I don't think I've seen this on Mudcat, but apologies if it has been. I've only just received the following details:

Crosbhealach an Cheoil - The Crossroads Conference 2003
Theme: Education and Traditional music
Post-Easter weekend - April 25-27, 2003, Location to be decided
Organised by an independent committee, most of whom are Traditional players, all concerned with a variety of levels of teaching Traditional music: Colette Moloney, Department of Applied Arts, Waterford Institute of Technology; Eithne Vallely, Armagh Pipers' Club / St. Patrick's Teacher Training College, Dublin; Desi Wilkinson (musician and researcher) Limerick; Liz Doherty (musician, lecturer, researcher) Buncrana; Fintan Vallely (Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages, University of Ulster, ); Therese Smith, Music Dept., University College Dublin.

Topics to be addressed:
1/ The variety of teaching contexts: past to present, learning from neighbours, parents, peers, organisations, summer schools, aurality/orality, travelling musicians, the written note, recordings, video, digital technology and the Internet - negatives and positives.

2/ Goals of teaching in music: artistic and creative purpose, aesthetics, fleadh cheoil standards, the professional as role model, contradictions, indoctrination or open mind, examinations, grades.

3/ Teaching for the future: methodology that has been successful, failures, satisfaction, where the jobs are, why do we teach music, problems in teaching singing, training the teachers.

Call for papers from those interested in or involved in traditional music education at all levels. In order to have maximum constructive awareness all sessions will run consecutively. This demands careful selection of papers. To facilitate this we ask for a clear, 200 word résumé AND a concise 30-word summary of prospective contribution, on a topic relating to one of the thematic guidelines 1,2 or 3 above. These should be sent on either disk or by email, to reach us by December 31st, 2002. Papers given will be published.

Call for poster presentations

We intend also to have a display of 'poster' style presentations to offer visible summations of activity by the full range of private, public and summer schools, colleges, etc. involved in the music. No verbal presentation is required. These should be laid out on A1 paper, and can utilise photos, text or graphics. Posters will be on display for the duration of the weekend. Please submit offers of posters by December 31st, 2002 also.

Enquiries, full brochure, and paper or poster résumés, please send to: Cros2003, Killybush, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, OR email - info@cros2003.com

Website from 1st October: www.cros2003.com

This conference is facilitated by the Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages, University of Ulster, the Department of Music at University College Dublin, and the Department of Applied Arts, Waterford Institute of Technology

sian, west wales