Group meetings
About the group
This group is a non-profit which means that all monies raised in excess of expenses will be redirected back to the group for the benefits of its members. Members will be adults (age 18+) learning music - all instruments, all levels and inclusive of all learners as long as the group member is taking private one-on-one lessons or is actively searching for the appropriate teacher.
When/Format
Group meetings are held twice a month and will have three components : 1) group members’ performances and 2) any updates by the leadership team of events or policies going forward and 3) any members’ concerns about learning, progress or roadblocks. Now that we have grown to 25+ members, we may not have time to have long discussions about music or any anxieties or concerns during an actual in-person meeting. However, our first mandate is to provide emotional support so this is of the utmost importance to us, so please alert fellow group members to any concerns you may be having. Fellow members are invited to then quickly comment on these concerns with any personal experience they may have and continue discussions outside of the meeting on the Zoom members’ forum channels. (We may also have a longer Zoom meeting to accommodate members’ concerns as needed.)
If a guest is attending their trial meeting, we will always open with introductions of all group members and a brief 60 second intro of everyone's music journey ie. whether you learned music as an adult or child, where you live, your instrument(s) and how long you have been learning. After the check-ins, the performance portion will commence. All members are asked to stay for the entire performance portion and hear all members' performances. Updates will follow the performance portion of the meeting.
Location
In-person group meetings are held at
76 Heritage Gate SE, Calgary AB T2H 3A7
This is where our in-person meetings usually take place but during May, June and December which are busy music recital months, the meetings will take place at a current member's home.
Performances
Performances by group members proceed before the discussion portion of the meetings. Group members are encouraged to introduce their pieces and discuss what they like about the piece. Performance participation is always optional. Our policy about the order of the performances will be as follows: 1) members at the lower levels perform first, then 2)those who are newest to the group can perform 3) members at the intermediate level perform next, and finally 4)members at the highest levels can perform last.
Covid response
The appearance of Covid19 in the world in 2020 forced us to pivot to Zoom in April 2020, so we could still meet despite the virus. All members agreed to increase the meeting frequency to twice a month. (We used to meet only monthly at Steinway in the past.) We grew closer due to the increased frequency as for many of us, it was our lifeline to combat the isolation imposed by Covid19. As more of us got vaccinated in 2021, we could meet again in person at Steinway Piano Gallery in Calgary but all of us still really enjoyed our Zoom meetings. So currently, we still continue to meet twice a month - we have a meeting in-person at Steinway and a one meeting via Zoom 2 weeks later.
We currently have members who do not live in Calgary and who meet with us exclusively via Zoom. We “Zoom” our in-person Steinway meetings so these out-of-town members can attend as well.
Membership
In 2025, ALMSG set the annual membership fee for a non-Calgary member to $45 and for a Calgary member to $55. Membership dues are necessary so ALMSG can pay for our Wix website and domain, Zoom annual subscription plan, and general liability insurance. An ALMSG membership entitles a member admission to all bi-weekly meetings for the entire year (24 in all)) and to any public performances or concerts that ALMSG organizes. Membership also entitles the member to first access to educational events organized by ALMSG at an additional and optional cost. Annual membership fees are collected during the course of the first month of the year. All fees must be paid by email e-transfer by the due date which is January 31st. Not paying your membership renewal fees by the due date will result in loss of access to all meetings and to all Zoom reference channels and team chats.
Potential new members who wish to join can participate in a trial meeting for free before deciding to join. This gives each new person an opportunity to meet current group members, experience the format of the meetings, and decide if they think the group would be a good fit and of benefit to them. On Sept 1st, the annual membership fee is reduced by 50 % - $22.50 for out of town members and $ 27.50 for Calgary members. This reduced price remains in effect for the remainder of the current year.
How to join
If you are interested in joining this peer-to-peer learning support group, please go to the contacts page and fill out the e-mail form. Please include a little about yourself and your own unique music journey. If you want to volunteer, please indicate on the form as well. If you are a person that is seriously thinking of taking up music again or for the first time, just fill in the instrument that you are thinking of learning and if you have previous learning and why you stopped. We are happy to provide the support you need to start or continue your music journey.
Updated Dec 7,2025