Early Music America Spring 2013 - (Page 57)

WHAT I DID AT SUMMER CAMP A look at three programs offering beginning viol to kids ree” from Telemann’s suite for viola da gamba and orchestra (played on treble viol). We had a total of 18 youth participating at this event, which ended with a ﬁnal concert for family and friends. We plan to offer another Youth Early Music Day this summer. I also teach a Renaissance Band class year-round for viol and recorder students, and one of my summer camp Beginning Viol and Renaissance Band students has recently joined the ensemble. After three summers of tasting the JULIE ELHARD: Every summer, the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music offers a viola da gamba and Renaissance music, two-week summer camp for kids ages 5 she’s hooked! to 12. I’ve taught a beginner’s gamba class the past four summers at this camp ROLAND HUTCHINSON: In the summer of 2011, I was invited to give lecand usually have around ﬁve kids rangture-demonstrations at the Chamber ing in ages from 6 to 11 in the group class. The kids rent the viols for the two- Music Institute put on by the American String Teachers Association of New Jerweek period, practice at home what sey. It’s a two-week camp for string they’ve learned at camp, and then perplayers ages 13 to 18 held each August form in a student concert at the end of camp. They explore how to hold the viol at Kean University. With my group, the Cisraritanian Consort of Viols, we and use the bow and get acquainted performed, talked, and had a brief with the sounds of the Renaissance. hands-on session for the students. InterTo entice a few more young people est in the viol was piqued, so this suminto early music, we added a “Renaismer I was asked back to teach a daily sance Band” class during camp for the beginning viol class during the afternoon past two years. This mixed ensemble elective period for both weeks of camp. I class has included viols, recorders, viohad 10 kids each week who met one lin, ﬂute and guitars. I arrange some of hour a day for ﬁve days. Each Thursday my favorite Renaissance tunes for the afternoon is elective switch day, so those ensemble. In August 2012, I organized a “Youth sessions brought in a fresh set of 10 Early Music Day” at the Saint Paul Con- kids, who got a one-hour trial session. Forty young musicians were exposed to servatory of Music. The Conservatory viola da gamba at CMI this summer. has offered an Early Music Day for the I provided all the viols used in this past ﬁve years, but it has been difﬁcult course from my collection, but we were a to attract very many young players to bit bass heavy for the consort playing. this event. Having a youth-only early music event made this opportunity more The students made a great deal of attractive to young people. We were able progress during the week, and, with outside help from VdGSA members Lucine to hire Mary Halvorson Waldo to teach recorder, and Cléa Galhano led a youth Both EMA and the VdGSA offer a Baroque orchestra. The recorder stuvariety of grants to support outreach dents played solo and ensemble reperand workshops: toire, and there were also two ﬁve-yearEMA: www.earlymusic.org/education/ old beginners. The Baroque Orchestra education-outreach-all-ages featured one of my viola da gamba stuVdGSA: www.vdgsa.org/pgs/grants.html dents playing “La Trompette” and “Bour- PHOTO: JULIE ELHARD This past summer, several members of the Viola da Gamba Society of America were involved in summer music courses where young people were able to explore playing viola da gamba. Below are reports from Julie Elhard, Roland Hutchinson, and Scott Mason about “viol trials” they ran or participated in. Innovative approaches and new ideas for reaching out to young people are welcomed by both VdGSA and EMA. —Lisa Terry Jimmy, a member of the viola da gamba class taught by Julie Elhard at Saint Paul Conservatory of Music’s summer camp. and Marine Musaelian and Ryan Gallagher, were able to perform “Pavane d’Angleterre” by Claude Gervaise, the Tallis Canon, and Ortiz recercars at the ﬁnal concert. Two young campers continued working with me on viol after the summer course at CMI, and both were angling to get viols this year for Christmas. Another student moved on to Yale where she continues playing viol with Ros Morley. Plans are proceeding apace for next summer’s sessions. SCOTT MASON: For the second year, a Viol Consort Initiative (VCI) was included as part of the annual Summer Chamber Music Festival at the University of San Diego (a camp for instrumentalists ages 8 to adult), held in early July. Organized by Lisa Terry at the invitation of Angela Yeung, VCI provides adult viol-playing participants with intensive consorts and master classes in a Early Music America Spring 2013 57 http://www.earlymusic.org/education/education-outreach-all-ages http://www.earlymusic.org/education/education-outreach-all-ages http://www.vdgsa.org/pgs/grants.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Early Music America Spring 2013

Editor's Note
Reader Forum
Sound Bytes
Profile: Peter Nothnagle Early Music Engineer
Musings: Best of the Year
Recording Reviews
"Skillful Singing" and the Prelude in Renaissance Italy
Almira: Handel's Fountain of Youth?
Tempesta di Mare: Making a Splash with Fasch
2013 Guide: Workshops & Festivals
What I Did at Summer Camp
Book Reviews
Ad Index
In Conclusion: Teaching Recitative in Mexico

Early Music America Spring 2013