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August 8, 2007
The Music, The Fun, The Tradition...
Texas Tech's Band and Orchestra Camp has high school students Goin' this summer.
Written by Liza Muse
These flutists are full of hot air: a typical day consists of two band or orchestra rehearsals, sectional/techniques class, camp assembly, elective classes and evening recreation.
"This one time, at band camp, I ..."
It's true that those students who attend a summer band camp seem to share their experiences with just about everyone when they get back. But that's only because band camp makes such a huge impression on them.
During the summer months, when classes and college students are sparse across campus, the university comes alive with summer camps…the largest of which may be the Texas Tech School of Music’s Band & Orchestra Camp. For one week in July, every room in the Music Building is packed with middle school and high school students, sometimes from as far away as Hong Kong and Australia.
Starting on the Upbeat
The Texas Tech Band & Orchestra Camp has been in existence for more than 70 years, making it one of the oldest music camps in the nation. Each year, the School of Music brings outstanding musicians and educators to Lubbock to teach up to 1,000 music students. Alumni of the program have progressed to be some of the finest musicians and educators in the nation.
This residential camp provides round-the-clock activities for campers. Rehearsals, sectionals and elective classes keep them busy during the day; optional recreational activities and concerts fill the evenings. Every day the sounds from brass and percussion ring out across the campus from strategic locations in the shade of huge elm trees. Drum majors, twirlers and color guard add to the activity and fanfare in the Goin’ Band lot and available grassy areas. Regular music staffers run for their offices when hundreds of sweaty and excited young musicians flow through the building to prepare for the next activity. The Student Union hosts classes also, and a stroll through it finds clusters of young students socializing, practicing, and taking advantage of the comfortable surroundings.
Who's Leading the Section
These high school students know that at band camp, the only bones you have to pick are the ones you play.
First-time campers come in with one or more years' of playing experience and the ability to read music. There are eight concert bands and four orchestras (including harp) to accommodate the budding musicians.
A typical daily schedule consists of two band or orchestra rehearsals, sectional/techniques class, camp assembly, elective classes and evening recreation. Students are encouraged to customize their camp experience by choosing one or two electives from a long list that ranges from arranging/composition to reed-making and twirling.
Keith Dye, Gary Lewis, Sarah McKoin and Christopher Anderson, top ensemble directors from the School of Music faculty, are in charge of the camp, which is organized by Special Activities Coordinator Rebecca Webb. The classes are ‘conducted’ by 23 experienced educators (almost all alumni of the camp) from the TTU School of Music, from public schools across the state and even a member of the New Jersey Symphony this year. To assist in the smooth flow of the camp, Webb hires 50 student assistants.
Composition Arrangements
Many campers have attended for two or more years and anticipate renewing their B/O Camp friendships. Chitwood-Weymouth halls provide welcoming homes-away-from-home for the residential campers. Safety is a top priority for the students, who are closely supervised by camp staff with the help of monitoring by university and Lubbock police. Younger campers flying in are met at the airport gate by camp personnel.
Campers may chose to take private lessons in addition to the busy camp schedule. There are opportunities for the advanced instrumentalist, as a concerto soloist, to perform with the Festival Orchestra during camp. At the end of the week, all wind, percussion and string students participate in a Grand Finale Concert: an opportunity to show off their skills to parents and the public.
When the last camper leaves on July 14, the camp workers spend a few weeks closing out all the paperwork, getting everything back where it belongs and making notes about what took place.
Webb takes a deep breath, hopefully gets a vacation, and marks her calendar for September 1, when plans for the 75th Annual Band and Orchestra Camp begin.
Related
Get information or sign up for Texas Tech School of Music’s Band & Orchestra Camp
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, 806-742-2136.
Web layout by Jon Fox