Early American Classics for Banjo
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The audio recording by Rob MacKillop features a gut-strung banjo, and is played with the flesh of the fingertips, in the old American tuning. For modern instrument players, Rob has provided TAB and a Standard Notation stave at modern banjo pitch. Clawhammer players will find many of the pieces in the book suitable for their technique, and bluegrass/fingerstyle players will be able to play all the pieces. Rob MacKillop provides a fascinating introductory essay, placing the music in its historical context, while his audio of performances can be viewed as a stand-alone recording by a leading player in the revival of this great American banjo heritage. Includes access to online audio.
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Rob MacKillop has recorded eight CDs of historical music, three of which reached the Number One position in the Scottish Classical Music Chart. In 2001 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship for his research into medieval Scottish music, which led him to study with Sufi musicians in Istanbul and Morocco. He broadcast an entire solo concert on BBC Radio 3 from John Smith's Square, London. He has presented academic papers in Portugal and Germany, and has been published many times. Rob has been active in both historical and contemporary music.
Three of Scotland's leading contemporary composers have written works for him, and he also composes new works himself. In 2004 he was Composer in Residence for Morgan Academy in Dundee, and in 2001 was Musician in Residence for Madras College in St Andrews. He created and directed the Dundee Summer Music Festival. He worked as a reader of school literature for Oxford University Press, and as a reviewer for Music Teacher. He has also been lecturer in Scottish Musical History at Aberdeen University, Dundee University, and at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and for five years worked as Musician In Residence to Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. He has frequently written articles for BMG magazine.
Rob plays guitars, lutes, 18th-century wire-strung "guittar," plucking the strings with the flesh of his fingers, not the nails. This produces a warm and intimate sound, reminiscent of the old lute players.
Rob MacKillop is at the forefront of the revival of historical guitar styles, performing on period and modern instruments. These days he teaches from his home studio in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as via Skype.
Rob has written many books for Mel Bay Publications.
