saturday music school

at
The Ariel Centre
King Edward VI Community College
Ashburton Road
Totnes TQ9 5JX

SaMS (Saturday Music School) was started in November 2000 with funding from the National Foundation for Youth Music (NFYM – now known as “Youth Music”) and King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC) Foundation Governors.

It meets for 30 Saturday mornings per year in term time at the Ariel Centre at KEVICC in Totnes between 9.30am and 12.30pm. You can download our leaflet here.

The aim of SaMS is to encourage young people between the ages of 5 and 18 to get involved in music making by way of group workshops and ensembles, with the option of taking individual lessons on a number of instruments. There is a team of ten well-qualified and experienced tutors who cover a wide range of musical styles, so that now we have over 150 students attending every week.

There is an annual subscription of £50 for the first child in each family, plus £15 for each additional child for the whole year from September to July. £36/£10 is payable for the Spring and Summer terms and £18/£5 for the summer term only. Individual lessons are charged at £24 per hour (pro rata for shorter lessons). No separate fee is charged if your child only has individual music tuition. There is also a bursary system to help with these lessons.

At the moment the groups offered include two jazz bands, brass band, two folk groups, choir, percussion group, two theory classes, string group, guitar group, “Sing and Play” for 4 to 7 year olds and three “JaM” bands where students learn to play African drums with some singing and dancing.

SaMS has always tried to be as inclusive as possible, offering chances for music making for those just starting out in music, whilst also encouraging those who already learn an instrument to gain ensemble experience and develop their skills.

For further information contact the administrator Lewis Riley on 0797 9911114, by email at lewis.riley@samstotnes.org.uk or just come along on a Saturday morning to talk to someone and see what is going on for yourself. If you would like to join SaMS you can download a registration form here.