Scottish Traditional Music: Phase 3

Proposition:

Location:

My case study will take me to the Highland region of Scotland to research and record the usage of the celtic harp instrument in its traditional form. Scotland itself is a country of the United Kingdom, is made up of more than 790 individual islands, and has a population of roughly 5.5 million. I will be performing my case study alone in this country, with no more recording technology than what I will absolutely need. I will fly into the city of Inverness, and I will be staying for one month in a hotel in Portree, a city centered in the area in which the celtic harp is played, and I will travel by use of a rental car.

Previous Research:

Much research has been performed in the area of Scottish music, but many published articles are on the Scottish style of fiddle, instrumentation of the Highland bagpipes, or general Scottish traditional music altogether. This is why I would like to branch out and research one specific instrument which has not been discussed in the scholarly world as much as other Scottish features. My guess is that since the harp as an instrument did not originate in Scotland, more research has been done on the celtic harp’s predecessors. While the harp’s earliest forms are important to discuss, the celtic harp has not appeared to have much say in Scottish research.

Budget:

Scotland’s currency is the British Pound. 1 USD = 0.601 BP.

Air Fare: $1,200 round-trip

Rental Car: $370

Gasoline: $350 for 1,000 miles

Room and Board: $4,500 for 30 nights

Equipment: TASCAM DR-05 recorder = $80, Audio-Technica PRO 63 mics = $100

Musician Compensation: $300 per musician = $900

Total Per Diem: $1,500

Miscellaneous (for good measure): $200

GRAND TOTAL: $9,500