Dr Philip Tonner and Dr Oscar Odena have been involved in a joint University of Glasgow and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland project in partnership with The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music - The Wayfarers: https://thewayfarers.gla.ac.uk/.

Curating pupil performances and educational resources in history and traditional music that explores challenging histories. Guitars, mandolins, fiddles and other instruments that make up a contemporary traditional band resonate with historical associations. This project explores how music can aid the teaching of controversial histories. Working together, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, Plockton; and the University of Glasgow, showcases teaching packs for pilot study in a Scottish secondary school to teach pupils about the musical migration of Scots to Appalachia, Eastern United States, and the challenging historical factors (such as forced migration, slavery, and segregation) that they encountered. 

Teaching resources have been created by music and history teachers across Scotland, and the songs, arranged and performed by pupils at the Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd, Plockton, have been made available to download for use in the classroom. We hope you enjoy using these resources and we welcome your feedback. Please contact us with your comments and suggestions. We are also on Twitter!

First published: 5 April 2022

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