Summer Camp 2019 - Musical
Theater: Mozart's Magic Flute
Camp Structure and Daily Activities
We are very proud of the teaching and counseling staff at SPAC's Summer Camp. We believe that our teachers, performers, and counselors are representative of the very finest to be found anywhere. To demonstrate that belief, we include in the camp concert program a brief biographical sketch of each and every member of the SPAC's Summer Camp Staff. As you will discover, every person associated with our camp is an artist and arts educator. Eighty percent of our camp staff members hold advanced degrees in music and merit regional, national and international acclaim. The quality and dedication of our staff is the single greatest strength of the SPAC's Summer Camp.
SPAC's Summer Camp is structured to be a fun and educationally rewarding
music experience for all campers. Campers attend a variety of classes and
performances throughout the day. Full camp is 6 hours every day, allowing for
adequate time to learn instruction of their instrument, academic musical
studies, and a chance to perform with fellow students. The SPAC Summer Camp provides an opportunity for
students to perform with each other and to learn in a relaxed and fun
setting. The campers get the opportunity to perform for parents and
friends at the end of each week in performances that combine music and dancing.
The camp classes are composed of the most fundamental and essential classes
needed for all students of all ages and levels. The unique thing about
attending SPAC's summer camp is that our classes in the camp allow students
a social environment to share their love of the arts as well as to gain additional
musical knowledge they do not receive during the school year. All campers will be closely supervised,
with one camp counselor per group of 10 campers.
Full Day Camp
The Full-Day Camp is a fun and relaxed camp for violin students, ages 7-1 to
further their violin abilities in a supportive and social environment.
The camp combines violin-based activities with arts & crafts- pertaining to
music, as well as dancing and performing short plays. Camp is composed of six
40-minute classes, in addition to a 40 minute lunch and a 40 minute free time
period where students may engage in supervised musical outdoor activities or
choose to practice on their violin in a practice room. In addition to classes,
lunch and free-time, students meet at the end of every camp day for 40-minute
Performance Session, where camper get to listen to each other play, have the
chance to volunteer to perform and listen to faculty members perform.
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to share their musical skills with
one another and listen to their teacher perform! Special additional activities
included will be classes on conducting, note reading Suzuki repertoire, string
duet, trio, quartet classes and violin making. Violin campers will put on a
musical each of the two weeks, featuring stories about the lives and work of
various composers i.e. Mozart, Handel, Beethoven. In creating the props
and costumes for the musical play, students combine music, arts and crafts and
dramatic performance in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.
Half Day Camp:
Half Day Camp is similar to Full Day
Camp except for it is designed for the very young children. In addition,
participants attending Half Day Camp will play with various musical
instruments, dance, play musical games, learn about items they can use as
instruments and create some of their own to take home and keep. Games will
include but not limited to Musical Chairs, Hot Potato and Freeze Dance…
Some of the types of activities are included in class:
Singing, movement, rhythmic chants, Suzuki ensemble, vocal play, music
literature, experimentation with props and instruments, tonal patterns and
rhythm patterns, as well as music theory.
Singing is an important part of Half Day Camp. Don't worry about how you sound,
just have fun! If a child's parent is enjoying themselves singing, the child
will have the desire to learn to sing too. Songs are generally sung all the way
through in class, because research shows that learning music is very much like
learning a language. Songs are in the keys that are most readily heard by
children, and your teacher will lead songs in the written keys in class. We
will learn popular themes from Vivaldi’s Spring, Haydn’s Surprise Symphony and
many more.
Suzuki Ensemble
Students and parents participate in group strings ensemble; playing mostly on
open EADG strings following Mozart’s Twinkle Twinkle Variation A’s rhythmic
pattern.
Vocal Play
Vocal play is a creative way to grab attention, elicit spontaneous response in
class and is the part of class that is most often repeated spontaneously at
home. Vocal play can also help your child experience the whole range of his or
her voice.
Rhythmic Chants
For children of all ages chant is probably the most prevalent type of
spontaneous music-making. Chant can be a rhythmic, repetitive, recitation of
words or phrases, have songlike qualities and be sung on one, two or three
notes or have solo beginnings which then spread to the group.
Use of Props/Instruments
We use egg shakers, mini maracas, rhythm sticks, drums, triangles, resonator
bells, scarves, balls, kitchen instruments, castanets, dyna bands and more!
Props are used in 3-4 songs in each class and are meant to promote spontaneous
and creative responses from the children (and sometimes the caregivers too!)
Movement
Movement is used continually throughout the class, and is very important to
every aspect of music. We can interpret musical expression, timing, phrasing
and beat all through movement. Beat must first be experienced in the body.
Later, children will begin to feel the beat on the inside. Plus, the children
will enjoy creating their own movements in response to the music, therefore
developing a movement vocabulary.
Performances
Student Recitals will be held on the last day of camp; (Half and Full Day Camp)
Performing a solo in the Student recital is optional and any student who wishes
may sign up to play. Sign-up sheets will be on the registration table the
morning of camp and will be on the camp desk in the lobby at CSUS Capistrano
Hall the remainder of the day. All students will perform works in the
Suzuki repertoire, with the exception of students who play in Book 9 and 10,
who may choose Suzuki or non-Suzuki repertoire. Family and friends are
encouraged to attend the performance.