Spring is in the air, which can only mean one thing: time to apply to music camp!
Music camp is an excellent opportunity to expose kids to new modes of learning and performing, as well as to a broader peer group of fellow student musicians. Music summer camp provides opportunities to build confidence and discover new ways to experience and express music.
Now is the time to get a move on if your child is to attend the music camp of your choice, so start researching. Music summer camps are run all over the world. Some run for just a long weekend, while others last for weeks. There’s a music camp that fits everyone’s preferences. Here are ten of them:
Suzuki Summer Institutes are held all over the world. This handy interactive tool lets you search for the perfect Suzuki summer program based on your child's current unit. You can also search geographically if you want to make the summer camp part of an extended family trip. They also have camps running every month from May through August, so you have maximum flexibility on dates as well.
Kaufman Music Center offers a wide range of performance camps, from music to dance. Its Summer String Fest for kids aged nine through 23 is scheduled for this August. It’s a week-long New York City experience designed for advanced performers.
BYU Musicians’ Camp is for advanced music students between the ages of 14 – 18. The summer course includes master classes and private instruction. Students will have the opportunity to perform as part of BYU’s SummerFestival, which is held the week after the camp.
Morningside Music Bridge isn’t just one of the thousands of music camps held in the New York area. Oh no, this year, the MMB summer camp is partnering with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and will be held in Warsaw, Poland. This program is a true cross-cultural event with a solid focus on classical music. Open to students 12-18 years old.
Live Oak Fiddle Camp is happening in May! If you want to head down to Texas and give your child the opportunity to learn new genres of music (we’re talking bluegrass, jazz, and Celtic folk music), then this is the place. Plus, it’s on a ranch. Another good option if you want to expose your kids to new string instruments, such as the fiddle, banjo, and guitar is the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School in Kentucky.
Summer Youth Music School (SYMS) at University of New Hampshire is for very young music students. Its early July session is for kids ranging from six to eight years old, and the late July session is for those nine to 12 years old. This can be a great introduction to music camp for young kids. Each session runs for a week and concludes with a recital performance.
Cazadero Music Camp is another program that offers sessions for very young musicians. Different summer sessions are geared towards kids in grades five through 12. However, these sessions aren't for beginner musicians, even at the very young end. Campers must have at least two to four years' experience, depending on their age. This camp is held in beautiful northern California.
MusicForAll is a summer music camp that provides programming for young musicians and their parents. This camp, held in Indianapolis, has sessions for middle and high school students. There are programs for orchestra and band musicians. The week-long program includes a nightly concert series. Parents can attend the Parent/Booster Institute, which teaches parents the tools to be active, effective music boosters for their children and music in their local communities.
Young Musicians and Artists (YMA) is an intensive summer camp for all the arts. The June session has programming for orchestra, choir, guitar, band, and piano. The July session has programming for musical theatre, songwriting, dance, and other artistic endeavors. Thus, one of its greatest attractions is the cross-disciplinary environment it creates for students to help broaden their artistic boundaries. This camp is located in Oregon.
Don't Wait
Application deadlines will be here before you know it, so don't leave finding the right music camp to the last minute. Summer music camp can be an experience that deepens your student's love for music and commitment to their musicianship. And while kids and summer mischief inevitably go together, here's how to avoid any harm coming to the expensive instrument you bought them.
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