2025 Winter Fundraiser Concert
February 1, 2025
Our first ALMSG Fundraiser concert took place at Ambrose University 2:00 -4:00 pm in Room G2195.
Masterclass and Workshop
We are always working on creating music education group classes for our members. We have created eight 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 $15 registration processing fee on top of each workshop or masterclass fee.
We created two workshops for our members in 2025 with perhaps a monthly online continuing series.
1)An online "Solfege Basics" three hour workshop taught by Ms. Marni Strome ran on October 4th 1- 4 pm. Her bio can be found . This workshop has now been concluded Six of our members signed up for this workshop.
2)A hybrid "online"workshop "Solfege Level 2" taught by Marni Strome ran on November 1st, 1-4 pm. This workshop has now been completed. Nine of our members signed up for this workshop
3) ALMSG will be working on offering a continuing online Solfege series of classes with Marni for those that want to build on their knowledge of Solfege after these two workshops. This will be dependent on members' wishes. We will schedule them monthly or every two months as per our members' needs.
Updated Nov 13, 2025
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 Performance Concerts
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We are creating a year-end holiday concert performance followed by a potluck social. This event will be on December 20th, 1-4 pm and will be held at Ambrose University. We invite the audience members to join us at our potluck social after the concert. And we welcome any donations that audience members may wish to give to our nonprofit organization either on the day of, in the form of cash or via e-transfer to pianojazzlover@gmail.com. Stay tuned for more details.
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We are creating a virtual live stream performance opportunity for our members on November 29th 12:30 -2:30 pm. This will allow our members who live outside of Calgary to perform alongside our Calgary members. This concert is not pre-recorded but all members will play live and this performance will be streamed live. The advantage of this is that we will be able to share the live stream link with our family and friends who live anywhere in the world and they will be able to see us perform at this concert! Members are currently invited to submit their music performance selections via the Zoom channel portal. The link will be sent out to our family and friends so we can share our performances with you. Stay tuned for further details.
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Saturday, May 31st, 2-4 pm at Christ Moravian Church ALMSG partnered with the Classical Guitar Society of Calgary (CGSC) to give a joint concert. CGSC is also a non-profit society. We had a very successful event with great attendance so we were able to pay for our venue and admin costs. Each of the non-profit groups had an injection of funds with the proceeds of ticket sales. Thank you all for your amazing support!
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Saturday, February 1st, 2025 2:00-4:00 pm at Ambrose University We created the first ALMSG performance concert fundraiser to showcase the talents of our members. We were very grateful to all those that supported us by attending our concert on such a snowy and cold day. We raised in excess of our fundraising goal as well so thank you also to all those that donated! We are very grateful!
Updated Nov 13, 2025
Community Service
Due to Covid and capacity limitations by the board, we had cancelled these events 2020- 2024. However, we will be starting to have performance concerts at seniors' residences again in 2025 as group members have stepped up to organize these performances. Our first post-Covid performance was at Venvi- Edgemont Retirement Home on June 14, 2025 which was booked by member Jennifer. We have an upcoming concert scheduled for September 13th, 2025 at Evanston Summit Retirement Home.
Updated Sep 30, 2025
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 supported and participated in this event and other future 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
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.
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.