Keyboardist

**PLEASE NOTE WE WILL BE CLOSING OUR MEETUP GROUP IN JUNE 2025 due to spiralling costs of membership.** **YOU CAN FIND US HERE INSTEAD:** \* FACEBOOK: [www.facebook.com/groups/crystalpalaceboardgamesbeyond/](www.facebook.com/groups/crystalpalaceboardgamesbeyond/) \* WEBSITE: [https://sites.google.com/view/boardgamesandbeyond/home](https://sites.google.com/view/boardgamesandbeyond/home) Join us for an epic game night filled with social fun and exciting tabletop games at Crystal Palace Board Gamers meet-up! Whether you're a fan of strategy, dice, card, or board games, there will be plenty of options for everyone to enjoy. This is a fantastic opportunity to make new friends, connect with fellow gamers, and immerse yourself in a night full of fun times and laughter. So grab your favorite game and come join us for an unforgettable gaming experience. Let the games begin! Feel free to join us by hitting that attend button below. **What to expect:** * We meet at the Anerley Arms (next to Anerley train station) from 7pm (there is food available at the bar) * If you do not have a game setup, you can arrive at any time. If you do have a game to set up we recommend getting there earlier. * It is a relaxed atmosphere, where we generally prioritize company over fierce competition. * Please bring along any games you think we might enjoy, or you can play from the games that others bring. * We split into a few groups based on people's game preferences and numbers, and usually have plenty of time to try a few games over the course of the evening. * The event hosts are regular attendees but might not make it to every event - if you can't spot us, then just approach the folks sitting at tables surrounded by board games (usually on left as you come in the door). We're a friendly bunch and will be more than happy to welcome you. (Please update your RSVP if it turns out you'll be unable to attend, to free up your space for others who may otherwise miss out!)

**📅 Book your time here:** [www.betheband.org/book-online](http://www.betheband.org/book-online) 📍 **Exact location sent after booking** 🎸 **BetheBand Meet & Greet – Come Play & Say Hi** 🎤 Curious what it’s like to be in a band again? BetheBand is a London-based music programme for amateur to intermediate musicians who want to rehearse regularly, improve as players, and perform live — **without the hassle of organising bands, rehearsal rooms, or gigs yourself**. 🤝 **What’s the meet & greet?** This is a relaxed introduction — **not an audition**. You’ll play **one song** with a backing track alongside one of our band directors 🎶 You can **play whatever you like**, or choose from a **short song list** if you want some inspiration 📃 It’s friendly and low-pressure — just a chance for us to get to know your level, taste, and goals, and for you to see if BetheBand feels right for you. 🚀 **What happens if you join?** 🎯 Matched with musicians at your level 🏙️ Weekly rehearsals in a central London studio 🎼 Guided by a professional musician as your band director 🎤 Perform a full live set for friends & family at the end of an 8-week term 🎶 **Who it’s for** 🎸 Guitarists • 🎸 Bassists • 🎤 Vocalists • 🥁 Drummers • 🎹 Keyboard players ℹ️ **Practical details** 📍 Central London (address sent after sign-up) 💷 £15 meet & greet slot (non-refundable) ⏳ Limited slots — book a time that works for you If you’ve been playing on your own and miss making music *with* people, this is an easy, no-pressure way to take the first step 🎶✨

🐉 D&D Night at Otter Chaos, Brixton! 🎲 Join us every Thursday for adventure! Whether you're a veteran or a total beginner, everyone is welcome. 🕒 TIMING - Arrival: 6:45 PM. - Pitches: Start promptly at 7:00 PM. Please arrive on time or you may not be able to join a game! - Wrap-up: We now aim to finish by 10:30 PM to help everyone get home at a decent hour. - Safety: If you’d like company walking back to the tube station, just let us know! ⚔️ HOW WE PLAY - Game Choice: After pitches, we’ll take a show of hands to assign tables. - Previews: Check <#game-channel-link> to see what’s running this week. - GMing: Want to try GMing? We have a great support team to help you run your first session. Chat with a GM to get started! 🍔 FOOD & DRINK - When ordering, tell staff your table shape (Rectangle, Square, or Circle) to keep things running smoothly. 🎒 THE DETAILS - Fee: £7 per player, paid on arrival to Otter Chaos - RSVP: Mandatory via Meetup - Gear: We have spare dice, pencils, and pre-made characters ready for you. Roll for initiative and see you there! 🦦⚔️

**🔥 Join the Drumming Revolution! – Samba Fusion in East London! 🥁🎶** Want to turn over a new leaf? Do something creative, fun and sociable with a friendly group of people? Drumming is great for mental health, wellbeing and making new friends. Our inclusive and friendly Samba band welcomes everyone—whether you're a seasoned percussionist or have never touched a drum before. No experience? No problem! We provide all the instruments and will have you grooving in no time. Feel the rhythm, meet great people, and be part of an electrifying sound that moves the streets. Just bring your enthusiasm—we’ll bring the drums! Ready to make some noise? See you there! 🔥🎶 Sambattalion is an established East London based Samba Fusion Band. We have been going for over ten years and use meetup as one way to recruit new members. We play gigs in and around London and beyond. Please bring ear plugs / ear protectors. We have some but if you can please bring your own - and wear them. We are very loud! No experience required. We practice every Thursday, 7.00pm-10.00pm (with a 30 minute break) It is £5 per session (your first session is FREE). Cash only please - pay on the day. We are entirely not-for-profit.

Looking for a relaxed, friendly board game night in London? Join us every Thursday at **Hiver Taproom**, one of the Top 20 London taprooms, just minutes from London Bridge and close to Bermondsey. Whether you're brand new to board games or a seasoned strategist, this is a welcoming space to meet people, try great games, and enjoy excellent craft beer. ## **🎲 What Happens on the Night?** We’ll have a wide variety of board games available to play — from light, social party games to deeper strategy favourites. ✔ Solo players and groups welcome ✔ An experienced boardgamer hosting and teaching games ✔ No need to bring anything, but you're welcome to bring your own games if you want! ✔ Friendly, inclusive vibe ✔ Great for after-work socialising Just turn up, grab a drink, and we’ll help you find a table. ## **🕯️ Featured Game: Blood on the Clocktower (Upstairs Room)** We’ll also be running a dedicated game of **Blood on the Clocktower** in our upstairs private room. If you enjoy social deduction games like Werewolf or Mafia, you’ll love this immersive experience filled with hidden roles, strategy, bluffing and dramatic reveals. Spaces for this game are limited, so check out our other [Meet Up](https://www.meetup.com/bermondsey-board-gaming/events/313537869/?recId=011e01f4-928d-46e7-8c80-a4f2bb539617&recSource=event-search&searchId=ef0f242b-9ae4-4596-ac34-a13066bd9b75&eventOrigin=find_page%24all) and please RSVP if you’d like to take part. ## **🍺 Why Hiver Taproom?** * One of London’s Top 20 taprooms * Known for craft beer brewed with British honey * Spacious tables perfect for gaming * Easy walk from London Bridge Station * Relaxed, community atmosphere ## **Who Should Come?** * Board game beginners * Experienced hobby gamers * People new to London looking to meet others * After-work socialisers * Anyone who prefers dice and strategy over noisy bars If you’re searching for a regular Thursday board game meetup near London Bridge, this is your new weekly spot. RSVP now and join us for great games, great beer, and great company. 🎲🍻

full for drums, bass, piano, lead instruments, vocals, 1 of 2 spots taken for guitar **Please use this link to sign up and pay** https://tickts.co.uk/events/novice-10-12pm-june-13-vortex-upstairs (Note you must already be accepted as a member of this group, otherwise your ticket will be cancelled) **Note the Vortex rehearsals will be starting at 10am and 12pm in the coming weeks.** full list of scheduled sessions: https://www.meetup.com/Practice-Jazz-Jam-Sessions/events/ **What is it** The novice rehearsal sessions provide an opportunity for people who are relatively new to jazz, to play in a friendly, low-pressure environment. With a short set list that attendees can prepare in advance, it becomes a little less daunting to play and get the most out of practising in a group. See below for this week's setlist. Please sign up before attending. Already full for your instrument? Please check back every other Wednesday, when new sessions go live. If you keep not being able to get a spot, please message the organiser (Xie). Location: Vortex upstairs **Who's it for** Anyone who has practised following the forms (chord progressions) of jazz tunes - maybe on their own at home - and would like to build up playing experience, expand repertoire and practice performing with other musicians. There are various introductions on how jazz jams work - see e.g. https://jazznightschool.org/pages/jam-session-basics You don't need to get all these details right for these novice practice sessions. The set list format should offer opportunities for those at different levels of developing their playing. While at the beginning one might struggle to follow/comp the chords or play through the melody, it gets easier over time and one can start to develop approaches to improvisation, harmonise lead lines, add intros/endings, work on communication between band members, and even listen to recordings together and pick up specific arrangements. Bass players are expected to be able to play a walking bass line on swing tunes, and simple bossa lines for bossa novas. Playing the melody, or "head" - the responsibility is shared between horns players (e.g. sax, trumpet, violin), guitar and piano. Feel free to discuss among the group before each song - different parts of the head or the starting / ending heads can be played by different players. Some melodies will better suit several voices at the same time, whereas others are sensitive to variations in how they are played and may prefer a single instrument at a time. **What it's like** A relaxed and welcoming atmosphere - please put aside any worries of making mistakes if you’re thinking of joining us for the first time. To ensure the group is accessible for those at different levels, I ask that each novice session should work on only the below four songs of the set list, unless each and every attendee feels they prefer to move on. Each novice session is limited to up to: 1 drummer, 2 bass, 2 keys, 2 guitar, 3/4 lead instruments. The tickts.co.uk page will have tickets available only for the instruments/vocals with spots remaining. **Tunes this week (Sat June 13)** * Blue Monk in Bb (warm up) (Winding, Johnson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khbVC7g2cmU * Song for my father in Fm (Horace Silver) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeXOm49kE0 * Moanin' in Fm (Art Blakey) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9NSR-2DwM * All of You in Eb (Miles Davis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di16W_std0c Everyone is encouraged to listen to a variety of recordings for each song, but please ensure you are familiar with the recording provided as a primary reference. (Note the recordings provide stylistic reference, but may not be in the key listed, with the latter based on common real books) **Tune preview - next novice session (Sat June 20)** * Take the A train in C (warm up) (Vache, Allen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8JJv13K3WU * Stolen moments in Cm (solo on Cm blues) (Oliver Nelson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbaGDDbpcQ4 * Little Boat (O Barquinho) in Bb (Eric Alexander) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiMVlSVMMPw * Let's cool one in Eb (Chad LB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ke8l3H-qg **Preparing for the session** The chordal form of each song follow the iReal Pro app as a common reference, or you can use sheet music from Real Books. Resource for sheet music: https://www.seventhstring.com/fbindex.html http://therealbook.info/ Try to immerse yourself in the songs by listening to recordings by different artists on youtube, spotify etc. Learn the head (main melody) of the song if you can. Don't hesitate to let the band know you can play it so you can start things off **Playing well together** The rehearsal groups are often quite large for a jazz ensemble setting. Please follow the below arrangements, which are designed to help the group be mindful of each other's volumes, and to build good habits for playing as a group * Every tune should be played at least twice. Swap the bass, piano and guitar players between the two renditions (if there are two attending) * Only one guitarist should comp - i.e. play chords - for each rendition (both guitarists can solo, and comp without amplification) * After each rendition of the warm up tune, the whole group should take a moment together and help each other to check on volumes, including: \*\* Can everyone hear themselves? \*\* Are the drums too loud? \*\* Can everyone hear the bass? \*\* Is the guitar comping too loud? \*\* Is the piano loud enough? (staff at the office can turn this up) \*\* Feel free to revisit volumes after subsequent songs * For any song, if at least two people in the group feel it would be better, the guitar and piano should share the choruses for comping (instead of comping together) - e.g. guitar comps the first time through the head, then piano, then guitar, etc. **Equipment** there is a piano, drum kit (no cymbals or high hat clutch), bass and guitar amps, stands, and microphones. Drummers: please bring cymbals (none available for rental) and hi hat clutch **Percussion** Percussionists are welcome to join with their instruments, alongside the drummer. Feel free to sign up to any session, even one that says "full for all instruments" at the top, unless it explicitly mentions "full for percussion". **Vocalists** Singers are welcome, however please note that the songs have fixed keys, and some of the repertoire are likely not in the right key for your range. If you are an experienced singer, it may be possible to arrange sessions with repertoire catered to you - to explore this, please first come to the "Afternoon Open Jams" so I can get a sense of your singing. **Observing** Would you like to attend a session without playing/singing, to get an idea of the format or to get a sense of what to practise first at home? You can sign up as usual to any novice session, and send me a message that you'd like only to watch the session. When you feel ready, the fee paid can be carried over toward any future session where you join to play or sing at the rehearsal. **Cancellation policy** Please try to make it to any session you sign up to, as the jams are organised around a particular mix of instruments. However, if things do come up and you can no longer make a session, please send a message to the organiser, Xie, as soon as possible. Places are non-refundable if your plans change, but if you provide over 1 week notice it may be possible to carry over the fee for a future session. \-\-\-\-\- any questions do get in touch!

Every Sunday from 3pm Board Games in Vauxhall Come join us for a new board game event in Vauxhall! We're heading to the Riverside pub from 3pm to play board games (all board/card games welcome). Easily accessible from the Northern Line, Victoria Line, Vauxhall overground and Vauxhall Bus Station. Bring some games, or just bring yourself, and join a friendly community of gamers for some relaxed Sunday fun!

If you speak french or are learning french this is the place for you. We are hosting a language club to socialise, practice language and to build community. It is hosted in the boardgame cafe Otter Chaos, in Brixton.

full for drums, bass, guitar, lead instruments, 1 of 2 spots taken for piano **Please use this link to sign up and pay** https://tickts.co.uk/events/novice-12-2pm-june-13-vortex-upstairs (Note you must already be accepted as a member of this group, otherwise your ticket will be cancelled) **Note the Vortex rehearsals will be starting at 10am and 12pm in the coming weeks.** full list of scheduled sessions: https://www.meetup.com/Practice-Jazz-Jam-Sessions/events/ **What is it** The novice rehearsal sessions provide an opportunity for people who are relatively new to jazz, to play in a friendly, low-pressure environment. With a short set list that attendees can prepare in advance, it becomes a little less daunting to play and get the most out of practising in a group. See below for this week's setlist. Please sign up before attending. Already full for your instrument? Please check back every other Wednesday, when new sessions go live. If you keep not being able to get a spot, please message the organiser (Xie). Location: Vortex upstairs **Who's it for** Anyone who has practised following the forms (chord progressions) of jazz tunes - maybe on their own at home - and would like to build up playing experience, expand repertoire and practice performing with other musicians. There are various introductions on how jazz jams work - see e.g. https://jazznightschool.org/pages/jam-session-basics You don't need to get all these details right for these novice practice sessions. The set list format should offer opportunities for those at different levels of developing their playing. While at the beginning one might struggle to follow/comp the chords or play through the melody, it gets easier over time and one can start to develop approaches to improvisation, harmonise lead lines, add intros/endings, work on communication between band members, and even listen to recordings together and pick up specific arrangements. Bass players are expected to be able to play a walking bass line on swing tunes, and simple bossa lines for bossa novas. Playing the melody, or "head" - the responsibility is shared between horns players (e.g. sax, trumpet, violin), guitar and piano. Feel free to discuss among the group before each song - different parts of the head or the starting / ending heads can be played by different players. Some melodies will better suit several voices at the same time, whereas others are sensitive to variations in how they are played and may prefer a single instrument at a time. **What it's like** A relaxed and welcoming atmosphere - please put aside any worries of making mistakes if you’re thinking of joining us for the first time. To ensure the group is accessible for those at different levels, I ask that each novice session should work on only the below four songs of the set list, unless each and every attendee feels they prefer to move on. Each novice session is limited to up to: 1 drummer, 2 bass, 2 keys, 2 guitar, 3/4 lead instruments. The tickts.co.uk page will have tickets available only for the instruments/vocals with spots remaining. **Tunes this week (Sat June 13)** * Blue Monk in Bb (warm up) (Winding, Johnson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khbVC7g2cmU * Song for my father in Fm (Horace Silver) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeXOm49kE0 * Moanin' in Fm (Art Blakey) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9NSR-2DwM * All of You in Eb (Miles Davis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di16W_std0c Everyone is encouraged to listen to a variety of recordings for each song, but please ensure you are familiar with the recording provided as a primary reference. (Note the recordings provide stylistic reference, but may not be in the key listed, with the latter based on common real books) **Tune preview - next novice session (Sat June 20)** * Take the A train in C (warm up) (Vache, Allen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8JJv13K3WU * Stolen moments in Cm (solo on Cm blues) (Oliver Nelson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbaGDDbpcQ4 * Little Boat (O Barquinho) in Bb (Eric Alexander) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiMVlSVMMPw * Let's cool one in Eb (Chad LB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ke8l3H-qg **Preparing for the session** The chordal form of each song follow the iReal Pro app as a common reference, or you can use sheet music from Real Books. Resource for sheet music: https://www.seventhstring.com/fbindex.html http://therealbook.info/ Try to immerse yourself in the songs by listening to recordings by different artists on youtube, spotify etc. Learn the head (main melody) of the song if you can. Don't hesitate to let the band know you can play it so you can start things off **Playing well together** The rehearsal groups are often quite large for a jazz ensemble setting. Please follow the below arrangements, which are designed to help the group be mindful of each other's volumes, and to build good habits for playing as a group * Every tune should be played at least twice. Swap the bass, piano and guitar players between the two renditions (if there are two attending) * Only one guitarist should comp - i.e. play chords - for each rendition (both guitarists can solo, and comp without amplification) * After each rendition of the warm up tune, the whole group should take a moment together and help each other to check on volumes, including: \*\* Can everyone hear themselves? \*\* Are the drums too loud? \*\* Can everyone hear the bass? \*\* Is the guitar comping too loud? \*\* Is the piano loud enough? (staff at the office can turn this up) \*\* Feel free to revisit volumes after subsequent songs * For any song, if at least two people in the group feel it would be better, the guitar and piano should share the choruses for comping (instead of comping together) - e.g. guitar comps the first time through the head, then piano, then guitar, etc. **Equipment** there is a piano, drum kit (no cymbals or high hat clutch), bass and guitar amps, stands, and microphones. Drummers: please bring cymbals (none available for rental) and hi hat clutch **Percussion** Percussionists are welcome to join with their instruments, alongside the drummer. Feel free to sign up to any session, even one that says "full for all instruments" at the top, unless it explicitly mentions "full for percussion". **Vocalists** Singers are welcome, however please note that the songs have fixed keys, and some of the repertoire are likely not in the right key for your range. If you are an experienced singer, it may be possible to arrange sessions with repertoire catered to you - to explore this, please first come to the "Afternoon Open Jams" so I can get a sense of your singing. **Observing** Would you like to attend a session without playing/singing, to get an idea of the format or to get a sense of what to practise first at home? You can sign up as usual to any novice session, and send me a message that you'd like only to watch the session. When you feel ready, the fee paid can be carried over toward any future session where you join to play or sing at the rehearsal. **Cancellation policy** Please try to make it to any session you sign up to, as the jams are organised around a particular mix of instruments. However, if things do come up and you can no longer make a session, please send a message to the organiser, Xie, as soon as possible. Places are non-refundable if your plans change, but if you provide over 1 week notice it may be possible to carry over the fee for a future session. \-\-\-\-\- any questions do get in touch!

If you speak Spanish or are learning Spanish this is the place for you. We are hosting a weekly language club to socialise, practice language and to build community. It is hosted in the boardgame cafe Otter Chaos, in Brixton.

# Safo Music's – Songwriting workshop **Sunday 14th June** **11:00am – 6:00pm** **Safo Studios, 23–27 Crouch Hill, London N4 4AP** **£40.00** **Led by Laurence Hobbs – gold & platinum-selling songwriter, producer, and owner of Safo Music.** *** Hi everyone, After another sold out workshop, we’re excited to announce the next full-day songwriting workshop a**t Safo Music** on **Sunday 14th June.** In just one day, you’ll go from ideas and voice notes… to creating and performing a completely original song in a real professional studio environment. This isn’t a “sit and watch” workshop. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be writing in small groups of 3 or 4, collaborating, creating melodies, developing lyrics, and building songs alongside other artists, singers, producers and songwriters. And at the end of the day, every group performs the song they’ve written live. That’s always one of the highlights ,seeing complete original songs come together in just a few hours. Whether you’re completely new to songwriting or already releasing music, the day is designed to help push your creativity further in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. WHAT YOU’LL GET OUT OF THE DAY: 1\. Learn how to structure and finish songs properly 2\. Write stronger hooks\, melodies and toplines 3\. Improve lyric writing and storytelling 4\. Collaborate with other creatives Experience a real professional songwriting session Perform your brand new song live at the end of the workshop I’ll be there throughout the day helping guide the sessions, develop ideas, and push every song to the strongest level possible. Sunday 14th June \| 11:00am – 6:00pm Safo Music 23–27 Crouch Hill London N4 4AP [ ](https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/JHMW8VKCW57Y4?utm_source=SAFO+Music+Group+Record+-+Entire+Database&utm_campaign=831b02ada0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_09_12_11_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d320405a52-831b02ada0-811056370)**[Tickets: £40.00](https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/JHMW8VKCW57Y4?utm_source=SAFO+Music+Group+Record+-+Entire+Database&utm_campaign=831b02ada0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_09_12_11_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d320405a52-831b02ada0-811056370)** Spaces are limited to keep sessions intimate – book now to secure your place. See you on the 14th June Laurence

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code* Visual Studio Code is one of the most widely used development environments today, and much of its flexibility comes from its extension ecosystem. Extensions allow developers to customize the editor with new features, integrations, and workflow improvements tailored to their needs. In this session, we’ll cover what extensions are and the different types available, including full extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript, along with lighter-weight extensions such as color themes, language packs, language support, code snippets, and keymaps. We’ll also look at practical reasons a developer might create an extension, from automating repetitive tasks to adding custom tooling. The session includes a hands-on walkthrough of creating a new extension, testing it locally, and understanding the basic project structure. We’ll close with a brief overview of how extensions are packaged and published to the Visual Studio Marketplace and other distribution options. **YouTube Link** TBD

Thanks for being a part of the CABS Meetup Group! We meet @ the COFFEE UNDERGROUND on Indianola Avenue. We play many different games @ CABS - bring your own or play one of the OVER 2222 in our library. What are your favorite games? What was the last game you played? Hope to see and game with you soon! Check us out on Facebook! Doors open early on Saturday Mornings at 10am and around 4pm on Fridays if you are interested in learning new / simpler games ... or new to the hobby or just want to check us out come in early just after noon and we will show you around before the crowd grows. Stay for a game or two, an hour or two or for the day! Your first visit is free and after that it's $5 a meeting or you can join for the year! It's Your Move

Come join our welcoming, low-pressure environment where you can practice performing, build confidence, stay motivated, and connect with others who play piano. Each session is intentionally structured and hosted to ensure everyone has time to play (if they choose), feel supported, socialize, and enjoy the experience. It’s not a class, but a thoughtfully guided space to help you stay consistent and make meaningful progress. **Details:** * Gatherings take place in a private home setting in the Northwest Columbus area (location to be shared after RSVPing) * Small group to keep the sessions personal and ensure everyone has time to play * Light snacks and refreshments provided Please ensure that you are able to accept chats and emails/messages via Meetup.com, as that is how I will provide the address and communicate with you closer to the event. You can message me anytime if you have any questions.

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

The Forge does have a full bar and kitchen. There is no cover charge but they do request all attendees to purchase a minimum of ~20 per person. Soft drink refills are 1 each. Please support our hosts so we can continue to provide great events for the group! The Forge has a large library of games available for us to enjoy. Hosts and regulars will also provide numerous popular games but please bring any games you would like to teach and/or play. Doors open at 6, and we expect gaming to be rolling by around 630. Please promptly end your games and clear out the space at 10pm when the bar closes. We encourage socializing but do not permit disruptive behavior of any kind. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a fun and welcoming space to veteran, newbie, and rookie gamers in the Columbus area. Parking can sometimes fill esrly. There is additional parking lot behind the neighboring Mexican restaurant that is free and easy to walk from but it's a bit hidden.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!