Foothills Bluegrass Music Society

About

General Info

The Foothills Bluegrass Music Society is managed by a 12-member volunteer board elected annually at our November meeting. The Board sets the direction for the upcoming year & welcomes input from its members at any time.

Our concert series runs from September to June with monthly events featuring international, regional & local performers from throughout the bluegrass world. Other events include pot-luck dinners & BBQ's, band scrambles & open stages, dances & trivia contests. Bluegrass music & fun go hand-in-hand!

Our local jam sessions welcome all levels of players & feature comfortable, supportive evenings sure to make your participation worthwhile.

Our workshops feature top instructors who bring out the best in their students. A great way to learn in a fun atmosphere.

The materials available in our library are worth the membership alone. We're proud of the huge variety of musical books, CD's & DVD's which comprise our extensive collection.

We support local musicians who want to further their skills by offering bursaries to members of our Society.

In order to promote 'Bluegrass in the Community', we have established a program to facilitate bluegrass band performances in schools, hospitals and seniors' residences at no cost to the beneficiaries.

As a final note, volunteers are the backbone of our organization & we greatly appreciate their participation in helping our events run smoothly.

Volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society. Their efforts are much appreciated and essential to our success. There are several ways that you can volunteer so please contact our Volunteer Coordinator or write your name and contact information on the volunteer sign-up sheet, which you will find on the side table at most events.

Library

The Foothills Instructional Materials Library has been one of our most popular and successful programs. Many members have enjoyed and benefited from the excellent instructional materials available to them. Additional items will be added periodically to continue to improve this program. Over 250 library items are available to members.

 

For a list of library contents, right click on either file below and select "Save Link As...", "Save Target As...", etc.  You can choose either an Excel spreadsheet or pdf version.

Library List (xls) | Library List (pdf)

Library Loan Policy
Library items are available for loan immediately after every oncert, and are due back no later than the following concert.
Members will be required to present a current membership card prior to borrowing any library item.
Members will be limited to two items per month.
No additional items can be borrowed if the member has an outstanding item not returned.
It is the responsibility of borrowers to return the items, and to arrange prompt returns through the librarian if they cannot get to the concert on the night when the item is due.
Borrowers must also ensure that their returned items have been recorded in the Club records.
Late dues may be considered for items not returned on time.
Items not returned may be charged to the offending member.

Any members with overdue items are requested to contact the librarian as soon as possible to arrange return.

If you would like to suggest a Bluegrass related media that is not in our current library, please send us details of the title and if possible where it can be acquired and we'll consider adding it. Submit up to 2 items at a time.

Donations are greatly appreciated! We prefer DVD format although "Classic" older media is still welcome.

Bursaries and "Bluegrass in the Community"

Bursaries

In order to encourage & support budding musicians (especially the youth element) who have a serious interest in developing their skills, FBMS has funded a program to provide financial assistance.

How To Apply

Each year a limited number of bursaries will be awarded. Applicants are asked to submit an email or letter to the FBMS Board of Directors briefly outlining the following:
•Name, address & age.
•Name, location & date(s) of workshop or course you'd like to attend.
•Instrument(s) played & current skill level, (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
•Musical experience & goals.
•How you foresee the training benefiting your development & the local bluegrass community in general.

Recipients and the values of the bursaries awards will be determined by the FBMS Board of Directors. Where various applications are deemed by the Board to merit similar consideration, younger applicants will be given preference. All decisions made by the Board will be considered final.


"Bluegrass in the Community"

In order to bring more bluegrass music to the community, we have established a program to facilitate bluegrass band performances in schools, hospitals and seniors' residences at no cost to the beneficiaries.

And in order to bring more of the community to bluegrass music, we set aside a percentage of tickets to each of our concerts for donation to groups or individuals who may otherwise find the cost an undue burden.

Parties who are interested in having one of our club associated bluegrass bands perform for them are invited to contact the FBMS. Likewise with the free concert tickets. Just contact us at our mailing address or email the Board of Directors and we will get in touch with you to discuss the arrangements.