Philharmonic summer performing arts camp brings student musicians together
Dr. Elaine Anderson, principal cellist for the Tuscarawas Philharmonic, leads a group of summer camp students through a rehearsal.
Students who attend the Tuscarawas Philharmonic Summer Performing Arts Camp experience much more than music lessons. According to camp instructors, students get to experience — often for the first time — what it’s like to be part of a larger group of instrumental and vocal musicians blending with one another, balancing out the harmony and striking just the right chords.
This year’s summer camp will run June 16-19 at Dover High School, with a special session just for strings a week earlier June 9-12 at Walsh University. Each program costs $115 per student.
The camp’s popularity has steadily grown since it was started in 2013 by Mary Cooper, a cellist with the Tuscarawas Philharmonic.
“We started out with just the strings, and we had about 25 kids that year,” Cooper said. “Last year we had over 90 strings. All the kids were together the first year too, no matter what their level of experience, but we’ve grown to three levels now: beginner, intermediate and advanced.”
Cooper grew up in Dover and graduated from Dover High School.
“Dover is the only school with a strings program,” said Cooper, who, as a private instructor, taught kids for all different schools. “I saw students progressing on their own instrument, but not in an orchestra. I tell my students there are things you will learn in an orchestra setting that I can’t teach you, like the skills of listening, of playing with each other and just the joy of playing together.
“The violin, the cello, the viola, the string bass are all wonderful solo instruments, but they were really designed to be played together. I tell the kids you’re playing one piece, which is like one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. It’s only going to make sense when you fit it with everybody else.”
Most instructors for the summer camp are members of the Tuscarawas Philharmonic, and each comes highly qualified, according to Cooper.
Singing from the same sheet
Lauren Barkett teaches the choral portion of summer camp, and she agrees being part of a group is a totally different experience.
“It’s such a different animal than singing by yourself,” she said. “So in addition to learning new songs, the students learn how to sing together as a group, how to blend with others and learning to be a good musician in a group setting.”
Director of the Philharmonic Children’s Chorus, Barkett has been involved with the camp for about 10 years and said students learn much more than music during the camp.
“There are so many aspects of music that bleed into other parts of life. When you talk about time signatures and rhythm and beats, that’s math. When you talk about syllables and pronouncing words correctly, that’s reading,” Barkett said. “We’ve also had kids singing in Spanish, Latin and Italian, so they are learning about the world around us through music.”
The chorus program takes place in the afternoon at Dover, so students who wish to attend for strings, percussion or dance also can sign up for the choral portion.
A different drummer
Tom Roblee and Joan Wenzel from Walsh University teach the percussion portion of the camp, and Roblee said much of the focus is on world music elements.
An assistant professor of music and the director of bands at Walsh, Roblee said world music is created and assembled in a way very different from other forms of music.
“Most of the time, we’re not reading off of a page. The students learn to improvise and make choices in real time during performance. It’s just a unique approach,” Roblee said.
Roblee said students in sixth grade through 12th grade will learn pieces and play them individually and as part of an ensemble. The world music portion allows students to explore using traditional African instruments, steel pan drums and Mexican marimba instruments, which bring in the cultures of Ghana, Guinea, Guatemala, Chiapas, Trinidad and Tobago.
“So in addition to learning teamwork, collaboration and communication, they get the cultural side of it.”
Not the same old song and dance
For the third year, the Philharmonic summer camp will feature a dance program headed by Shannon Odenweller Mitchell. Dancers age 8-14 with at least two years of studio experience will explore several dance genres over four days.
Mitchell, who danced in residency with Ballet Memphis and many other dance companies, said students will explore various dance styles, techniques and choreography and also will learn a bit about dance history.
“I encourage improvisation and exploration that will allow us to create a dance and perform it with the advanced orchestra,” she said.
The big moment
All students will have the opportunity to perform for parents and friends at the conclusion of summer camp June 19. This gives students the opportunity to experience performing live with a group in front of an audience.
Registration and information
Registration and more information including additional requirements for students in each program can be found at www.tuscarawasphilharmonic.org/.
A link to summer camp registration on the homepage will take parents to an overview of the various programs and the cost. Clicking the various programs will supply specific details and requirements. Additional questions can be sent via text to Cooper at 330-243-4122.