When I first started thinking about doing Treblemakers Day Camp, I was excited about the cool projects and in depth experience I could give students that I don’t normally have enough time to delve into during one-on-one lessons. I love using my imagination to come up with exciting ways to learn and create.
When I was little, I used to say I was going to have a LOT of kids. When I grew up, I realised that I couldn’t do that and still have time to do all the other things I wanted. I wanted to spend my life being creative and immersed in music. In Day Camp, I get to be creative, musical and have ten kids. I LOVE spending all day with these guys and always feel a little teary at the end of the session but also COMPLETELY exhausted!
We are now in our ninth year of Treblemakers Day Camp and I have gotten to do so many amazing projects. We’ve done Garageband, composing for music box, music videos, group performances, singing in harmony and even written music for a puppet show. We’ve created origami, designed t-shirts, made shrinky dinks and felt creations. We’ve played four square, whiffle ball, kickball and dodgeball. One constant has been defying expectations in the quality of work that kids are capable of.
Students come out of camp having learning a tremendous amount yet raving about how fun it was. We have many return campers every year and always some beginners. We have regular Treblemakers students and students from other teachers that come to add group playing to their experience. Camp is a great way light or reignite the spark for learning music. Not only does it get students excited about learning it also gives them a serious boost in progress. We play music every day for two weeks and drill on music foundation skills through fun activities such as computer games or game show.
Through all of this we bond together as a group whether we’re playing in the park together, creating music or battling it out in game show. The beauty of it all is that they get to see firsthand and be a part of what we can do together as humans. None of it is possible or quite as spectacular all alone. When all the music parts come together and they are singing all out, it is pure magic. I love getting to orchestrate that happening.