This session offers insight to higher education in folk music performance in Finland, Sweden and Scotland, reflecting on educational models where historical styles meet creativity. While the old environments and modes of transmission for folk music have been rapidly vanishing in the West, a new platform for traditional music has been born: academia. A new generation of educated folk musicians has emerged.

Education has had a profound effect on the folk music scene. The emphasis on creativity has enabled the resulting music to be diverse, from traditional to experimental and everything in between. Research into traditional music has gained a new perspective as well – that of the highly skilled musician-composer. What works? How is it done? What are the challenges? A reflective session on higher education in folk music today and in the future.