June 08, 2011

School of Music offers variety of camp options

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Band camp isn't just band camp anymore at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Summer music camp options at SIUC’s School of Music include jazz, drum major, piano and marching percussion.
Participants not only have the chance to live with and learn from each other and from SIUC faculty but also benefit from the availability of music professionals affiliated with the acclaimed Southern Illinois Music Festival, including the opportunity to perform as part of the music festival itself. Students may opt to live on campus, or may commute from home for the daily activities.
Here’s what’s available:
• High School Band Camp, June 19-24
This camp is open to students who play concert band instruments or percussion and who are entering ninth grade this fall through those who graduated from high school this year. Christopher Morehouse, director of bands and SIUC Wind Ensemble conductor, is high school band camp conductor.
• Junior High School Band Camp, June 19-24
This camp is for student musicians who play standard concert band instruments, from those entering seventh grade this fall to those who finished ninth grade this spring. The conductor for this camp is Jim Childers, director of the Marion Junior High School Band.
• Jazz Improvisation Camp, June 19-24
Tim Pitchford, trombone, is the conductor for this camp, which features ensemble rehearsals, master classes, theory and musicianship work and improvisation lessons. Richard Kelly, saxophone, and Robert Allison, trumpet, both of SIUC School of Music faculty, join the camp teaching staff. This camp is for students with an interest in jazz and improvisation who play brass, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass or drums.
• Drum Major Camp, June 19-24
This camp is for students who are drum majors or members of a drum line or color guard --or for entire sections of drum line or color guard. Eligible students are those who entered ninth grade in fall 2010 through those who graduated high school this past spring. George Brozak, director of athletic bands and the Marching Salukis conductor, heads up this camp. The emphases in this camp are: field conducting techniques, score study, dynamic leadership, teaching fundamentals and the role of the drum major.
• Marching Percussion, June 19-24
Like the drum major camp, this camp is for students who are drum majors or members of a drum line or color guard -- or for entire sections of drum line or color guard. This camp, though, will focus on fundamental playing techniques, music reading skills, total musicianship and cadences.
• Summer Piano Camp, June 26-July 1
The camp includes a summer piano competition. Those interested in competing should prepare a repertoire of no less than 15 minutes comprised of at least three pieces showing different styles or from different time periods. Piano faculty are Junghwa Lee, Yuko Kato and Cully Bell.
Registration forms are available at http://summermusic.siuc.edu/index.html for the music camps and at http://music.siuc.edu/extras/SummerPianoCamp.html for the piano camp, or call the School of Music at 618/453-5802.