by Kevin Buckle of Avalanche Records
Kevin argues that the plans for using the former school as a hotel will bring more benefits for arts and culture in the capital. The council’s planning committee is to consider the planning application at what is anticipated to be a lengthy meeting tomorrow 17 December 2015.
“One of the unfortunate consequences of the ongoing saga of whether the Old Royal High School will be diminished by the hotel wings being added and if a music school would be a better choice is that an important part of the equation has been forgotten. Yes adding the hotel will take the school off the at risk register but little has been said by either side on the benefits of the well documented support Rosewood and the Urbanist Group give to the arts.
“The benefits are indeed fourfold. First of all the school will be used to showcase the best that Edinburgh and Scotland has to offer covering all artistic mediums which of course includes music. I’m told there will be at least three venues on the site from a small intimate room with 60 seats to a much larger room catering for 300+. The school will be used for exhibitions and also for the sale of the best Scotland has to offer in the arts. The school will therefore not only be saved but providing a valuable home to the artistic community.
“Secondly it will be putting all of this in front of some very rich, famous and indeed influential people. I can relate any number of stories of how well connected people who have come into Avalanche have helped bands I’ve recommended one of the best being the famous American actor who loved Withered Hand so much he not only came to see Dan when he played in LA but still takes Dan’s CD with him when in a movie to see whether he can get his music into the film ! Only last month I had a young girl in from Beijing obviously one of the new wealthy Chinese middle class who came in to buy a Scottish album on vinyl as a wedding present for her brother and ended up buying every album I recommended and was so pleased with the time I spent explaining the band’s music to her she had her photo taken in the shop and could not have been more pleased. Having such a clientele literally on the doorstep will be a fantastic boost for all the arts not just music.”
