A Summer of Music Making Online
Life as we know it came to a halt when COVID-19 took to the United States and everything was affected by new social-distancing guidelines. Youth music organizations were among the many affected by this change. In-person rehearsals, concerts, lessons, etc. were no longer able to happen as usual, so many organizations had to re-configure aspects of the day-to-day.
On a regular basis, many youth music organizations hold enriching musical summer programs every year. You may find yourself asking, “how will programs such as these be affected by what is currently going on?” Well you’re in luck, because some of our very own UniSound members are hosting fantastic musical summer programs that will be completely online.
Below highlights some of the available programs happening this summer – that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home! Some of these programs have registration deadlines that have passed, however if registration is still open, the dates have been included below.
- The Center for Young Musicians will be offering a Ukulele Camp, Music Discovery Camp, and Piano Jam Camp, all online!
- Soon to come are two new courses: “Learn to Play the Blues” from July 31 to August 28th, and “Recording/Chamber Music” from August 1st to August 29th. Visit this link to learn more about these two exciting new courses!
- Pittsburgh School for the Choral Arts will be holding their Without Borders Virtual Camp. Students will have the opportunity to learn songs, musical dances, and games from South Africa, Israel, the British Isles and Navajo peoples. Visit their Choral Camps 2020 page for more information.
- Calling young instrumentalists, singers, MC’s, dancers, and music producers ages 9-19! Guardians of Sound Inc. will have their Hip Hop Orchestra this summer, online. Participants will create music, play instruments, write, sing, rap, dance, and explore beat making primarily with the music of “now”. All levels are welcome, and there are scholarships available for Black youth and youth of low income families. The deadline to register for this program is July 13, 2020. Learn more at https://www.gosound.org/ .
- Pittsburgh Youth Chorus will have a virtual summer music camp that offers a la carte courses including Songs of the Broadway Stage, Intro to Ukulele, Songwriting, Instrumental Composition & Improvisation, Vocal Improvisation, and One-to-One Vocal Coaching. The registration deadline is based on the program, but is rolling after June 10, 2020. Visit their summer online page to learn more.
- Carnegie Mellon School of Music Preparatory School has transitioned their Music Pre-College, an intensive summer program for high-school musicians to be online for 2020. Students can choose between two tracks: The Essentials Program or the Comprehensive Program, which offer different levels of rigor. Course offerings include Private Studio Lessons, Music Theory, Solfege, Music History Seminar, Music Resume & Portfolio Workshop, Convocation, and Group Workshops. Registration for Music Pre-College is currently open! Visit here for more information!
- The City Music Center at Duquesne University will have several online music camps this summer for various age groups, genres, and instrumentation. Among the selections are, Pump Up Your Practice: A Summer Strings Institute, Summer Jazz Experience, Merging Sight & Sound- Music Tech Online Summer Intensive, Industry of Audio and Media- Music Tech Online Summer Intensive, Steel City Brass Camp, Music Theory Boot Camp, and Violin & Viola Boot Camps. Sound Interesting? Visit the School of Music’s Summer Music Series Page to learn more about these individual classes. Registration deadlines vary by program.
- Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra School of Music will have their Chamber Music Seminar and Virtual Academy 2020 in late-July. Students will have an intensive chamber music experience instructed by prominent artists and teachers of national and international renown. Seminar faculty and guest artists include musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet, Kassia Ensemble, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University. The deadline to audition is June 27, 2020. Find out more here!
- Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras will be offering their Virtual Summer Camp, comprised of a variety of core offerings to choose from. This camp will also include features such as camp counselors, weekly community activities, and a finale online concert day. Visit their virtual summer camp page for more information.
A lot has changed over the past few months, but the importance of music making has not. Perhaps this information has sparked some interest in checking out a program or two, or maybe it has served as a reminder to you that we will adapt and overcome. Wishing you a safe and happy summer playing, making, and learning!
Does your organization have an awesome online summer program that you’d like to include? Submit to this form, and you’ll be added to the post!
