May 31, 2013

Music camps to help students fine-tune their skills

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Young musicians can kick off their summer soundtracks at several Southern Illinois University Carbondale music camps.

The camps bring together young musicians in a collegiate setting to help them improve their music, make new friends and renew old friendships, and showcase the University’s resources. The camps run June 16-21.

A typical day at camp includes music classes and rehearsals mixed in with fun activities.  The camps coincide with part of the Southern Illinois Music Festival, also at SIU, so campers will have the opportunity to attend the evening concerts.  Students enrolled in the senior high band camp and the high school choir camp will have opportunities for public performances during the festival.

Each camp is a residential camp, giving students the opportunity to stay in residence halls on the University campus. Commuter options are also available.

Here are brief camp descriptions:

  • High School Band Camp, conducted by Christopher Morehouse, director of bands and an assistant professor at SIU Carbondale.  This camp is open to students who play standard concert band instruments and percussion, and who will be in high school during the 2013-2014 academic year, or who graduated this spring.
  • Junior High School Band Camp, conducted by Jim Childers, director of the Marion Junior High School Band, and a two-degree SIU alum.  This camp is open to students who will be in grades 7-9 this coming academic year.  Students should play standard concert band instruments or percussion.
  • Jazz Improvisation Camp, conducted by Dick Kelley, assistant professor of saxophone at SIU Carbondale, with Robert Allison, associate professor of trumpet.  The camp is open to students who play brass, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass, or drums and have an interest in jazz.
  • Drum Major Camp, directed by Thomas Richardson, a graduate assistant and formerly drum major for the University of South Carolina.  This camp is open to drum majors, and drum line or color guard members.  Whole lines may opt to attend camp as a squad.
  • Marching Percussion Camp and Color Guard Camp, directed by George Brozak, director of athletic bands and assistant director of bands at SIU Carbondale.  This camp is open to drum line and color guard members, either individually or as band units.
  • Guitar Camp, conducted by Isaac Lausell, and Joseph Palermo, both faculty members in SIU Carbondale’s School of Music.  The camp is open to all levels of guitar player, with instruction levels geared to fit beginner to advanced.  Instruction covers classical, jazz and rock guitar, with emphasis on repertoire, improvisation, and accompaniment strategies.

Registration forms and camp brochures, along with price and housing options are available at summermusic.siu.edu, or by calling the SIU Carbondale School of Music at 618/536-8742. Camp prices vary.