the Scottish Culture Minister's Traditional Arts Working Group reported on the health of the teaching and learning infrastructure in this country which is served so well by the RSAMD and Strathclyde University. Principal, Jim McDonald has rightly gained plaudits for the Energy and Environment Institute which is a champion for Scotland's green energy potential. Does he understand how music in its broadest sense underpins our self-esteem in a nation gaining in confidence?

The Applied Music Course at Strathclyde and its alumni give breath to inventive music which is a key part of Scotland's intangible cultural heritage. This is as much a part of Scotland's sustainability as clean, green energy. The Scottish Government and Parliament voted an increase in Scottish higher education budgets, unlike England's university funding, surely the Principle of Strathclyde Uni can find the cash for music as well as renewable energy development?

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