1 THERE really is nowhere in Scotland like the Royal Conservatoire (RCS) and this week they have a treat in store – the launch of their online short courses for adults and children alike. The kids’ courses include classes in filmmaking, drama, theatre and musical theatre, for adults there are courses in acting, drama and filmmaking at home. Fun and creativity during lockdown is a mouse click away. For full information please log on to www.rcs.ac.uk/adult_short_study/evenings-online/

2 SAVE the Calton studios livestream. Calton Studios is launching a Crowdfunder appeal to help CS survive Covid and support musicians as well as the wider artistic community in Glasgow to survive and thrive. It will run continuously from January 9 to February 27.

As part of this, every Saturday from 8pm-8.45 via Facebook livestream, they’ll have a CS live CF session, with a different band each week from the Calton Studios team. Tune in at www.facebook.com/events/154744006034077/

3 CELTIC Connections goes online this year, thank goodness for some good news in a bleak January. Tuesday night sees a belter of a band tuning up for your delight with Breabach, a gifted and award winning group of young highland and island musicians who have won more than one mantlepiece worth of awards. Tune in via www.celticconnections.com, Tuesday January 19 at 7:30pm.

4 ALSO over at Celtic Connections is an introduction to bluegrass banjo picking if you fancy trying your hand. A workshop via Zoom with hints and tips and what’s more you can bring your own moonshine. I’ll meet you on the porch swing John Boy. Head to www.celticonnections.com today at 10:30am.

5 RUFUS Wainwright is doing a free online concert live to your living room, Rufus is a singer/songwriter and his music spans more than a few genres from rock, pop, opera and sometimes even harks back to a sort of tin pan alley style Tune in free at rufuswainwright.veeps.com Friday January 22 at 10pm.

6 TIM, oh Tim oh how we love you so… Lord of Lockdown, master of all the musos, keeping it real and keeping us sane every single week with the incredible Tim’s twitter listening party, regular readers will know the drill. Plug in your radiogram and tune to 33rpm or if you have one of yon new fangled mobile talking devices that will do the trick too. Tonight at 9pm.

Log on to Twitter and using the hashtag #timstwitterlisteningparty you’ll be in on all the chat alongside The Charlatans’ front man and his musician pals as they extol the virtues or tear up an lp of their choosing. Get involved.

You won’t be sorry.

7 SATURDAY night is the night I like…. Especially this week and especially when it lasts all weekend. Burns and Beyond is back.

In conjunction with Johnnie Walker whisky the festival returns online to celebrate the life and legacy of national bard Robert Burns through traditional and contemporary art, music, poetry and culture from across Scotland and beyond.

The 2021 free online programme includes our own Ricky Ross, KT Tunstall, Aidan O’Rourke, Rachel Sermanni, Aidan Moffat, Kinnaris Quintet, Amy Papiransky and more.

Go to www.burnsandbeyond.com for more information and set times.