Yesterday was the last day of our summer camps and classes for students of all ages, including our adult classes, in music, art, ceramics, theater, and dance. So proud of how every single student explored their chosen art form in such a deep, thoughtful, and collaborative way. Everyone worked together as a team to reach a new level and it was a whole lot of fun along the way! On behalf of all of the teachers of Rock Camp, Diving into Art, Explore Ceramics, Dance Intensive, Theater Workshop, and Jazz Workshop in Bridgehampton, New York City, and Lebanon, NJ - thank you!
Bridgehampton, NY Summer Music Camp - Rock Camp
This summer, July 10-21, in Bridgehampton Rock Camp provides inspiring musical instruction to students ages 7-19 - ensembles, lessons, concerts, and electives for a variety of interests. There is also an afternoon Jazz Workshop course for interested students, as well as adult lessons offered in the afternoons.
You will be surrounded by aspiring musicians from all over the Hamptons such as Southampton, Sag Harbor, East Hampton in this welcoming and friendly camp. Check out our site for more details or give us a call, (908) 230-6079.
The Art of Teaching, Summer Music Camp in Long Island and New Jersey
As we prepare for our music camps in Long Island and New Jersey at Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop, we always ask ourselves how can our teaching have the biggest impact on our students, and what makes for a great teacher? There are a few things that make Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop an amazing experience for our students.
We meet students where they are. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced student. It doesn’t matter. We meet you where you are and we push you 10 notches higher to a level you did not think was possible.
2. Whether you are learning a song by Nirvana, Miles Davis, Taylor Swift, or Duke Ellington. We help you understand the harmony and how the architecture of the song, how it’s built. This gives you knowledge and the inspiration to not only learn and play the existing music, but also space to create your own music.
3. Space and Nadia Boulanger. This is something that one of the greatest music teachers of the 20th century, Nadia Boulanger, gave to her students - knowledge of the structures and techniques used in great works of music in addition to inspiration, space, and encouragement for the student to then create his or own music. Seems like the art of teaching then lies in how to balance those two concepts - knowledge/analysis of music and one’s own creativity/voice. Finding that right approach then lies in the teacher’s awareness of where the student is in his or her development and what is the next step. Some consider Nadia Boulanger one of the most influential teachers after Socrates. She taught many of the greats of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky (Rite of Spring, Firebird), Quincy Jones (Wrote and arranged for Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson…Thriller and more), Astor Piazzola the amazing tango composer who fused the music of Argentine with jazz, George Gershwin (Rhapsody on Blue), and many many other great musicians.
Here is a great article on Nadia Boulanger that just came out from the BBC.
Making music is fun, especially when playing with your friends! Let’s face it, people learn from teachers but they also learn from their friends and peers. It’s that synergy, that group energy when you are making music with others that makes the whole experience fun and fulfilling. After all, this is summer! At Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop in Long Isand and New Jersey, we don’t see ourselves as some sort of school….we see ourselves as an enrichment experience where students can be 100% themselves, learn a ton, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Here are some of the musicians who were influenced by the great teacher Nadia Boulanger. Herbie Hancock and orchestra playing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Stravinsky (Firebird)
Astor Piazzolla (Libertango, played here with To To Ma)
Quincy Jones (Wrote/Arranged music for Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, and many others)
Summer Jazz Camp in New Jersey and the Hamptons
At Jazz Workshop, our afternoon music camp in Lebanon, New Jersey, and Bridgehampton, New York, we will learn many many songs in the jazz world. Let’s take a look at Blue Bossa which we could potentially checkout check out. If so, we would learn the melody, harmony and what scales work over which chords. The bassists would learn various bass lines in addition to working on soloing. Pianists and guitarists would work not only on the chords and improvisation but also how to play a montuno pattern. Horn players and singers would work on the melody, phrasing, improvisation, discovering horn lines, and much more.
The trickiest part of this song for many musicians is towards the end where there is a II-V-I to D flat major (E flat minor, A flat 7th, D flat Major 7th). Down below are various ways we would approach learning to solo over this section which works well whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced musician.
The Premier Music Camp in New Jersey, Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop
When you come to our music camp, Rock Camp or Jazz Workshop, in the beautiful countryside of Lebanon, New Jersey, you will learn to master your instrument, play with others, and have a whole lot of fun along the way! At the end of the week we have a concert for friends, family, and the general public, a concert that our students prepare all week for.
While the music will undoubtably be amazing by all our students, whether beginner or advanced, no concert you will ever go to is ever “perfect.” Mistakes happen onstage, many of which no one in the audience notices because they are so minute and the musicians recover so quickly. We tell students it’s ok if you make mistakes. The key is to keep your cool and quickly recover, get back on the horse so to speak. After all, we are all human and part of being human is that mistakes happen.
Here is a video of the great pianist Herbie Hancock talking about that and how he came upon a surprising realization after hitting the wrong chord in a performance. Click here to see the video.
You Be You: Music, Art, Dance, and Theater Camps in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, NJ
One of the benefits for those that come to our summer camps and classes in the Hamptons and New Jersey, Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop. Diving into Art, Dance Intensive, and Theater Workshop is that you are doing two things at the same time.
I once has a teacher that asked me what was a guitar. What is it? Well, it’s carved wood with steel or nylon strings, etc… The teacher shook his head, no, no, no. He smiled and said the guitar is a reflection of you! When you are studying to learn and master an art form this concept becomes more apparent every day. Through learning an art form you start to learn more and more about yourself. The second thing you realize is that while it’s important you work on your individual skills, it is also important to work well with others, to cooperate, challenge and support your fellow musicians, artists, dancers, and actors. These two ideas are not only important in the arts, but life in general!
Looking forward to seeing everyone this July!
That Initial Curiosity and Fascination with Music, Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop in New Jersey and the Hamptons
What draws people to music? Where does that magnetic pull come from? At Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop in New Jersey and the Hamptons we recognize that this kind of curiosity is a special thing. It’s a spark that we like to nurture, challenge, and develop though our lessons, bands, electives and performances. It’s a special thing because if you are surrounded by people who have a combination of knowledge and generous spirit, that spark will grow, grow, and grow.
Ray Charles talks about his first piano teacher and you can hear in his voice how that initial curiosity and fascination was nurtured and challenged to grow. Check it out.
Jazz Workshop Camp in Lebanon, New Jersey and Bridgehampton, Long Island
In Jazz Workshop, our afternoon camp in Lebanon, New Jersey (Hunterdon County) and Bridgehampton, NY (Suffolk County, Long Island) at our campus held at Acorn Montessori School, we will dive deep into the music and have a whole lot fun along the way!
Let’s take a look at a song by Miles Davis, “So What.” Not sure if we will decide on this one, but if so, this is how we would approach it.
The Melody and Harmony. Horn players would learn the melody, pianists/guitarists would learn how to voice the chords, bass players would learn to walk a bass line, and drummers would work on swinging.
Improvisation. We would talk about what modes and scales work you could use over the song, and then more importantly we would talk about phrasing. A great solo is like a great monologue…it’s not just the words or in our case the notes….it’s how one emphasizes notes, uses space, cadence, and how one brings out their individuality that really matters.
Ensemble Playing. If soloing is similar to make a great speech, than ensemble playing is similar to having a great conversation with friends. We will talk and learn to play in a way where we are responding (as well as supporting and challenging our fellow musicians) thereby creating music that is greater than the sum of its part, music that is human, and sounds that connect with both your fellow musicians and your audience.
An Inner Confidence Rises Up, Music, Art, Dance, Theater Camp in the Hamptons
Through the years I have noticed an inner confidence emerge from students in our music, art, dance, theater camp in the Hamptons and New Jersey. Something happens when someone throws himself or herself into something and creates something that they never thought was possible.
When students arrive at our music camp, our art camp, our theater camp, and our dance camp in the Hamptons and New Jersey, there is a mix of excitement and maybe a bit of nervous energy. It’s amazing to see how this feeling transforms into a certain confidence that comes through performance and sharing your talents with your peers, family, and the public. It’s not showy…it’s a kind of quiet, inner confidence that radiates outward that’s built on accomplishments that they have seen through on their own with their fellow musicians, dancers, artists, and actors.
How a "Mistake" in Music Can Say So Much, Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop, Dance Intensive, Theater Workshop in New Jersey and the Hamptons
One of the benefits of learning music is you learn to adapt to change in the moment. Creating something whether its music, art, dance, or theater, you have to work as a team, and embracing change is part of that. This is something you will learn and experience at Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop, Dance Intensive, and Theater Workshop in New Jersey and the Hamptons. The bass player may be rushing the beat a little bit, the drummer forgets the cue going to the bridge, an actor forgets a line, a painter makes a brush stroke he didn’t intend. What do you do, especially if it’s during a live performance?
Here is a fascinating video of the great pianist Herbie Hancock talking about making a “mistake” at the piano in a performance with the trumpeter Miles Davis. Herbie talks about cringing when it happened, but then he talks about how MIles Davis heard what happened and altered his notes to make his “mistake” something perfect. Herbie goes to say how this experience taught him to approach music and life differently. So good, check it out.
Summer Performing Arts Camp in the Hamptons and New Jersey, Music, Art, Dance, Theater
If you have a passion for either music, art, dance, or theater, we welcome you to our summer camp in the Hamptons, Long Island, or our campus in Lebanon, New Jersey. Our summer camps are for all ages (Adults, College, High school, and middle school) and include Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop, Diving Into Art, Dance Intensive, and Theater Workshop. Wherever your passion lies, we have you covered, and encourage you to dive in and get inspired this summer.
Give us a call or email and we can tell you more, (908) 230-6079, HMSRockCamp@gmail.com.
In Rock Camp students having morning and afternoon lessons, morning and afternoon bands, electives, and perform at the end of the week for friends, family and the public.
In Jazz Workshop students perform in ensembles, learn to improvise, and understand how harmony works. Students perform a concert for friends, family, and the public.
In Diving Into Art students learn acrylic painting in Session I (July 18-22, Hamptons) and Watercolor Painting (July 25-29, Hamptons). There are electives in the afternoon and each week culminates with a public exhibit at the end of the week.
In Dance Intensive students engage in our hip hop workshop taught by one of the leading dancer/choreographers in the dance world, Carlos Neto (Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, NYU). There is a performance at the end of the week for family, friends, and the general public. (July 18-22 only, Hamptons).
In Theater Workshop students will perform the musical Little Shop of Horrors. This camp is two weeks long, July 18-22 and then July 24-28 in the Hamptons.
Jazz Camp in New Jersey and the Hamptons
Our jazz camp in New Jersey and the Hamptons is meant for musicians who want to take their music to another level in terms of improvising, finding their creative voice, and making music with like minded musicians who love music as much as you do. We have an adult class, a class for high school musicians, and a separate division for our middle school musicians in our jazz camp which meets in July in the afternoons, 3-5 pm (July 11-15 in New Jersey, and July 18-22 in the Hamptons). Whether you are an adult, a college students, a high schooler, or someone own middle school hungry to learn, you will find a welcome home here at Jazz Workshop.
Many musicians in our jazz camp ask about soloing and how to improvise. A few things come to mind.
A great solo is like a great story. Just like a great story, whether its a movie or in a book, has an arch, the same is true in music. There is a narrative that one can follow, with a theme or various themes. There is a beginning, middle, and an end. There is dialogue which translates into how a soloist articulates his or her ideas and uses spaces, pauses, exclamations, just like when we speak.
The soloist’s ideas are tied into the harmony of the music, and when it’s not connected to the harmony (when someone plays outside the key for instance) it’s done in a purposeful way.
A solo is alive, in the moment, and responds and interacts with the band playing.
There are many many amazing soloists in jazz, each with his or her unique voice. Here is the great Sonny Rollins soloing over his song St. Thomas.
