Some thoughts on the University of Nottingham’s suspension of all courses in the Department of Music (my workplace for over 17 years) www.linkedin.com/pulse/suspen...

This is awful news to come out of Nottingham. MedRen-ers will be aware that Nottingham has hosted three MedRens in 2012, 1985, and the first ever MedRen in 1972. Do consider signing the petition in the next post. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Prepping up the first batch of books for Next time ur in london listeners. neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/album/next-t...

OUT TODAY! New album 'Next time ur in london' With a BEAUTIFUL accompanying book made with Desmond Clarke and Cassandra Barron. neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/album/next-t...

Campaign to rename mixed nuts 'stratified nuts'.

New tunez out 1 week today! Some available now IF you would like: - Scotrail announcements + saxophones - a surreal podcast using AI trained on me doing a middling/poor impression of an American podcaster - an archived John Maynard Keynes speech neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/album/next-t...

Great (paid) PhD opportunity. Excellent environment, conditions, and supervisors. And a topic close to my heart. (Selfish reason for promoting this: I fear there won't be enough concerts for retired me to go to. Geen dag zonder Bach.) vacatures.knaw.nl/job/The-Hagu...

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Trained a podcasting software on me doing a (middling to poor*) impression of an American podcaster. The results will ASTONISH** you. neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/album/next-t... *In my defence, I had to do it for ca 15 mins **May not astonish you. Potentially will ASTOUND.

Arts Council: ORIGINS. My contribution to the as-yet-non-existent Arts Council Cinematic Universe neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/track/univer...

Next time ur in london releases in 1 month! Thoughts on London's place in British cultural life from someone who has taken many trains to the capital. Sound art meets contemporary composition meets experimental EP. 3 tracks available for prelistening: neiltomassmith.bandcamp.com/album/next-t...

HUUUGE turnout this morning to demand protection for our jobs and our students' learning conditions. There is no deficit!!!

I am fascinated by this guy who was a Higher Ed administrator and has now moved into teaching classes as a faculty member. He is documenting his whole journey on TikTok. Over the summer, he had so much excitement 🧵

This, from Scotland’s first minister @johnswinney.bsky.social, is the most powerful statement that I have yet read on Israel & Palestine from the leader of a western nation. It calls for respect of the 1967 borders and a 2-state future. Read the full statement at: www.gov.scot/publications...

'the protests will continue until the PM stops treating migrants as a burden' - Dani Garavelli

Calls for a "huge nationwide wave" of protests in last 48 hours saw about 300 people attend one locally-organised protest in Nuneaton (serious charges in local case) + 19 protests range from 6 peoole (Wolverhampton) with about four more reaching 100-200 people (Altrincham,Canary Wharf) Total < 2000

“hit by gunfire”

This is amongst the most impactful two minutes of broadcasting I’ve ever seen. By Emma Murphy, International Editor, ITV News. #Gaza

#Gaza: People are being starved, while a few kilometers away supermarkets are loaded with food. UNRWA has thousands of trucks in neighbouring countries, loaded with food and medicines. We are just waiting for the green light. Lift the siege and let aid in at scale.

La portada de Libération, edición jueves 24 de julio. “Gaza. El hambre”

Stephen Flynn, "On Brexit, everyone across the UK right now feels that Britain is broken" "And the guy who orchestrated Brexit, Nigel Farage, doesn't have to face the consequences of the economic damage that Brexit has done to the UK"

🚨IT'S A WIN 🚨 Well done to every single @newcastleucu.bsky.social member 44 days on the picket line ZERO compulsory redundancies University bosses need to look at what our members have achieved in Newcastle & heed the warning: work with us or face disruption www.ucu.org.uk/article/1406...

I am on strike today, protesting senior management’s plans to cut potentially thousand of jobs at the University of Edinburgh in a financial “crisis” entirely of their own making. @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social

UCU members at @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social are striking today over University of Edinburgh plans to make £140million in cuts and threaten jobs We're fighting against these reckless proposals Share to show your support ✊

The always excellent Plus-Minus Ensemble are back at @edincollegeofart.bsky.social for their final concert as Reid School of Music's Ensemble in Residence featuring work by Stravinsky, Francesca Fargion, Natacha Diels, Alex Paxton and Peter Maxwell Davies. Free!! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/plus-minus...

Please share - Call for Applications for our brand new RMA 150th Anniversary Fellowships! Fellowships available for scholars not holding full-time, open-ended teaching and research, or full-time research-only academic posts in Higher Education. www.rma.ac.uk/2025/06/10/t...

On 16 and 17 May, soprano Anna Dennis joins the sublime @dunedinconsort.bsky.social and the mighty @rsno.bsky.social for the world premiere of Hidden Polyphony by @ntsmith.bsky.social! Neil tells us about how he's illuminating Scotland's lost music 👉 go.continuoconnect.com/neil-t-smith...

Wee preview of my upcoming premiere with the RSNO / Dunedin Consort and Anna Dennis. www.thenational.scot/news/2511817...

Peter Ablinger died today. ‘Extraordinary’ is a much-used word in the arts but Peter really was extraordinary, fearless, thoughtful. He will be sorely missed.

RIP Peter Ablinger 1959-2025

Peter Ablinger was one of the absolute great artists of our time. Incredible body of work that also produced new ideas and directions for so many composers. Exceptional in the purest sense. Rest in peace. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMRI...

Sad news about Peter Ablinger. Each piece he wrote was a unique world… a remarkable body of work. RIP

Four years ago, sound worked with Ben Lunn on What We Need to Thrive, a guide to help organisations better support autistic composers. We sat down with Ben to reflect on progress made & challenges that remain within the music industry. Read more: sound-scotland.co.uk/news/champio... #NCW

So good and helpful!

Huge if true

Reassuring to this wet cyclist that there is a 0% chance of rain.

Not Bad

'Got a foot in the door God knows what for' Ridiculous number of killer lines in this youtu.be/sTRCJHDVL00?...

UNESCO Week of Sound in Edinburgh 2025: WAVES Programme online now! digital.eca.ed.ac.uk/weekofsound/

AI companies complaining about intellectual property infringement is a real pot/kettle/black moment.

The Music Department is excellent, and music provision is already very limited in Wales. It increasingly feels as if we're all expendable. It's terrible news! (This may be true of the other subjects too, but I can only speak about things I know about.) Solidarity with all colleagues affected!

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Trump.

I fear Clements has been taken in by J Walshe's ongoing (fictional) Irish avant-garde mythologising! www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

A deeply disappointing government response to @wildjustice.bsky.social’s petition on banning driven grouse shooting, that even cites bullshit stats from the shooting industry Please sign the petition, let’s get it to 100k and force a proper debate: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Unfortunately my previous contract has come to an end so I’m on the hunt for 2-3 days work again (with some flexibility to work around concerts) - if anyone knows of something going I’m all ears (eyes)

Currently working on the portrayal of books in 15th C. Scotland for 'Scotland on Parchment' key to this are some of the magnificent details on painted works in the church of St Marnock, Fowlis Easter. A church now facing closure and sale. Founded in 1453, an astonishing place, it must be preserved!

Still some presents under the tree. 🎁

Narrow boat chase sequence in the new Wallace and Gromit is 👌👌👌

Rarely a good thing when a man in a van with something to say starts to roll down his window.

Cool to see in paper form. Better get writing...