Mike Ruff Music

News - summer update, 2009

During the last 4 or 5 months things have been like that swan: on the surface carrying on serenely but a lot going on under the surface.

Inevitably for the second quarter of the year Tradamis has dominated my time; not only is it the busy season but also our new admin person came in, made a wonderful impact and we moved offices. We are now firmly committed to growth and all the changes that go with it. For more information on all the exciting things that we are doing, check out the Tradamis website and go on the e-news mailing list. There is even a blog!

2009 News

Now I thought that I would be telling you about a new band that I was involved in at this stage with club and festival bookings and recordings. Sandragon took up a lot of time during the first couple of months this year but sadly we have agreed that they actually needed a greater commitment from me than was possible.

If you wanted to see me in solo Scottish mode or making my first appearance at a Folk Club for more than 10 years then I am afraid you missed it but there are plenty of other things to see so check out the gig list. There is also my own MySpace site under construction.

Many changes are likely over the next couple of months as Tradamis have now appointed an administrator (and will be moving offices) and I am hoping to go into partnership with a friend of mine over the next year so that some of my other ideas and projects can be properly developed. I have already been talking to my friend Tamsyn about reviving our duo Bag o'Peas so watch out for that.

Teaching English Dances to foreigners has become a speciality over the last couple of years and I am regularly doing workshops for Chinese students at the National Centre for Language and Literacy, part of Reading University, and now planning something similar for Polish, Spanish, French and German students at East Berkshire College. Any volunteer helpers for these events most welcome.

More on these and other happenings will follow.

Review of 2008

Nonsuch had major event in February. "Loves Proper Exercise" (18 dancers and singers and 8 musicians) was previewed at Leeds Early Music Festival and performed at St John's, Smith Square in February......

I was able to use the dances as the basis of workshops at Friday Folk in St Albans and Chippenham Folk Festival ....

Also performances for the Big Dance at British Museum, Ham House and a non-performing trip to the Early Dance Circle AGM in Harrogate.

The year had something of a European theme. A French evening led to a "French Week" at schools in Staines. In turn this led to a "European Day" (8 countries) and a "Modern Languages Day" at Magna Carta School in Staines. All of this was organised by my friend and colleague Jo Bartlett under the banner "C'est Dance". Now I am developing a list of dances, tunes and songs from almost every country in Europe.