Background/Purpose:

The CMNC.org membership website connects intermediate to advanced string, woodwind and piano players.  Members can register for coaching-intensive weekend workshops, explore digital resources, network with other musicians, and foster a feeling of community through the current membership website.

The “Website Team” has been working hard for several months to improve the CMNC website with these goals:

  • Improve the “look and feel” of the website
  • Make it easier to find information — streamline the content (format the pages, put info in logical places, remove obsolete or non-relevant information)
  • Make it easier to perform functions such as sign up for workshops
  • Lower the barrier to receive workshop notifications by creating a “mail list only” option. (Still need membership to sign up for workshops.)
  • Make the website easier to maintain and enhance. The current website was built from scratch using single-use custom code. We chose the reliability of WordPress and the Paid Memberships Pro (PMPro) plugin to gain access to full-fledged membership features used by over 90,000 installations.
  • Provide more information for our treasurers: Invoices/Orders combined with workshop attendance status for each applicant.
  • Keep features of current CMNC.org that support workshop planning.

New features that were created by the Website Team:

  • Renamed the two membership levels: Basic Membership and Supporting Membership.
    • These things haven’t changed:
      • Basic Membership is free, Supporting Membership is $40/year, and Basic Membership never expires.
      • When a Supporting Membership expires, it automatically reverts to Basic Member.
    • New: A Supporting Member has the option to receive reminders to re-up on subscription and/or auto-renew
    • Plans regarding bringing current CMNC members over to new website:
      • All Life Members will become Supporting Members with no expiration.
      • We can’t bring passwords so everyone will need to relog in and pick new password.
  • Created a Mailing List option where new visitors can opt to be on a mailing and receive emails on workshop announcement.
    • Will be run on MailChimp.
    • Will still need to join as Basic Member or Supporting Member to apply for a workshop
  • Changed name of CMNCList to CMNC Newsgroup
  • Changed the membership to expire one year after the application is submitted.
    • On the current cmnc.org, the Membership year expires on June 30.
      • New Memberships received before 2026-03-01 will expire at the end of this Membership year — 2026-06-30.
      • New Memberships received after 2026-03-01 will expire at the end of the next Membership year — 2027-06-30.
  • We have a new “Order History” feature so members can see past orders (workshops, donations, membership)
    • This can be used by the Board to see all orders and payments status on Board Admin page
  • We have a new “Workshop Hub” feature as a spot for workshop resource information — may supplement all those print outs and emails we do now.
  • Forms:
    • Prefilled form input fields for logged in users.
    • Database tables for each form can be viewed by admin users and exported as csv file.

Still “Work in Progress”

  • “Newsletter Gems” is now “From the Archives” — still going through what to keep from current website but we have some articles posted
  • Coach Bios — we are collecting this information
  • “Look and Feel” — photos, colors, logo are all place-holders for your comments but can be changed
  • Our Tag Line: “Come Play with Us!” is also a place holder — suggestions welcome!
  • General formatting of Forms — still being optimized but your comments welcome
  • Final language for updated Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Use (anyone want to tackle this?)
  • The link between the website data base and the Planner — a big task
  • Implementation of CMNC Newsgroup (formerly CMNCList)
  • Using features of PMPro we have invoices and payment status, know why people haven’t paid a fee (Financial Aid, Recruited to workshop), how they paid and payment status, and amount of donation. This information still needs to be combined with attendance status for each person who signed up for a workshop.
  • …various other minor details.

Known Bugs

There is no need to report these.

  • The application form for “Basic Member” is missing the checkbox titled “Copy the billing address used above”.

Feedback Process

We would like user feedback and plan to do this in two stages:

  • Phase 1: Board feedback (experienced website users and familiar with CMNC) – alpha testers
    • This is YOU. NOW.
    • Pages seen by Board Members are different than those seen by general public. We need your feedback as “members of general public” and CMNC Board Member. Once you have become a CMNC Basic Member or CMNC Supporting Member, please send an email to Carolyn to have one of your memberships be included as a CMNC Board Member and Membership Manager.
    • Would like feedback in 2-3 weeks so we can make updates for phase 2
  • Phase 2: Feedback from non-CMNC chamber musicians or newly-minted CMNC members – beta testers
    • Board members, please suggest chamber musician friends from the above description to serve as the beta testers

Our goal is to have this in place some time soon after the June workshop but before the September workshop, so it is important to have as thorough a test as possible.

General Instructions

We would like you thoroughly test the new CMNC website and give us feedback.

As part of this test, you will need to:

  • Create several accounts with different emails (e.g. at least one as Basic Member, at least one as Supporting Member, at least one as just member of the public signing up for the mailing list). See Test email addresses instructions below. We recommend tracking your new email addresses somewhere so you can use and reuse them as you test the website. You can use the same password for all accounts.
  • For any function that requires payment (signing up as supporting member, signing up for workshop, making a donation), DO NOT USE YOUR ACTUAL CREDIT CARD. Instead, use the fake credit card info below, and you can fill in any expiration date and CVC code. (See Credit Card below)
Test email addresses – each membership must have a different email

Thank you for your help

You will need a different email address for each membership.

How to create test email addresses

Use different email addresses for each membership. If you have gmail ( or hotmail, outlook and maybe fastmail ), you can add a “plus” to your name and it will still go to your mail box.

e.g. my gmail account is michigarrison@gmail.com

I can also use michigarrison+1@gmail.com, michigarrison+2@gmail.com, michigarrison+waldo@gmail.com, etc They will all go to my michigarrison@gmail.com inbox.

Credit Card to use for payments ( NOT YOURS )

Thank you for your comments.

For any function that requires payment (signing up as supporting member, signing up for workshop, making a donation), DO NOT USE YOUR ACTUAL CREDIT CARD. Instead, use the fake credit card info below, and you can fill in any expiration date and CVC code.

How to use Test Visa for payments

Use the following Visa test card details during checkout:

  • Card Number: 4242 4242 4242 4242
  • Expiration Date: Any future date
  • CVC: Any three digits (e.g., 123)
  • Zip/Postal Code: Any valid code

Hints:

If you cannot see the header, address bar, or toolbar in Safari on your Mac:

It is likely that you are in Full Screen mode, have hidden the toolbar, or are using a compact tab layout. To exit Full Screen mode press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard.

If the font on the forms is too small you can make it larger:
  • If on PC: Press Ctrl+ to make font larger
  • If on Mac: Press Command+)

Hints:

If the font on the forms is too small you can make it larger:
  • If on PC: Press Ctrl+ to make font larger
  • If on Mac: Press Command+)
If you cannot see the header, address bar, or toolbar in Safari on your Mac:

It is likely that you are in Full Screen mode, have hidden the toolbar, or are using a compact tab layout. To exit Full Screen mode press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard.

For this test, you will open and fill out these forms:

  • Form A: Explore Website, provide general feedback
  • Form B: Look at every page and provide feedback
  • Form C: Check out public website forms (not logged in)
  • Form D: Join as Basic Member and check out website function
  • Form E: Join as Supporting Member check out website function
  • Form F: Apply for Workshop as Basic Member
  • Form G: Apply for Workshop as Supporting Member
  • Form H: Apply to Workshop as “Recruited Player”
  • Form I: Board Member Admin Page
Form A: Explore Website, provide general feedback

Form B: Look at every page and provide feedback

We value your feedback!

Form C: Check out public website forms

We value your feedback!

Form D: Join as Basic Member and check out website function

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Please use this form at least once (twice for “extra credit” with another email):

  • A “Basic Member” with no donation
  • A “Basic Member” with a donation (not required – “extra credit”)
    • With the donation, you will need to use the Test credit card (see above).
    • If you have already gone through all the below pages as a “Basic Member”, the only page you need to evaluate is the Order History and be sure to look for “Donation” amount.
Form E: Join as Supporting Member check out website function

Thank you for your comments.

Please use this form at least once (twice for “extra credit” with another email):

  • A “Supporting Member” with no donation
  • A “Supporting Member” with a donation (not required – “extra credit”)
    • If you have already gone through all the below pages as a “Supporting Member”, you only page you need to evaluate is the Order History and be sure to look for “Donation” amount.
Form F: Apply for Workshop as Basic Member

We value your feedback!

Please use this form to evaluate workshop signup experience. Please evaluate these sign up options, the emails you received and usefulness of the Member Account page.

Tests: Please use this form at least once (twice for “extra credit” with another email):

  • Test 1:
    • Sign up for workshop Both days
      • As a “new” player
      • Add donation
      • Make one instrument a violin
    • Go to “Workshop Hub”
    • Verify correct workshop sign up
    • Request music from our librarian using the Assigned music request form.
    • Fill out evaluation for workshop Both days
  • Test 2: (not required – “extra credit”)
    • Sign in with different membership account for Saturday
      • As a returning player
      • Preformed group
    • Go to “Workshop Hub”
    • Verify correct workshop sign up
    • Fill out evaluation for workshop Saturday
Form G: Apply for Workshop as Supporting Member

We appreciate your input!

Please use this form to evaluate workshop signup experience. Please evaluate these sign up options, the emails you received and usefulness of the Member Account page.

This will require to different membership accounts so you can try appying to the workshop with and without financial aid.

Tests: Please use this form at least once (twice for “extra credit” with another email):

  • Test 1:
    • SIgn up for workshop Both days
      • As a Preformed group
      • Request Financial Aid
    • Go to “Workshop Hub”
    • Verify correct workshop sign up
    • Fill out evaluation for workshop Both days
  • Test 2: (not required – “extra credit”)
    • Sign up for workshop on Sunday
      • As a new player
      • Add donation
      • No Financial Aid
    • Go to “Workshop Hub”
    • Verify correct workshop sign up
    • Request music from our librarian using the Assigned music request form.
    • Fill out evaluation for workshop Sunday
Form H: Apply to Workshop as “Recruited Player” (not required – “extra credit”)

Your input is appreciated!

To become a CMNC Recruited Player on the website, you need to send an email to Michi or Carolyn. They will edit your membership levels to include “CMNC Recruited Player” and let you know you are ready to evaluate signing up for a workshop as a “CMNC Recruited Player”.

Please use this form to evaluate workshop signup experience. Please evaluate these sign up options, the emails you received and usefulness of the Member Account page.

One test:

  • Sign up for workshop on Sunday
    • As a returning player
    • Add donation
  • Go to “Workshop Hub”
  • Verify correct workshop sign up
  • Request music from our librarian using the Assigned music request form.
  • Fill out evaluation for workshop Sunday