Contributed by Meggie Aube
Summer 2019 will mark the 7th year of the Percussion in the Valley Summer Percussion Camp. This camp has become a yearly staple for local young percussionists from across the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage. Every summer over 40 students ranging in age from 7-18 convene at Colony Middle School for a week of percussion education, music making, and fun. Students keep coming back every summer to hone their skills and make music.
This year will be no different. Enrollment is now underway for the 2019 summer camp. The camp will be held again at Colony Middle School, from June 10th-14th. There are 2 sessions to accommodate different ability levels and ages. Students do not need to be percussionists to participate in camp.
Session 1 is for students in 4th-7th grade who have at least one year of musical experience and meets from 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. each day.
Session 3 is the advanced session for students entering 8th grade through those just graduated from high school. Students enrolling in this session must have at least one year of musical experience. They meet from 11:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. each day.
Students from all sessions have the opportunity to work with amazing faculty from around Alaska and from out of state. 2019 camp faculty will include: Program Director, Dr. Meggie Aube from Palmer; Anchorage percussion professionals: Kyle Drake and Erik Chronister; featured guest faculty, Dr. Ginny Armstrong, from Iowa. Dr. Armstrong is a percussion educator and performer; she is experienced in all areas of percussion and this year will be focusing on steel drums with the camp students.
Every year, the summer camp is an excellent opportunity for local students to improve on their technique on all percussion instruments. They spend time playing music in a variety of genres, from all over the world. Most importantly of all, they make connections with students from outside their schools and create lasting bonds through music while having fun!
The camp has been reaching capacity every summer, so early enrollment is highly encouraged. All of the enrollment materials and more information about the camp can be found at: www.percussioninthevalley.com and on the Percussion in the Valley Facebook page. For additional inquiries contact Meggie: 631-8079 or percvalley@gmail.com.
