APPLETON, WIS. – The Lawrence Academy of Music is accepting registrations now for its three annual summer camps that are scheduled for July.
The first camp of the summer is the Academy’s Jazz Odyssey, scheduled for July 15-20 in the Music-Drama Center on the Lawrence University campus. This camp is open to middle and high school students who are actively playing any instrument or singing. The camp provides a hands-on experience with jazz improvisation in small group settings. Sessions focus on developing aural, theory, and compositional skills, in addition to, participating in master classes in jazz history and jazz performance. Special topics to be covered during this camp include world percussion, playing with a rhythm section, transcribing solos, and a session highlighting instruments not typically associated with jazz. Students will be grouped according to age, instrument, and experience for the camp. Jazz Odyssey will be held 2:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, July 16-19, and 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Friday, July 20. A concert on Friday, which is open to families, takes place at 6:30 p.m. Daily lunch and dinner on Sunday and Friday are included in the fees. The fee for attending Jazz Odyssey is $250 or $225, if paid by May 15.
The second summer camp is a Music Camp for middle and high school wind and percussion instrumentalists, which is scheduled for July 22-28 on the Lawrence University campus. This camp gives instrumentalists a chance to perform in a band, study with faculty from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music and Academy of Music, attend concerts and recitals, and enjoy a week of recreational activities. The camp includes band and sectional rehearsals, music theory, an elective arts-related class, a rehearsal with the camp choir, and a recreation period. Elective classes may include sessions on instrumental arranging, percussion for non-percussionists, voice, piano, conducting, humor in music, a performance master class, and musical theatre. An auditioned jazz ensemble with an emphasis on big band jazz will meet during one of the class hours. Each evening brings a concert in Harper Hall and a finale concert in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel will feature all bands plus the camp choir. During the week, students are housed in campus residence halls and meals are provided at Downer Commons. The fee for this weeklong camp is $450 or $425, if paid by May 15.
Piano Odyssey ends the summer camp series for the Academy of Music. Piano Odyssey is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. July 30-August 3 at the Music-Drama Center. This day camp for motivated piano students, ages 8-15 who have studied piano for at least two years, looks to explore the piano in greater depth. A special feature for this year of the camp is a focus on composing. Students will have the opportunity to meet a composer, and duets composed especially for the camp will be premiered by campers and coached by the composer. All classes are taught by skilled, enthusiastic, and widely-respected teachers in a setting designed to foster self-confidence, creativity, and understanding of the piano. Daily sessions include improvisation, music history from a piano perspective, music fundamentals, the physics of sound production, piano accompanying, and the evolution of the keyboard. Students are age-grouped for specialized work in the electronic keyboard lab, piano master classes, and supervised practice. Snacks and lunch are included each day. The fee for Piano Odyssey is $225 or $200, if paid by May 15.
For more information or to register for any of these summer camps, please call 920-832-6632 or visit www.lawrence.edu/dept/acad_music/camps.shtml.
