By Pam Phillips
Summer workshops, camps, and student orchestras all share one thing in common. They are more laid-back, informal, and fun-oriented than study during the school year. Maybe it’s the warmth, or not wearing big coats, hats, and gloves. I’m not sure, but I am sure of the value of summer study.
Summer orchestras not only keep the students playing and give the parents a reason to pay for instrumental rental in the summer, but they often provide the basis for orchestra memories and friendships. It’s also a time to explore fun repertoire without pushing the limits of the technical expertise of the ensemble. We give ourselves permission to play less difficult music, allowing the chance to work on musicality, or to just allow for all the days that students will miss because of vacations. The same goes for camps—we play fun and good music, though often more challenging music than is possible at a school summer orchestra. After all, the kids are on campus so they tend to be at rehearsals.
Summer teacher workshops follow the same pattern—fun, music, and challenge—a chance to remember why you do what you do and learn to do it even better! After attending these events, running them, and presenting at them for many years, I firmly believe that they are well worth the time and money.
The May e-mail included fun, summer orchestra-friendly tunes for browsing and a link to summer workshops presented by Alfred Music authors. Enjoy!
Alfred Music Blog 