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Making Music and Enriching Lives
and
Making Music and
Having a Blast!
are full of new ideas to help you and your students get more out of their lessons
for concrete solutions to your everyday problems and ideas to get more satisfaction from the
best job in the world!
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| It's not worth it unless it's fun! | 
Carmina Burana for parents!
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Greetings!
 Last month's newsletter was about the value of summer music programs for your students. This month I would like you to think of the possibility of hosting your own summer music program.
For the last seven years, I've hosted a summer music camp for my students at a retreat in the mountains. It lasts three days for the younger students, and the fourth day is for high school kids only.
Because I have between 19-23 students of all ages, I am the camp director, and I leave the teaching to others. If you have lots of help with food, games, etc., you can reverse those roles.
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Why Host a Summer Music Camp?
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Your students will:
- Practice for the camp
- Have more fun learning in a relaxed atmosphere
- Enjoy the social side of music
- Learn extras you can't squeeze into normal lesson times
- Be able to play in ensembles
- Get to know you better
- See learning music as something fun and your studio as their special club.
You will:
- Earn more money in the summer
- Get to know your students better
- Stay in contact with them over the summer, making it less likely they will quit in the fall.
- Have fun!
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Students love the special attention from other teachers
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Even if you offer a half day camp at your home, you and your students will still learn, have fun, and bond together as a studio.
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How do you get started?
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Answer these camp questions first
Where: at your house or a rental facility?
In your area or an away camp?
How long: 1/2 day, full day, full week, longer?
Who: Only your studio or other interested students? (a great recruiting tool)
How much to charge? (Since all my students attend, I charge the cost of a lesson for my services plus camp costs.)
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What makes camp fun?
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A mix of academic and social activities gives everyone something to love.
I hire university professors to give master classes. Younger student classes run about an hour, older kids about 1 1/2 hours.
College kids are excited to help and will probably do it for room and board and a small stipend.
In addition to master classes, try music theory games, composition or improv, songs on the kazoo (a big hit), and ensembles.
Start out each camp with lots of getting to know you games and plenty of games to initiate at a moment's notice. Never let things get dull. This year I created a Music Jeopardy game, which had them all groaning over my terrible puns.
Games at Snowater
More Snowater Games
 | | Hiking gives us a break and a chance to enjoy nature. |
 | | Younger kids especially love the pool. |
 | | Games are a great way for all ages to get to know each other. |
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| Hints to make camp run smoothly | | |
Ask for a non-refundable deposit.
Plan ahead:
Have a printed schedule of events for each camper.
Start out each camp with lots of getting to know you games and plenty of games to initiate at a moment's notice. Never let things get dull. This year I created a Music Jeopardy game which had them all groaning over my terrible puns.
Designate chaperones and coaches for each event.
Have signed medical release forms.
Allow some free time choice (tennis? swimming? practice? ensembles? No reading books alone though.)
Utilize parents: I have around 20 students and 8 parents.
Enlist the aid of college kids to coach and also to help with games and be your helpers.
Divide the student groups into ages for master classes, but leave time for the entire group to bond. I pair older and younger kids every day as buddies who perform for each other and eat one meal sitting together. This does incredible things for the cohesiveness of your studio family.
Make food easy. Day one is a sack lunch. Dinner is tacos, day two dinner is a cookout, and day three for high school we go out. Breakfasts are cereal and muffins, lunch is sandwiches. There are always snacks of fruit, cheese, crackers available. The chocolate fountain and S'Mores are the biggest hits. Parents cook, kids help with clean up. Costco makes it cheap.
Enlist students' help in designing a new t-shirt every year. It gives the camp and identity and makes it easy to spot your campers.
Everyone keeps their
backpack with them with their music, water, stand, and swimsuit.
As the director, you need to keep the schedule running, the parents helping, the kids engaged, and everyone happy. Watch out for the shy child.
Be flexible. It rains, a kid gets sick, a coach shows up late. It happens. Take a deep breath. (Note to self).
Ask parents and students at the end of camp for a
review to make next year even better.
Just as important to how much they learn is how much fun they have.
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Parents have fun too and become your biggest supporters
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Students bond during camp and remain committed to your studio through the year
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Flute Flash
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 Expand your ribs and expand your lung power with finger or knuckle breaths:
Place your right hand in front of your mouth and "suck in your knuckles."
Make a big deep Darth Vader Sound, and you will open up your throat and feel expansion in the front and back of your ribs. Try it!
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| Bonnie's Speech Calendar | |
February 22, 2013
Mt. Rainier/Puyallup MTNA
Thanks for being such an engaged audience!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
MTNA National Convention
Look for some fun pictures from the convention next month
April 2013
Gig Harbor Music Teachers
Get Paid What You're Worth
October 12, 2013
MTAC Santa Cruz
Topic TBA
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