We are looking forward very much to welcoming you to the Richard Michael Jazz Summer Course in June/July.
The course venue is Strathallan School in Forgandenny, about eight miles from Perth, Scotland. The full address is below:
Strathallan School
Forgandenny
Perth
PH2 9EG.
Travel information is available on the school website. There is ample parking on site – please ask us for a parking permit on arrival if you are keeping your vehicle on the campus for the duration of the course.
There is no electric vehicle charging point at Strathallan School. There is one at the Tesco Superstore, Edinburgh Road, Perth, PH2 8DX, which is about 6 miles away.
When you arrive, please come all the way up the school drive and follow the jazz course signs round to the right beyond the main house to find the car park and registration. Registration will take place from 4 pm to 5.30 pm on Sunday 29th June. We would be grateful if you could try to arrive during those times, but if you are not able to do so, please email as soon as you can to let us know your estimated time of arrival. It will not be possible to check into your room until after the start of the registration at 4 pm. If you are delayed on your way to the course, please call us on 07592 374745.
Dinner will be at 6 pm, followed by separate fire drills for the two residences between 6.45 pm and 7.05 pm (full details will be provided in the course booklet which you will receive on arrival). Our welcome and introduction session with Richard and the rest of the tutor team will run from 7.15 pm until 8.30 pm. Course participants will not be playing in the Sunday evening introductory session.
There will be a minimum of four houseparents in residence throughout the course who are there to ensure the safety and welfare of all the course participants. All houseparents have been disclosed by Disclosure Scotland. Any student under 18 years of age who needs to go off site may only do so if accompanied by one of the houseparents, or by prior written arrangement with their parent or other caregiver. At least three qualified first aiders will be on site during the course.
We can be contacted by mobile phone (07719 985700 or 07592 374745) throughout the course, so please do pass this number on to any friends or relatives who may require it in an emergency. If they call and there is no answer, please ask them to leave a message and we will get back to them as soon as possible. Additional contact information for course participants will be provided in the course handbook which you will receive at registration.
If you have any specific dietary. medical or other requirements which you did not specify on your original booking form, please let us know immediately so that we can pass that information on to the school and put any necessary arrangements in place.
The course timetable is available on our website. The teaching sessions will run from 9.30 am until 5.00 pm on Monday to Thursday, and from 9.30 am to approximately 1 pm on Friday, followed by an informal concert beginning at 2 pm to which friends and family are warmly invited. This should finish by 4.15 pm at the latest. There is no formal teaching in the evenings, but students are encouraged to form combos of their own if they would like to continue playing (until 10.00 pm). Everyone is welcome to take part in any session, so please don’t be shy about joining in!
Please would all players bring their own instruments (and instrument stands/amps where appropriate) – this includes pianists/keyboard players and drummers where possible. If you are not able to bring your own instrument (including stand/amp where appropriate), please let us know immediately so that we can try to make alternative arrangements. Music stands will be provided, but it is always very helpful to have spares – so if you have a folding stand and are able to bring it, please do! We will have labels available on arrival so you can put your name on your stand.
Accommodation is in single study bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities. Bed linen and towels are provided, but you may wish to bring a spare towel as well if you are likely to make use of the swimming pool. Only one pillow is provided, so please bring extra if you need them. If your travel arrangements make this impossible, please let us know. Some participants also bring mattress toppers for additional comfort.
All residential participants will receive a swipe card to access the residences. These can also be used to enter the main school building – the course booklet which you will receive on arrival will show the doors which can be accessed using the swipe card and the times when the card is operational. There is a cost of £5 plus VAT per card to replace any that are lost or damaged. Bedroom keys are available for over-18s if required. There will be a charge of £25 plus VAT for any lost key.
WiFi is available in the residences and in most other areas of the school. Details of the WiFi login will be provided on arrival.
Please do not bring any unnecessary valuables with you. Personal items and instruments will not be covered under the venue’s insurance, so please make sure that you have your own cover in place against loss or damage.
There is a swimming pool on site which will be available to us several times during the week. Similar arrangements will be in place for the tennis courts. Please bring your own tennis equipment if you want to use the courts. The campus also boasts a nine-hole golf course, so do bring your own clubs etc if you fancy a round!
The full terms and conditions for course participants are on our website at https://richardmichaeljazzsummercourse.org.uk/terms-and-conditions/. Please do take a few minutes to read through these again before arrival.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any other information or would like to discuss any aspect of the course.
We look forward very much to seeing you all on Sunday 29th June.