2006 Awardee: Graeme Brown

Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity - I can now develop my playing and in the long run be better prepared for the profession.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

For the past two years, Graeme, from Windygates in Fife, has been a student on the RSAMD YouthWorks programme and is now studying for a degree in music also at RSAMD, Glasgow.

Thanks to a commitment and discipline rarely seen in an eighteen-year-old, Graeme has made enormous progress in playing the bassoon and he now shows great potential to become a bassoonist of note. One of his recent performances was of a concerto for bassoon and trumpet with John Wallace, principal of RSAMD, on trumpet.

In preparation for his musical studies, Graeme has been raising finances to buy a performance standard bassoon.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award helped Graeme buy a professional standard bassoon.

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Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity - I can now develop my playing and in the long run be better prepared for the profession.

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2006 Awardee: Hamish Napier

YEEEEE HAAAA! This is something I've been really hoping for for ages!

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Hamish is a Scottish traditional musician based in Glasgow. He performs with multi-award-winning band Back of the Moon (voted ‘Best Folk Band’ at the 2005 Scots Trad Awards) and with the Hamish Napier Duos.

Also at the 2005 Scots Trad Awards he was nominated for the ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ in the solo category and a year later was a finalist in the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award at Celtic Connections.

Hamish, from Grantown on Spey, started studying piano and flute at the age of 10. He grew up in a family steeped in the traditions of Scottish music and plays whistle, wooden flute and Scottish piano, sings and stepdances (traditional Scottish tapdancing). Several of his family members are also accomplished Scottish Traditional Musicians.

Hamish is increasingly recognized for his whistle and flute playing. He has received tuition from Marc Duff, Iain MacDonald and Niall Keegan and performed with virtuoso flautist Brian Finnegan in the Celtic Connections ‘Master and Apprentice’ concert series.

He also regularly teaches workshops and at festivals to nurture Scottish Traditional musicianship.

How the Award Helped

As a musician at the top of his game, Hamish has to have instruments that match his abilities and talents. The Dewar Arts Awards enabled Hamish to buy a Bb wooden flute.

Since the Award

Since receiving the flute, Hamish has recorded on over a dozen albums with leading musicians and has collaborated with many of the UK’s finest folk musicians on TV and radio. He went on to study jazz at Strathclyde University and in 2011 was offered a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston.

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YEEEEE HAAAA! This is something I've been really hoping for for ages!

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2006 Awardee: Hazel Turnbull

These pipes will make a huge difference to the sound quality of my music. Thanks again, I really appreciate it.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Seventeen-year-old Hazel Turnbull hopes to study Scottish Music when she finishes school in 2007. Currently she is part of the RSAMD YouthWorks programme for Scottish Music and Pipes.

Brought up in Livingston, Hazel has been an integral player in the Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Juvenile Pipe Band for over four years. The band was runner-up in the 2006 Scottish Championships and accepts only the top young players into its pipe corps. Hazel is also lead percussionist in her school band. Her other interests are writing poetry and short stories.

Hazel has the vital attributes to be a successful piper, namely raw talent, drive and dedication. To reach the highest level, though, a player needs a top quality instrument to work with, which is why she approached the Dewar Arts Awards for assistance.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards funded the purchase of a set of Henderson Classic Highland bagpipes.

Since the Award

After Hazel bought her new pipes, she was amazed at the improved tone of her playing. Hazel is now studying music at Aberdeen University and has joined the Bucksburn and District Grade 2 Pipe Band, an achievement of which she is very proud.

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These pipes will make a huge difference to the sound quality of my music. Thanks again, I really appreciate it.

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2006 Awardee: Holly Lawson

Singing and music is my life, it is a part of who I am and is something which I have a burning desire to do well

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Everyone who hears Holly Lawson sing agrees that they are listening to someone with an extra-special talent. One of her referees heard her sing when she was a secondary school pupil at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton and was struck by the power and intensity and maturity of her voice. Her voice tutor at Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she is now studying, was ‘blown away’ from the moment she first her Holly sing.

As a first semester student, Holly won a coveted solo spot in the twice-yearly sold-out Singers Night Concert hosted by Berklee, which is a remarkable achievement in itself. She received a standing ovation for her performance. Holly is considered to be one of the most gifted traditional singers of her generation.

Native of the Isle of Skye, Holly was unsuccessful the first time she was nominated for a Dewar Arts Award. Undaunted, she raised money to get herself to Boston for one semester, believing passionately that this was the place where she could fully develop and train her voice.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards is helping to fund Holly through her studies at Berklee.

Since the Award

Holly writes that “being a student at Berklee has allowed me to learn about all aspects of music so that I am now a confident, enthusiastic and well-rounded musician.” She concludes that “I have a burning desire to succeed in the music industry and the tools I have learned here have enabled me to go out and make it happen.”

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Singing and music is my life, it is a part of who I am and is something which I have a burning desire to do well

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2006 Awardee: James Mackenzie

I walk from my Halls of Residence to the RSAMD via Buchanan Street every morning and evening. I pass the statue of Donald Dewar and never fail to acknowledge to myself the contribution the “Dewar” has made to my music career. I hope as my studies progress the best is yet to come.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Unfortunately for all the other young budding pipers on the Isle of Lewis, James Mackenzie has won the ‘Best Local Piper in Lewis’ accolade since 1998 and has been the ‘Young Piper of the Year’ in his age group for the last five years.

Seventeen-year-old James is the current and last year’s Scottish Junior Piping Champion. As part of his prize last year he went to the USA for two weeks’ piping tuition. Not only is James a piper of exceptional talent, who has been winning championships since he started piping at the age of 8, but he’s also a very talented classical flautist.

James is one of those talents that stand out from the crowd. His solo performances in piping have equalled the high standard of the world’s finest pipers. Music comes easily to James, and he is also a talented composer. This year he will go to Benbecula to study traditional music and thereafter to RSAMD in Glasgow to study for a music degree.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled James to buy a set of small pipes and a wooden flute.

Since the Award

The impact on James’s musical development of having these new instruments has been immense. He writes that “when my new instruments arrived and I started to play them I found new expression and freedom”.  James is now studying for a degree in Scottish Traditional Music at RSAMD and was a finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year.

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I walk from my Halls of Residence to the RSAMD via Buchanan Street every morning and evening. I pass the statue of Donald Dewar and never fail to acknowledge to myself the contribution the “Dewar” has made to my music career. I hope as my studies progress the best is yet to come.

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2006 Awardee: Jonathan Carr

I thank the trustees for this kind and generous award which will help me achieve my dream of becoming a successful jazz vocalist

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jonathan is the first jazz vocalist from Scotland to win a place at Berklee College of Music, Boston.

From an early age, he has had an ambition to become a jazz singer and musician. He was the first singer to perform with Tommy Smith’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra and has been wowing all the top jazz musicians since, including Fionna Duncan, Sheila Jordan and Sophie Bancroft.

Jonathan, from Wishaw, is considered to be an outstanding and unique talent in Scotland with a voice, musicality and performance abilities that are described as ‘breathtaking’. One of Scotland’s top jazz musicians writes, “his talent is extraordinary, his potential is enormous and he stands out by miles from a very worthy set of peers.” At his age, this is a rare talent which requires expert nurturing and tuition to enable him to achieve the top of his artistic career.

Jonathan joins a growing and enormously talented group of young Scottish jazz and traditional musicians at Berklee.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help towards Jonathan’s expenses to study at Berklee.

Since the Award

After his first year at Berklee, Jonathan writes, “Before I came to Berklee I was strictly a jazz singer but I have developed both as a jazz singer and as a singer/songwriter. When I went home for the summer I reached the final of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year held with the Glasgow Jazz Festival …… and I think the people who had heard me sing before saw the effect that just a few months at Berklee has had on me.”

Jonathan was offered third year support to continue at Berklee, but wrote to say that ‘it is best for my career that I move on and focus on trying to make a successful career as a recording artist’. He goes on to say that ‘your help changed my life and there is no doubt none of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for your continued generosity’.

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I thank the trustees for this kind and generous award which will help me achieve my dream of becoming a successful jazz vocalist

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2006 Awardee: Karen Cargill

The Dewar Arts Awards are a wonderful source of support for young Scottish artists, enabling them to continue their development. I'm incredibly grateful to the Dewar Awards for their help in my preparation for this next step in my career.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 30
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.karencargill.co.uk
 
 

Biography

Born and brought up in Arbroath, Karen trained at the RSAMD, Glasgow, Toronto and the National Opera Studio, London.

A joint winner in 2002 of the Kathleen Ferrier Award – possibly the most prestigious vocal award in the UK – Karen has become established as a top British mezzo-soprano and is one of the most distinguished young Scottish artists of recent years. Her voice is described as one of “extraordinary beauty and power”.

At the start of her professional career, Karen has already performed at top national and international venues with some of the leading orchestras in the UK and Europe, including the 2005 Last Night of the Proms as the soloist in The Rio Grande.

She is a much sought-after recital artist and soloist in Romantic orchestral works, where she is prized for her special combination of power and sensitivity. Karen is heard regularly on BBC Radio 3.

Karen enjoys a close relationship with Scottish Opera where she performed the leading role of Rosina in their 2007 production of the Barber of Seville.  For more information see www.karencargill.co.uk and www.maxinerobertson.com, her agent.

How the Award Helped

Karen performed the leading role of Rosina in the Scottish Opera’s 2007 production of the Barber of Seville. It is recognised that Rossini operas require specialist preparation in both vocal and language coaching.

The Dewar Arts Award helped finance Karen’s coaching with teachers of international reputation.

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The Dewar Arts Awards are a wonderful source of support for young Scottish artists, enabling them to continue their development. I'm incredibly grateful to the Dewar Awards for their help in my preparation for this next step in my career.

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2006 Awardee: Kathleen Boyle

I am delighted and honoured to receive the award.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Kathleen Boyle, born and brought up in Castlemilk, Glasgow, comes from a long line of musicians originally from Donegal. She and her three siblings all learned to play Irish traditional music from their father.

With the help of a scholarship, Kathleen was able to go on to study Scottish traditional music at RSAMD, where she had her first formal accordion and piano lessons. Kathleen was the only person in her school year to attend university.

Kathleen, 27, now works as a freelance musician and plays with the band Dochas, which was the winner of the best newcomer award at the 2005 Scottish traditional music awards. More recently Kathleen has played with the band Cherish the Ladies, based in the US. Kathleen is current Scottish and British accordion, piano and piano accompaniment champion in traditional Irish music. She is also a tutor at RSAMD and co-ordinates their YouthWorks programme.

Kathleen’s ambition is to produce a solo CD of Scottish and Irish traditional music, bringing together the two main musical influences in her life. The album will include some of her own compositions as well as other contemporary music and traditional songs. Throughout the years many songs and tunes have been handed down through the five generations of musicians in her family, many of which have never been recorded. One is the famous tune ‘The Moving Cloud’ which was composed by her grandfather and is still often played by traditional musicians.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will provide the funding to record and produce Kathleen’s first solo CD.

Since the Award

After finishing the recording of her CD, Kathleen writes, “A personal highlight of the project was visiting Donegal to record track 11 “The Moving Clouds”. This tune was composed by my late grandfather Neillidh Boyle. We used the original archival recording of Neillidh Boyle playing the fiddle and recorded an accordion and piano part with myself and my father respectively. The recording was conducted in my father’s house in Cronashallog, Dungloe and when we were there we realised that the original recording was made in the exact same place 54 years earlier. My grandfather died in 1961 and so I never had the chance to meet him. On listening back to the track we heard for the first time ever the three generations playing together.”

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I am delighted and honoured to receive the award.

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2006 Awardee: Kayley Donnelly

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 11
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Kayley started playing the violin when she was 9 years old at her primary school in Springburn where she lives. It was soon apparent that she had a special musical gift which should be nurtured.

At the recommendation of her violin tutor, Kayley auditioned for the music school of Douglas Academy and “against the odds”, as her mother writes, won a coveted place to study music.

Studying at Douglas Academy will mean living away from home for a few nights per week, but Kayley is undaunted as “she loves her music and is excited about the opportunity.”

Kayley’s music teachers say that she has a natural talent for music far beyond any of the other pupils. She is able to capture the mood of the pieces she plays and is quick to pick up any new concepts taught and incorporate them into her playing.

How the Award Helped

It is for young musicians like Kayley that the so-called “Daughter of Dewar” Awards were instituted. The Dewar Arts Award contributed towards the purchase of Kayley’s first violin.

At the moment, who knows how far Kayley’s natural-born talent will take her. But giving her the opportunity to develop it and to discover the joys of making music is also part of the ethos of the Dewar Arts Awards. It is to encourage young people of exceptional ability for their age to become the best that they can be and contribute to the cultural life of Scotland.

Since the Award

Kayley writes, “It has been great having my own violin and I adore playing.  My playing and technique have improved greatly.” Kayley plays in the school Chamber Orchestra and their second orchestra and has been asked to play solo at another school’s event.

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2006 Awardee: Kirsty MacKinnon

I thank the trustees … most sincerely. The clàrsach is essential for my studies in Scottish Traditional Music.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Kirsty MacKinnon has lived all her life on the beautiful Isle of Mull. Her family has a long tradition in Gaelic music, especially singing. She has been involved in many arts projects run by An Tobar in Tobermory over the years.

Now eighteen year old, Kirsty is about to leave Mull and embark on a degree in traditional music at RSAMD, specialising in the clàrsach and Gaelic singing.

Kirsty is already an experienced performer, having appeared in concerts and ceilidhs as a soloist and as part of ensembles and choirs. She also performed as lead singer with the Tobermory rock band Speechless, writing some of the lyrics and melodies for their singles. Kirsty is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing piano and guitar as well as clàrsach.

Kirsty is a skilled performer in many different musical genres, as well as being a talented songwriter with experience in producing. A successful career in music is a given; Kirsty is spoilt for choice as to which direction she will go in.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award contributed towards buying Kirsty’s first good quality clàrsach.

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I thank the trustees … most sincerely. The clàrsach is essential for my studies in Scottish Traditional Music.

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