SMG :: New term now open for booking

Scots Music Group Newsletter :: August 2019

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2019-20 Classes now open for booking!

Welcome to the Scots Music Group programme for
2019-20 which is now open for booking online www.scotsmusic.org/classes

This year we have 31 daytime and evening classes in a variety of instruments and venues from September 2019 to June 2020. Last year we had over 1,100 enrolments across the three terms, from our community of over 400 members who take part in classes, sessions, ceilidhs and everything in between in support of SMG and traditional music tuition in Edinburgh.

We have two new classes this year and several new tutors. Read more about these further down the newsletter. Term dates for the year, Early Bird closing deadlines and dates for your diary are all the foot of this email.

Please see our How to Book reminder below for a refresher on enrolling through our website, and don't forget to buy a membership first before enrolling in classes, if you wish to take advantage of member discounted prices.

In the meantime have a splendid August and we look forward to seeing you in September!

HOW TO BOOK - a reminder

Membership: to take advantage of our discounted member prices please become a member before enrolling. This is a separate transaction. Fees will then default to the membership rate when you subsequently enrol.
Early Bird Discount is now running for all three terms
(Apologies to a small number of early bookers for whom Early Bird was not working, this has been corrected as of 9am this morning. We will issue refunds/credits in due course).
Multiple enrolments: you can enrol in more than one class at a time - just click on 'Add another booking' when you see the link.
Enrolling for more than one person (e.g. couples) with the same email address is not possible in the new booking system, as we need individual names on class registers. Please contact us if this causes issues for you.
Change of email address: change your contact details in the Your Profile section of the booking system. Please don't signUP twice! Remember to click on the update susbscription preferences link at the bottom of this newsletter too so that you don't miss out on our newsletters throughout the year. It will not update automatically if you only change it in the booking system.
PayPal: We have been made aware that after a certain number of uses of the PayPal 'guest' checkout by people who do not have a PayPal account, you may be asked to sign up for one, if using the same email and card details repeatedly. This is not specific to our website, but any sites that also use this feature. We use PayPal as it gives charities like us a substantial reduction on transaction fees, saving us a great deal of money over the year. If you'd prefer to pay another way, see our How to Pay page: scotsmusic.org/how-to-pay/

NEW CLASSES

Due to the popularity of our daytime mixed instrument classes we introduced an advanced level to the programme in January 2019 - Mixed Instrument 3D, which is continuing with Calum Macleod.

New class from September, 5-String Banjo, follows the success of the Banjo short couse which ran in Term 2, with Michael Starkey.

class fees & membership remain the same

We are pleased to confirm that class fees are held at last year's rates and SMG Membership fees (£20/£15) remain at 2015/16 levels.

New tutors for 2019-20

A belated welcome to tutors who joined SMG mid-way through last year ~ Calum Macleod (Mixed Instrument 3D), Malin Lewis (Smallpipes 3), Ailis Sutherland (Smallpipes 4) & Kirsty Law (Sing Together).

This year we're delighted to welcome tutors Robyn Stapleton (Scottish Song & Beyond) & Bernadette Kellermann (Fiddle 7, pictured) to SMG.

Many thanks and best wishes to Alana MacInnes (smallpipes), Heather Macleod (song), Mairi Campbell (fiddle), Carly Blain (fiddle), Sylvia McGowan (song), Catriona Ramsay (fiddle) and Donald Lindsay (smallpipes) who are moving on.

SANGSTREAM MEMBER?
If you're planning to sign up to a class using your Sangstream affiliate membership, please contact the SMG office before enrolling. Sangstream memberships are processed en bloc in the autumn, so we will need to activate your membership on the system beforehand. Thanks.

Term dates for 2019/20

Term 1 (12 weeks)
Classes start: 10th, 11th, 12th, 19th Sept
Mid-term: 15th, 16th, 17th, Oct
Classes end: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 12th Dec
*5-String Banjo starts 18th Sept*
*Thurs evening classes start on 19th Sept*

Term 2 (10 weeks)
Classes resume: 14th, 15th, 16th Jan
Mid-term: 11th, 12th, 13th Feb
Classes end: 24th, 25th, 26th Mar

Term 3 (8 weeks)
Classes resume: 21st, 22nd, 23rd Apr
Classes end: 9th, 10th, 11th June

Enrolment Dates

Early Bird
(saving £15 a term) runs until:
Tues 20th August for Term 1
Tues 17th December for Term 2
Tues 24th March for Term 3

End of Term Stramash!
Daytime classes - held in the last week of Term 1 - date tbc

Evening classes - held in the last week of Term 1 on a normal class night.

Student Concert
Friday 27th March 2020
Augustine United Church
George IV Bridge

Volunteering at Scots Music Group
SMG relies on the support of volunteers in many capacities. If you would be interested in helping us out, we have vacancies in the following roles. Some only require a couple of hours every few months, whereas others may be a more regular commitment:

* Ceilidh flyer distribution *
* Join the ceilidh team to help run the monthly ceilidhs *
* SMG board: help decide the direction of the organisation*

Contact the SMG office if you would be interested in lending a hand.

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