Scots Music Group

It was through pure chance that I discovered the Scots Music Group. While perusing the notice boards in one of my favourite cafés, I saw a small poster that read something like «Music lessons offered. All ages and abilities welcome» with an e-​mail address and phone number underneath. Further investigation revealed that this modest note in fact gestured towards a major community initiative, a project dedicated to giving adults the chance to learn traditional instruments, from the fiddle and guitar, to the highland pipes and the mandolin, or even (though not technically an instrument) Scottish step dancing.
Due to time and money constraints, I’ve not been able to take any lessons yet, but a good friend of mine has, and tells me that the classes are well taught, warm and non-​judgemental, placing emphasis on learning and playing together and developing your own sense of the instrument, rather than adhering to prescriptive methods or books. I went to see her perform in her first concert, and felt like a proud parent watching her scrape away on her fiddle alongside a group whose ages probably ranged from 20 to 60.
It’s somehow very pleasing to know that every Thursday night hundreds of people from across Edinburgh return to the classroom to engage in the innocent past-​time of music lessons, and if you’ve ever harboured a secret desire yourself to take up a new instrument, Scots Music Group might be able to help you out.