Summer Music Arts Camp in the Hamptons and Hunterdon County, New Jersey - Our Story

12 Years ago we had an idea to create a music camp and we started in one room full of instruments with a handful of students. Fast forward to today and we now have 22 teachers between our full-time staff and adjuncts and we hav e expanded from music into art, dance, and theater. How did we do it. Well, I try to think about what works and what doesn’t and we adjust our teaching approaches around the learning styles and interests of our students.

Here are 5 thoughts that may give you an insight into our approach….

1. This is not school. First off, this is summer. We aim to create fun, engaging, and learning experiences that take every student out of his or her comfort zone so they finish their studies on an entirely new level in terms of inspiration, knowledge, and technique.

2. We stay nimble. While there is of course a schedule for Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop, Diving into Art, Dance Intensive, and Theater Workshop, we are cool with changing things if we feel that better serves our students. Sometimes, we will meet with students at lunch because a teacher has an idea for certain students.

3. Students have space to meet one another, form friendships, and rehearse new ideas on their own.

4. Our teachers come from all over the US because they love their art form and sharing their knowledge with others.

5. Our teachers meet every day to discuss the growth of each student. Does this student need to be pushed more? Does that student need extra attention at lunch or a certain project top beef up his or her skills.

6. We meet students where they are, and build from there.

Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop, An Inspiring Summer Camp in the Hamptons and Lebanon, New Jersey (Hunterdon County)

Everyone comes to music from a different place.

One person may love tapping their foot and singing to the radio or youtube as a kid, but they really never took it a step further.

Another person may have classical training and trained in reading and writing music, but wants to learn more and get outside of the box (music is an ocean, so much to explore).

Another person may write his or her own songs but lack the technique and knowledge on his or her instrument to take it to the next level.

One student may be lucky and have an inspiring band teacher in school…..and yet another may love music but they do not have the right teacher to channel that passion into actually learning to play.

We want to be that experience that helps turn an interest or passion into a reality, so that you are more proficient, skilled, confident, and inspired on your instrument.

All of our musicians have a career in music and also have a passion for sharing their knowledge. This allows for two things to happen.

1. Learning becomes very efficient and we take the straightest line between point A (where you currently are) and point B (where you want to be).

2. We understand the student mentality, because in the end if you are looking to master your art, we are all students. Someone with curiosity and an open mind to new approaches and sounds. Your teacher likely has a concert in two weeks and he or she is learning new music as well in preparation for that.

Jazz Workshop, a Summer Music Experience in New Jersey and the Hamptons

Jazz Workshop at our Bridgehampton, NY campus (July 18-22) and in Lebanon, NJ (July 11-15), 3-5 pm, is designed for music lovers at 3 levels: Middle School, High School, and an Adult Level. All are welcome, from beginner-advanced levels.

Musicians will learn new music in their ensembles, have lessons, will work on the art of improvisation, learn how harmony works, and write original music. We’ll see you in class, and everyone at Jazz Workshop is excited to help you take your music to the next level. If you have any questions feel free to give us a ring at (908) 230-6079 or email us at HMSRockCamp@gmail.com.

See you in July!

What a Day in Rock Camp Looks Like

So you have decided to join one of the most inspiring and fun music camps in Bridgehampton, NY or Lebanon, Nj - Rock Camp. Welcome! This is what a day on Rock Camp looks like:

9 am - Morning Meeting. Everyone meets up outside for a short hands on workshop. One day it could on poly-rhythms from Africa, Cuba, or Brazil. Then next day, we may have a 15 minuet jam session where everyone takes out their instrument (we have keyboards for the pianists), and we learn a new song as a group. Another day, there may be our morning meeting be on acapella singing: This is also a time for everyone to socialize and for us to come together as a whole community.

9:30 - 10:30 - Lessons. You will meet with your respective teacher and have a lesson on your instrument. This may be a private lesson or you may be in a small group with fellow musicians. You may be new to music or you may be experienced. All the same, come as you are. This is a time to really dig and learn your instrument.

10:30-Noon - Morning Band. You will meet up with your band teacher and with your fellow students you will learn songs that make up Rock n Roll. That could mean music that was released last year to music from the Beatles. Rock is like a very wide umbrella and there are many sub styles under it….we get into most all of them. You also will get into songwriting and creating original music with your group.

12-12:30 - Lunch. Relax, hang with your new friends, eat, get your second wind.

12:30-1 - Play volleyball, play music with your friends on your own. There is a different outdoor activity every day.

1-2 - Afternoon Lessons. Here you can either study a second instrument or study vocals, or you can have a second lesson on your main instrument.

2-3 - Afternoon Band. Here you will be a new band, new teacher and different students from your morning band.

FRIDAY - CONCERT.

Our Way of Thinking

Everyone that comes to us has some kind of innate interest or curiosity, an inner fire.

All of us here, whether its music, art, dance, or theater, recognize that the inner fire everyone has is a very special thing. It should be nurtured and challenged so that it grows, grows, and grows.

The same thing applies to one’s craft and technique. Students here are challenged to leave their comfort zone and reach for a significantly higher level in terms of their technique and creativity.

We think of ourselves as guides to get up the mountain. There are many ways to get there, and its important to open minded, nimble, ready to challenge the status quo, and use multiple styles of teaching to reach every single musician, artist, dancer, and actor that comes to Rock Camp in Bridgehampton and Lebanon, NJ, Diving into Art, Dance Intensive, Jazz Workshop and Theater Workshop.

See you in July!

S

Learning Music, Different Approaches

There are many different approaches to learning music. As we all know, each of us has a different learning style so it makes sense for teacher to be aware of these different approaches. In both Rock Camp and also Jazz Workshop, in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, NJ (Hunterdon County), there are a couple approaches we seem to lean on.

1. The Apprenticeship Model. This simply means you are working with a master in your content area, side-by-side, just as if you were learning to be a carpenter or a medical doctor in residency. Every hour you are internalizing a ton of knowledge that would otherwise slip through the cracks.

2. Multiple Approaches or Throw the Kitchen Sink Model. In this approach your teacher will use a variety of teaching concepts: modeling, listening, watching a video, sheet music, musical exercises, practicing in multiple formats (solo, duo, as a group), and more…much more. Our teachers are nimble and this approach works well.

   On top of all this, we also meet as a faculty every day after camp or class to discuss how each student is doing and where he or she can be pushed and supported. We want every student to finish our courses and camps 10 notches level higher in ability and inspiration from when they came.

Words of Wisdom From a Musical Giant

This video of Duke Ellington, the great pianist, composer, bandleader, has so many pearls of wisdom and makes you nod your head and smile. Whether Duke is talking about what he fears, what he loves, how categorizing music falls short, race relations, or his dreams for the future….this video shines a light on it all.

We will definitely be tackling some Ellington’s music in our Jazz Workshop series happening in Lebanon, NJ, July 11-15, 3-5 pm, or at our Bridgehampton campus, July 18-22, 3-5 pm.

Enjoy!

Diving Into Art - Now 2 Weeks in July in Bridgehampton!

Last year was such an amazing experience for all of our students and teachers, that we decided to ofer Diving Into Art in Bridgehampton for 2 weeks this summer, July 18-22 and July 25-29.

In our first session, we will focus on acrylic painting and in our second week, our focus will be on watercolor painting. Oh, in the afternoon we have many electives to choose from! At the end of each week, student will have a Works in Progress Exhibit. Our adult students will have classes in the afternoons.

Everyone is welcome from beginners to advanced students. If you have any questions, just give us a ring (or email), (908) 230-6079. Are you ready to dive in? Let’s go!

Rock Camp - Behind the Scenes.

We often get questions on what kind of music do we play at Rock Camp in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, NJ.

We like to think of rock as an umbrella with a lot of styles that fall under it. Will we learn pop, classic rock, indie, folk, etc… How about original music??? Yep, that too.

Every student has a morning band and an afternoon band (this is in addition to your morning and afternoon lessons, as well as electives), and each group has different musicians. Think of your group as a team or a family. The teacher will gage the interests of all the students and then you will all create repertoire around that. All of our teachers are performing musicians AND people who love share their knowledge with others.

Every afternoon we have a faculty meeting and we talk through the day and we ask our ourselves, is every student getting challenged? Is every student getting what they need to move out of their comfort zone and get to to the next level? Is everyone happy and making friends? We have a fun and very social atmosphere at Rock Camp and our other courses and camps. This is summer!

In these discussions we decide if any instruction should be tweaked, and we come up with solutions and new ideas. We may ask a couple students to meet at lunch to meet for extra time to work on a duet. We may discover a student who sings beautifully but is too shy to sing lead, and find a great approach may be to have the student sing harmony with another student. As the student’s confidence rises, he or she will gravitate to singing lead.. We may have a guitar student who is very experienced and needs an extra push, and should be given a solo project to work on for the end of the week concert, or a beginner pianist who needs more 1-1 instruction to get his or her technique to the next level.

Students discover that they can unleash their creativity through music. Teachers rediscover every day how there is a creativity in teaching, whether in the moment or behind the scenes.

Theater Workshop Takes Off

We are so excited to bring to our community Theater Workshop this summer (July 24-28, Bridgehampton, NY, 3-6 pm). On day 1 students will be on stage diving into scripts in a variety of genres. In addition, students will have the opportunity to create original works this week as they work through the week as a team. We will explore acting techniques, character development, and how meaning is created through not only words but through tone, facial expressions, body language and more. Students will work collaboratively as they rehearse their piece for the end of the week performance on stage. Beginner-advanced students are welcome for this week of theatrical adventures, friendship, and fun!

Diving Into Art - Expanding to Two Weeks This July

Diving Into Art’s summer program will expand into a 2 week program this summer at our Bridgehampton, NY campus.

Led by our lead artist/teacher, Sophia Santarella, Diving Into Art’s Session I will be July 18-22nd, and Session II will be the following week of July 25-29th. Both weeks will focus on the fundamentals of drawing and painting in the morning but there will be different electives in the afternoons for each week (anime drawing, watercolors, acrylic painting, etc…).

Like last year, there will be a student exhibition at the end of each week of classes.

DIA is for students ages 8 -18 and will meet daily Monday - Friday 9 -3 pm. Our adult class will occur daily 4-6 pm for artists 18+.

We’ll be posting more curriculum details on our site soon. We can’t wait to see you this summer!

Carlos Neto Joins Dance Intensive, Bridgehampton Campus, July 25 - 29th.

We are very excited to have Carlos Neto join Dance Intensive for the summer of 2022 at our campus in Bridgehampton, NY from July 25 - 29th. Carlos will lead our Hip Hop Masterclass for grades 7 - 12th.

Since 2004, Carlos has danced for the Dutch show BLAZE directed by Anthony Van Laast; played the role of ‘Sudsy’ in West End's hit show Some Like It Hip Hop; portrayed John Travolta’s character in the Nintendo video game "Grease," and danced for PS3 Sony Dance Star Party. He was featured in the Bloomingdales 2015 commercial in the USA, choreographed and directed for Warner Brothers, SyCo Music, Sony BMG, Atlantic Records, Britain's Got Talent, Matchbox Twenty, Melanie Martinez, Sergey Lazarev, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, the Broadway production of Circolombia, and The Fringe NYC.

Carlos was the creative director of the largest dance competition in the world, World of Dance. In 2014 NYIT Awards presented him with the honor of "Outstanding Choreography/Movement" for his Off-Broadway work, which includes choreography for the comedy play Gymnos: A Geek’s Tragedy, as well as the dance show Alone-Ology He is a faculty member many prestigious dance schools in NYC and one of the selected expert contributors to Backstage.com. Currently, Carlos is working between New York City and London both as a choreographer and actor.

More than Music

Teaching this week at Rock Camp in NJ has been nothing short of amazing. Every single student has grown tremendously and the level of music is very very high, the creativity, and team work through the roof!

When I see all of these amazing musicians working together in groups, sharing ideas, rehearsing, practicing….I am reminded that what is going on is more than music.

It’s really more like building, and I am reminded that what a group can accomplish is greater than the sum of its parts….in music, art, dance, filmmaking…….pretty much anything where there is a collective spirit and the desire to dig deep and create.

Very cool to be. part of….a kind of metamorphosis.

Carlos Neto (Faculty at Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, NYU) Joins Dance Intensive

NEWS

We are so excited to have Carlos Neto join the Dance Intensive faculty this summer, teaching hip hop.

Carlos is a faculty member at Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, and Peridance in NYC. He also teaches classes at NYU and CUNY.

Time to Unplug - Rock Camp, Diving into Art, Filmmaking, and Dance Intensive

Usually when you hear the word unplugged and music, you may think of Nirvana on MTV, but for this blog I want to talk about getting away from our phone and unplugging from technology. During the day in our music, art, filmmaking, and dance camps, as well as our adult music and art classes, we will not be using our phones. We want to be present in the moment, learning from others, joking with others, and being social. Our community is special and we want to build on that. There will be occasions when a teacher will use his or her phone to access music or a work of art, an interview, for perhaps record or take photos. However, this is done sparingly. We decided to name our art camp in Lebanon, NJ, and Bridgehampton, NY, Diving into Art, because we felt that the phrase expresses the experience of immersing oneself in a subject, exploring and learning, and coming our of it 10 notches higher in terms of ability and inspiration. Let’s all ditch the phone and dive in.

Summer Art Camp and Adult Classes in NJ and The Hamptons

In our summer’s art camp in nj and in the Hamptons, as well is our adult classes, every student will have a sketching notebook that he or she will use. This will allow our student artists to sketch out ideas and work with our artist teacher before putting their ideas onto canvas. It will also allow act as a student notebook of sorts during class hours and as a way to free draw at home. We are so excited to welcome you all to Diving Into Art, the premier summer art camp in NJ and The Hamptons.

Getting Down in Order to Go Up

So one thing we emphasize in our music, art, and dance camps and classes in New Jersey and in the Hamptons is getting back to basics or the fundamentals.

For this reason in music we have lessons that focus on our sound, understanding harmony, improvisation. All art students have a fundamentals class in which they work with charcoal and paper before painting on canvas. In dance, students use the basics of ballet as a springboard to explore other styles, hip hop, tap, jazz, etc…. The key is to make these experiences fun, engaging and inspiring!

All of this creates an environment in which newfound technique coupled with imagination can create truly amazing works!

We look forward to seeing you in our music camps and classes, our painting and drawing camps and classes, and our dance classes this summer in Lebanon, New Jersey and on The Hamptons.

Diving Into Art, Painting Camp and Classes in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, New Jersey

Our one week art and painting intensive of camps, classes, and workshops happen July 19-23 in Lebanon, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, and July 26-30 in The Hamptons, Bridgehampton, NY.

From 9 - 3 pm we will have camps for middle school and high school students, and then there are afternoon/evening classes for adults, 3-6 pm everyday.

We call this program Diving Into Art, because we think the name captures the spirit of what we are trying to do, a wide-eyed exploration into the fundamentals of painting and drawing, and a space for students of all ages to create art with the guidance of incredibly talented artists and teachers.

Whether you are a beginner or advanced, you will find a new level of inspiration in our painting and and art classes in Bridghemapton and Lebanon, NJ.

Let’s dive in!

A Fun and Social Experience, An Art Camp Like No Other, Diving Into Art in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, NJ

We just completed another round of faculty meetings with the art faculty, meetings designed to tweak the curriculum of our day students and then adult classes in the later afternoons/evenings. How often do you have a meeting at work with your colleagues and you leave the meeting more excited and more full of energy than before the meeting? All I can say is that the collective creativity, experience, and love for the arts by the teachers allows for a very rich and engaging curriculum and experience for every student.

There is something invigorating about being in the same space with others who share your level of interest and excitement about a subject, whether it’s music, art, or dance. Maybe it can be boiled down to one word, community. When the experience is fun, social, and one is challenged to jump to a whole new skill level, then the experience becomes a source of inspiration.

That’s what we are aiming for in Rock Camp, Diving Into Art, and Dance Intensive in the Hamptons, week of July 26th, and in Lebanon, NJ, Hunterdon County, the week of July 19th.

Part 2 - A Human Experience

During the past year I had a chance to check out the video series, Masterclass. It got me thinking….We want Rock Camp, Diving Into Art, and Dance Intensive to be like that masterclass experience but instead we want the experience to be live, in person, 100% human. An experience, for beginners or experienced students, that inspires one to reach higher and deeper in his or her craft. We look forward to seeing you soon in Bridgehampton, New York and Lebanon, New Jersey (Hunterdon County) at Rock Camp, Diving Into Art, and Dance Intensive.

See you in July!