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Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin are recruiting musicians for their mixed instrument big band. The band aims to bring 20 high school-aged musicians together approximately once a month during term time to learn new music, make group arrangements, and perform gigs. These informal sessions, led by award-winning musician and composer Mike Vass, have led to projects and collaborations with the Tinderbox Orchestra, Mr McFall's Chamber, harpist-composer Ailie Robertson, and multimedia artist Jan Bee Brown. Sessions take place at Summerhall in Edinburgh from Sunday, January 25 and musicians of intermediate to advanced playing standard and with experience of group playing can apply.

eyg.org.uk

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Argyll-based singer songwriter Joe McAlinden is seeking young musicians from the Argyll and Bute area to join him on a free mentoring scheme to help 14-19 year olds navigate their way into the music industry. McAlinden, who has worked with Teenage Fanclub, Big Star/Alex Chilton, Rod Stewart, Edwyn Collins, The Beautiful South and BMX Bandits, is part of a group of music industry professionals working with Music Plus +, which is run by the Scottish Music Centre and supported by Creative Scotland. The scheme offers advice and support and has already helped young bands gain confidence and find gigs and festival spots.

musicplus.org.uk

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Leading Australian pianist-composer Alister Spence plays two Scottish dates on his latest UK tour with his quartet, which features Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra leading light, saxophonist Raymond MacDonald. Spence, whose Everything Here is Possible album of piano duets with the respected American musician Myra Melford, won the 2014 Art Music Award presented jointly by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and the Australian Music Centre, brings the group to the Jazz Bar, Edinburgh on Wednesday, January 28 and the Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre in Glasgow on Thursday, January 29.

alisterspence.com

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Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra director, Richard Michael is presenting an extended version of his History of Jazz Piano illustrated talk at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh over four Friday lunchtime recitals. Michael, who won a Herald Angel at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2010 for the original incarnation of his presentation, begins with Ragtime and Stride - Joplin, Morton and Waller - on January 30 and continues with The Swing Era (February 6), Be-bop and Cool (February 27), and Contemporary and Modal (March 6). The talks run from 12:30 to 1:30pm.

hw.ac.uk/events/music.htm