Huntingdonshire Music School Association - Calendar

Online Calendar

Below is an extract from the online calendar for the Music School.

For details of how to get this on your PC see here.

Don’t be a Vegetable - Keep Regular: An Event Shared is an Event Enjoyed

Dear Diary, sat at home today watching the paint blister on the outside porch. I wonder where the rain-water’s going…. perhaps watching the mould grow might add excitement….... I could count the bricks on the side of the garage later ...

If you want more excitement than betting on rain drops (or pooh sticks- a game, not a medical condition ) you’ve really got to get out more.

There’s no point in complaining that you "don’t know what’s going on" or "no-one ever tells me.." when you could subscribe to the music college online calendars and stimulate the grey stuff (not the mould) with live music.

Our musical director, a cross between Victor Borge and Tigger,says that anything with a pulse is good for you - and he’s not a vegetarian.[ Both will keep you regular, though - groan. ]

I do hope that he was talking about music ... oh, dear!

Overview

We have created and maintain an online calendar:-

• HUMS - calendar for the Huntingdonshire Music School. Terms times,concerts, exams, socials etc.

This has been done using the iCalendar format so that you can subscribe to the calendar(s) and will then be guaranteed the latest up to date information on your computer without having to enter anything. Any changes we make are automatically picked up by all the subscribers to our calendars.

Often there will be web pages associated with an event. Using one of these applications you can double-click on an event in the calendar and then on the web page address shown (URL) which will take you to a page providing more information.

To subscribe to our calendars you need one of the following software applications:-

• Thunderbird news/email application (Windows, Linux, Mac)
• Sunbird stand-alone calendar application (Windows, Linux, Mac)
• iCal stand-alone calendar application (Mac only)

All of these are free and can be downloaded and installed easily.

The instructions show you how to install and subscribe to our calendars together with one showing UK holidays.

The 2 basic steps are:-

1. install an application that will download and update a shareable calendar (iCalendar format)
2. get (subscribe to) one or more calendars

Thereafter, when you have the application running and it is connected to the Internet, it will check and update the calendars that you’ve loaded.

Step 1 - Installing an iCalendar-aware Application

Installing Thunderbird E-mail Application and the Lightning Calendar Add-On

• Download the Thunderbird mail application fromhttp://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
• Install
• Start Thunderbird up.
• Go to the Download/Install Lightning Calendar download page at http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning/
• Download the version of Calendar for the Thunderbird for your computing platform (Windows /Linux /Mac)
  • If you right-mouse click on the download link you can choose where to save it - save it on your desktop.
  • the browser will ask you if you want to allow this - you need to say ‘yes’.
• After completion start the Thunderbird application and select theTools | Add-Ons (or the Tools| Extensions on the Mac version) menu item.
• Click on the Install button and point the Install file dialogue at the Lightning add-on you downloaded at step 5 (file ending with .api - should be on your desktop if you followed our advice;-) )
• Click on the Open button
• Click on the Install Now button
• Click on OK
• Quit and restart Thunderbird
• Subscribe to our calendars (below)

Installing the Sunbird Calendar Application

• Download the Sunbird calendar application from http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/sunbird/
• Install
• Start Sunbird up.
• Subscribe to our calendars (below)

Step 2 - Adding Calendars

Subscribing to (Adding) Our Online Calendars to Your Application

Now that you have an application on your computer that can capture shareable calendars and display them, you need to add some calendars - ours!

• Click on the the link to subscribe to the HUMS Calendar
• Click on this link to subscribe to the UK Holidays calendar.

Other calendars are available at iCalShare

This is the start point for pupils at the Huntingdonshire Music College. In time,and with feedback, we hope to provide the information and links that are useful to our musicians - including those taking instrument tuition and those taking part in playing in a group.

Initially, information is provided on:-

• term times
• what you need and where to find it
• what a typical Saturday morning looks like
• taking exams
• keeping in contact

Term Times

The term times and half term dates are provided in the[events diary on this site.

Alternatively another online source is to look at the iCal form of diary (which can be book-marked or subscribed-to and is easier for us to maintain).

What You Need and Where to Find It

The following is a potted list of the things you might need and where to find them.

• Registration Form. Filled out at the beginning of the academic year (or first registration). Available at reception.
• For theory: Theory Books, Papers. A selection of ABRSM books and practice papers are available at reception. You’ll need to bring at least apencil and a rubber.
• For lessons: Music tutor books (your teacher will advise which ones and may have or be able to get them). Note book or practice book for the teacher to jot down what needs to be done in the coming week (available at any stationery shop or ones with special features e.g. to record practice times etc. available from good music shops. Instrument (apart from large ones, e.g. piano/drum kit you bring this with you)
• For ensemble/group work: instrument, music stand (available from music shop).

What a Typical Saturday Morning Looks Like

A lot of lessons, probably most, take place on a Saturday morning between 08:30 and 13:30 during term time.

You are likely to be involved with 1 or more of the following:-

• an individual practical instrument lesson. This might be 15 or 30 minutes long depending on grade and what you ask for.
• a group theory lesson. These last for roughly an hour and are graded from beginners to advanced (Grade 6 +).
• one or more ensemble/orchestra/band playing session, limited only by your availability and keen-ness (the fee is the same).

A break-down of the typical hectic Saturday timetable for the theory and ensemble elements is shown on a separate page.

Taking Exams

First, things first. You don’t have to take exams. Many just want to play and that’s just fine - the most important thing is that you enjoy what you do.

We have more information on taking practical and theory music examinations ....

Keeping in Contact

If you’d like to be kept up to date with news, developments, events and the occasional changes to locations/lessons then join this site. As a member you can then keep tabs on us and register your level of interest and/or music tendencies (we promise not to let on if you don’t )!