2023 Music Festivals for Adults
One of our mandates is to create music events for adults learning music. As you all know, there are many music festivals, masterclasses and workshops created specifically for children. Or they do include adults but just as an afterthought.
At first I thought this was really biased but I have come to understand why this is and it is a complex issue. There is a specific obstacle in creating music learning events for adults. And that is the willingness for adults to perform and put themselves out there. Because performing is all about being vulnerable; it is very scary endeavour for many of us. Because of this, the participation level for the adult classes at Alberta Piano Teachers'Association and the Lethbridge Piano Intensive turns out to be very low when you consider how many adult piano learners there actually are, in Alberta.
So if there is no demand, then the supply will also eventually dry up. The laws of supply of demand hold up in music events just as it does for any business. If consumers are not there to buy the product then the product will not be created or produced.
My initial reason for creating the Adults Learning Music Support Group was to find other people like me who started learning music as an adult and who I could share my love of music in conversation and shared learning goals. But I know that this group is also the conduit through which we can shape and develop music education for people like us. I know that if more adults know about our community and join us, they will feel supported pychologically and emotionally so that they will feel more ready to perform.
And with our community, we can help create the kind of workshops, masterclasses and music education group classes that we would like to see. We are the drivers and the stimulus for development of these music learning events. And because we are in the driver's seat, we can create exactly what we want.
This music festival is one such event which we were able to create because of the power of our community. Our group members that support and participate in this event and other events we create, will enable us to keep creating and expanding the music education and music festivals that we, as adults, want and deserve. Please consider joining our growing community!
Founder, Sandra Low
October 27, 2023
2023 Fall Fete *Please Note: This Event is now Past
We are so excited to announce that ALMSG is hosting its first ever music Festival for adults. The details for this fabulous event follow and it is now open for registration for non-members.
Here are the details of our first ever music festival for adults - The 2023 Fall Fete!
Saturday Nov. 18, 2023 11:00am -3:00pm MST
Location:
Ambrose University
150 Ambrose Cir SW, Calgary, AB T3H 0L
There is a lovely Yamaha Grand Piano available for pianists. All other instruments of choice will be the responsibility of the registrant to bring to the venue for their participation in the festival. We will also try to have a bluetooth option for accompaniment tracks for vocals and other instruments. We will keep you updated on this as we move closer to the date.
Alternative online option:
Submit a video and join us virtually for adjudication. Videos can be uploaded to Youtube unlisted for submission.
Participants are allowed to submit up to two pieces but the details of both pieces must be included on the registration form.
Cost:
$25 for ALMSG members and $35 for non-members (time slot of 10 minutes, suggested for piece(s) of duration less than 5 minutes).
$35 for ALMSG members and $45 for non-members (time slot of 20 minutes, suggested for piece(s) of 5-10 minute duration).
Longer submissions may be considered depending on overall time available with an additional cost of $10 per increased length of 10 minutes.
We will try to include an optional confidential recording of performances and adjudication if requested by the performer. This is dependent on technology working, so no guarantees.
Come and perform something for an adjudication from Melanie Cherniwchan.
Melanie Cherniwchan is an experienced musician and educator with a passion to explore life through the lens of music. Melanie’s musical roots developed at an early age and her passion stems from the early training she received in the community of Athabasca. She started competing and performing at the age of six, entered the world of musical theatre at nine, and began singing as a soloist at weddings and funerals at eleven. With a desire to expand her view, Melanie set her sights on a meandering course that led her to British Columbia, Ontario, and numerous communities in Alberta before deciding to settle in Calgary in 2010. Along the path, Melanie obtained a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance, entered the world of the entrepreneur, and married and became the Mom of two beautiful girls.
Her adjudication experience is broad including festival classes in school music, handbells, choral, musical theatre, voice, piano, and speech arts She has adjudicated at music festivals in Athabasca, Barrhead, Bow Valley, Camrose, Crowsnest Pass, Drayton Valley, Drumheller, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lacombe, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, North Peace, Olds, Parkland, Provost, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Stettler, Sylvan Lake, Kelowna, Vancouver, NATS Calgary Songfest, NATS Ontario, NATS Great Lakes Regional, and Edmonton Contemporary Showcase. Her studio is Explore Music:
https://www.exploremusicstudios.ca/
The first opportunity for registration is for the Adult Music Learners Groups members. Opening to others after Oct. 18.
If you can volunteer to help organize before the date or on the date, please email Kaylene:
Please note this event has now passed so registration is closed
Masterclass and Workshop
We are always working on creating music education group classes for our members. We have created seven masterclasses for our members with the last two masterclasses in the latter part of 2024. Our past masterclass and workshop teachers included: Carlo Santos, Eric Nyland, Joseph Fridman, Kay Alexander, Kathleen van Mourik, Marni Strome and Amy Wood. (We had a pause from 2022 - Aug 2024)
As per our policy, current ALMSG members are given first access to register. If we have not reached capacity in the first 10 days of registration then registration opens to non-members. All non-members will be required to become ALMSG members for in-person educational events first before they can register for learning events. This is necessary so they will be covered by our insurance policy. Therefore non-members for in-person events will have to first submit a membership registration form and pay the membership fee (which may be pro-rated depending on the time of year they register) before they can register for in-person learning events. Please note : for online learning events, non-members will not need to become members and will only have to pay a $10 registration processing fee on top of each workshop or masterclass fee.
We were excited to create three new workshops for our members for the fall of 2024.
1)An in-person "Solfege Basics" workshop at the Memorial Park Library on Saturday, September 28th 1-4pm taught by Ms. Marni Strome . Her bio can be found . Please Note:The registration of this workshop is now closed as it is now past.
2)An in-person"Marriage of the Voice and Piano" workshop which took place on Saturday, November 2nd, 10 am - 12 pm by Ms. Amy Wood at her private studio. You can read her bio .
Please Note:The registration of this workshop is now closed as it is now past.
3) An online"Marriage of the Voice and Piano"workshop which took place on Saturday, Nov 30th 10-11am and was taught by Ms. Amy Wood at her private studio. This online workshop was created because we had two out of town members who were interested in participating. Two Calgary members who will be joining them for a total of four in this masterclass. Please Note: The registration for this workshop is now closed as it has reached capacity.
Updated Dec 27, 2024
Past Piano masterclass at Steinway
November 20th / 2021
Member Kathleen is being taught by Kathleen van Mourik (the co-founder of the International Festival of Song and Chamber Music Society) at this masterclass.
Solfege Basics masterclass
September 28th / 2024
This three hour Solfege Basics workshop took place at the Central Memorial Library. Eight Calgary ALMSG members took part and learned from our exceptional instructor, Marni Strome.
2025 Concert Fundraisers
So far, we have two that have been scheduled:
-
We are creating the first ALMSG performance concert fundraiser to showcase the talents of our members. The concert will take place Saturday, February 1st, 2025 2:00-4:00 pm at Ambrose University. (ALMSG will be holding a rehearsal at a member's house on January 31st at 7 pm.) We hope to raise some much-needed funds to sustain and grow this unique community. If you would like to attend, please email pianojazzlover @gmail.com so we can prepare for setup and for the reception afterwards for our guests. We accept donations made by cash at the venue or e-transfers to pianojazzlover@gmail.com
-
ALMSG is partnering with the Calgary Classical Guitar Society (CCGS) Guitar Orchestra for a joint concert that is currently scheduled for Saturday, May 31st, 1:30 - 4:30 pm. at Christ Moravian Church. CCGS is also a non-profit society. We will be selling tickets to this event mainly to ensure that we can recoup all costs related to the venue rental. Any revenue that we raise above the venue rental will be split evenly between our two non-profit groups and be considered a donation for sustaining our two non-profit groups.
More details will be posted here as they become available.
Updated January 17, 2025
2025 Spring Joint Concert with CCGS Guitar Orchestra
May 31, 2025
The first joint ALMSG/CCGS concert will take place at Christ Moravian Church. More details to follow.
Gathering at Kaylene's
August / 2021
Casual gathering at Kaylene's backyard with performances by members and their families.
Casual Gathering
Informal gathering held at member's house, where you can bring your friends and families.
Concert at Revera Scenic Acres
September 14th / 2019 2:30-3:30PM
Concert at the retirement home with guest performers "Silverwood Trio" (Judy Dofoo -cello, Diana Piggot - violin, Bart Hicks - piano), the group members Sandra Low (piano), Edel Larkin (Piano) Eri McAuley (Classical guitar) and Kathy Bayley (Piano)
Community Service
Due to Covid and capacity limitations by the board, we have cancelled these events. These are still events that we would like to create for our members however currently we are not in a position to do so. For now, these are on an indefinite holding pattern until our board has increased capacity to take this on.
Updated Sept 18, 2024
Concert at Carewest Royal Park
May 11th / 2019 3:30-4:30PM
Concert at the retirement home with guest performers "Silverwood Trio" (Judy Dofoo -cello, Diana Piggot - violin, Bart Hicks - piano), the group members Sandra Low (piano), Edel Larkin (Piano) Eri McAuley (Classical guitar) and Kathy Bayley (Piano)
Friday April 8th / 2022 7-9PM
Our member Eri McAuley is performing at Koi with other Classical Guitarists. This events occur every 2nd Saturday of the month.
Other Events by Members
Concerts and festivals that our members participate in will be shared here.