Hey guys,

I actually do go on a music camp for four days and I must say, it totally rocks. Although my mouth is absolutly dying after four days of hard playing. But it`s really awesome and I dont know why everyone teases it, I mean American Pie is an obvious reason but its so much fun and we get 3 days off school and free time and stuff. I`m going on the 2nd March to the 5th, gonna be great.

Anyone else go on music camp?

Well those people who tease you are clueless and ignorant, and they have no idea what they`re missing!

I have been going to MusiCamp Alberta (Canada) for 2 weeks every summer for the past 4 years, and I plan on going for 2 more. Without question, it is the best part of the year for me. I can have fun, and hang out with other musicians who are as serious about music as I am. It`s an awesome way to spend 2 weeks!

The other reason it is the best part of the year is because, frankly, school band really sucks! We play really easy pieces, and nobody practices, so it`s not fun for the musicians in the class.

Okay, I`ll stop ranting now.

BAND CAMP ROCKS!!!

Band Camps r awesome fun, the chicks are often cute too and the best bit is you have something in common to start with!

in england we dont have band camp. what do you do on them?

Are you serious? You don`t have band camp in England? Like, not a single summer band camp in the whole country? If that is the case, then I feel very sorry for you, because it is the best way you can ever spend your summer!

I will explain how my band camp works. This will be rather lengthy, so if you don`t want to read the whole thing, you may want to print it, or something.

Ok, so here`s how it works at the camp that I go to. It is called MusiCamp Alberta (a province in Canada), and it is located on the Red Deer College campus. It takes place in the summer, from the last week of July until the first week of August (total of 2 weeks). You get there, register, and put all your stuff in in your room (which is part of a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, living room, and kitchen suite). You then go to your audition. They require you to have a piece prepared, and that you do a bit of technical stuff, so they can assess your playing ability.

After your audition, you go to the theatre for a meeting/pep talk/orientation on what the camp is all about. You then go and do an ice-breaking activity, which is different every year. You then have dinner in the cafeteria, and go to sleep (lights out is at 10:30 pm).

The wake up call the next morning is at 6:40, which involves the camp supervisors knocking on your door really loudly, and/or coming in and yelling at you to get up if you don`t respond to the loud wake-up call immediately...

You then proceed to the cafeteria again for breakfast, and a half hour after breakfast starts, the camp director (for the past 6 years or so, it has been a trumpeter named Neil Corlett) gives the breakfast announcements (where you need to be, what you are doing, etc.). After the announcements, you have about 20 minutes to finish up eating, and get to your warm-up (which you do with your section). This consists of about an hour of scales, long tones, etc., or whatever else the clinician decides to do.

You then proceed to morning band rehearsal, or sectionals, depending on which band you are in. This time period is around an hour long. After this, you have lunch. The camp director again gives the once-per-meal announcements, and you have either free time, private lessons, jazz band (jazz instrumentation only), or a scheduled activity after lunch.

After this time period, you proceed to your afternoon band rehearsal (again, for about an hour), and then go and have dinner. And, you guessed right, the camp director gives his once-per-meal announcements for the third time in the day.

You then proceed to your evening band rehearsal (again, for about an hour). After this, you proceed to the theatre (if your rehearsal wasn`t already in there), and watch the daily faculty recitals. These consist of 4 or so different clinicians (usually with the piano clinician/accompanist) playing pieces for the students.

After the recital, you then proceed to the evening activity. These are also different every time, but some activities have become favourites of both students and staff, and they are done again every year. The fireless campfire (self-explanatory), and a skit night in which students make up their own skits, or do repeats of their favourite TV/movie moments. Pretty much anything goes at skit night.

After a hard and lengthy day, you go to bed (again at 10:30), and the next day, basically the same things happen.

After the sixth day, the various workshops (the one I`ve described is the band workshop) have a final concert for their parents, relatives, and people in the Red Deer community who thought of coming.

If you`re in the 2 week band workshop (for high school students and older), then after the concert is basically a day of hanging out, doing your laundry (highly recommended!!), and general relaxation until the second week begins. This is basically a repeat of the first week, except you go home after the second week.

And you wait, for another year, to go back to band camp...

Wow, that was longer than I thought it was going to be. That is only the jist of it, though. It would take me a lot longer to explain exactly what happens at MusiCamp Alberta.

Oh, and did I mention that you meet people just like yourself, who are interested in music as much as you are, and form life-long friendships?

That`s band camp for you.

Thomas

Woo bandcamp...I think mine is different from yours thomos though... You don`t have to try out, its for musicians lvl 1-8. Everyone can play. And we have some cool classes from really good musicians on like how to improvise, and feel rythmn and all that.

It`s awesome.

we go abroad to places like Italy and spain but we only do concerts at night time for the locals and sight see in the day time but we dont call it band camp

it`s much more laid back and we don`t audition and things. our `band camp` is more like a holiday is suppose and we stay in hotels and dont have to get up at silly hours in the morning lol

lol you go to band for only 4 days
my band camp lasts for 3 weeks

For the 2 week in Alberta Music camp you just have to have at least 3 years of exp. I haven`t gone yet but I`m going to go this year. I`m hoping to get the Easrly Bird special so I won`t have to pay like 500 bucks.

"For the 2 week in Alberta Music camp you just have to have at least 3 years of exp. I haven`t gone yet but I`m going to go this year. I`m hoping to get the Easrly Bird special so I won`t have to pay like 500 bucks."


Ah, someone who knows what I`m talking about. Yes! We need another bassoon player in the Peterkin band! By all means, come! And you`re right, you do need at least 3 years playing experience.

Also, about the price (!). I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the early bird pricing is a tad more than that. About $100 more. However, as someone who has been at this camp for 4 years and counting, the price is definitely more than worth it.

Musicamp Alberta rocks! i used to go when it was Musicamrose and then i went to musicamp, it is the best thing for any one, so much playing...gee the only thing that could be better is days and days of longs tones...which you get at Musicamp!

I second that, Toby! Wow, I didn`t think I`d see anyone I knew from camp on here. How`s life now that you`ve graduated and moved on?