August 22, 2012

The Happy Afterglow of Harp Camp



One Creative Ensemble
This year's Harp Camp - the 17th Annual - was fantastic! We had a great time. Our theme was "Music suits me to a Tea!" and we did some excellent things in that vein.  We focused on fakebooks this year, learning how to read them, how to use them to build repertoire, increase arrangement variability and as a launch point for new arrangements. Monica did a fantastic job with helping us get into our theme with an excellent craft and all our campers made themselves very fine hats for our Tea Party.

During Tea we took turns enjoying our light repast and playing for each other as "sonic wallpaper" to help each person get more used to playing for an audience, to try out some of the things we had learned, to enjoy each other's music and to enjoy one another's company.


Note our delightfully clever chapeaux and tea goodies.
We also had our old staples - Creative Ensemble and Directed Ensemble - to assure that everyone had the chance to grow and stretch - and practice their counting. And our usual sprinkling of games and activities that all contribute to our development as musicians - rhythm, breathing, counting, drawing, listening, and laughing!

Our campers all had a great time - and left tired and with their heads full - just like we like it!
 
Kris teaching "reflectively" -
 couldn't resiste the image in the mirror!
Harp Camp is always fun and challenging with small groups (no negotiating your harp down long halls through throngs of people), plenty of one-on-one time with the tutors and with other campers.  I hope you'll consider joining us next year - more information will be available on my website soon (and I'll let you know here when to look).  Kris and I can't wait!

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