Starting mid July and continuing through the summer, Central will play host to a number of middle and high school students attending Central’s summer band camps, all accommodating different areas of music.
Campers Work Hard
Several of the camps last for five days, while others may span up to ten days. During this time students learn music theory and have the opportunity to play in large and small groups for other students, giving them a chance to grow as performers.
Central is an optimal choice for hosting summer music camps with the school’s updated facilities and accomplished faculty. The camps are available for music students ranging from middle school to high school ages.
Todd Shiver, Ph.D., chair of the music department and Central Music Camp founder, has dedicated many summers to help organize the summer camps.
“Our philosophy is we work hard and we play hard,” said Shiver.
At around 8:00 a.m. camp commences with breakfast and the day of musical exploration begins. The daily routines for all camps are about the same- eat, work, play, and repeat until close to 11:30 in the evening.
Campers are fed through Holmes dining hall, which helps to provide summer jobs and income through the school. The camps also use other facilities on campus to provide recreational times such as movies, swimming, and a multitude of other planned activities.
There are breaks for lunch, dinner, and a few recreational activities but the rest of the time is reserved for practicing new and old skills.
Central students volunteer as camp counselors to help campers become better acclimated with the Central environment and work ethic. Most of the counselors are music education majors who help to organize recreational activities and sessions.
“Its great experience for our CWU students,” said Shiver, ”…a practical experience.”
Among the five camps offered through Central are the Drum Major/Leadership Camp, Symphonic Band Camp, Jazz Camp, Summer Clarinet Experience, and the Kairos Chamber Music Lyceum.
According to Shiver the most popular of the camps are the jazz and symphonic camps, with over 100 attendees per camp.
Shaping future Wildcats
Not only do the campers get to create new friends with already enrolled Central students, but they also have a chance to fully experience Central.
Shiver mentions that a lot of the campers have heard about Central but they had little chance to check out the school for a longer duration of time, like the camps offer.
According to Shiver a percentage of the students who attend Central’s music camps move on to become future students at Central. The camps are a beneficial way to recruit talented young people to join Central’s music program.
“They get to check us out and we get to check them out,” said Shiver, “They get to know us and we get to know them, to me that is the biggest benefit.”
Much of the work done during the music camps provides an environment that builds positive relationships between students and staff, students and music, as well as students and Central.
For more information regarding the Central summer music camp series please refer to Central’s music page.