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Summer is a time for growth. As the days get warmer and school-year routines start to relax, we are freer to embark into the unknown lands of lake-swims, bonfires—and yes, for some, musical study. A summer music camp, academy, or residency provides a unique opportunity to try something new, or dive more deeply into your craft. A couple of days or weeks away from regular life—surrounded by new friends, forests, lakes, and lots of music—can be a wonderful time to grow not just as a musician, but as a person.
Many programs open their registration in February and March, so this is the perfect time to start thinking about your summer plans. Here is an overview of the kinds of musical opportunities from across Canada:
Children’s Day Camps
One of my first experiences teaching a large group of children was at the Préville Fine Arts Centre Day Camp in Montreal, where I worked as a violin teacher 11 years ago.Every two weeks, a new cohort of campers began daily 50-minute group lessons, where they were introduced to the fundamentals of violin playing. By the time the end-of-session concert rolled around, a scratchy but wholly impassioned “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” filled the air. Parents were incredibly proud; just two weeks earlier, most of their children had never touched a violin.While several children fall in love with the instrument and decide to take private lessons during the school year, others go on to pursue activities such as piano, guitar, musical theatre, or robotics. The Préville model is unique insofar as children are given the opportunity to try out many new things. Besides lunch and outdoor playtime, the days consist of four hour-long classes which children can choose themselves.
Camp Musical de Québec
Another day option is Camp Musical de Québec, founded by Orchestre symphonique de Québec violinist France Marcotte in 2014. This camp is a thriving family business. Marcotte and her husband, OSQ violinist Pierre Bégin, have six very artistic children, several of whom are professional violinists who teach at the camp.While Préville is defined by the variety of activities on offer, CMQ allows campers to dive deeply into the study of an instrument. The days are centred around music-making. Campers start their morning with instrumental instruction and choir, and depending on their level, also play in chamber groups and orchestra. The camp is suited to experienced beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced players of orchestral instruments, including harp and organ.
Musical Residencies for Children/Amateurs
Camp Musical de Saguenay Lac Saint Jean
Music centres such as CAMMAC and Camp Musical du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean offer children, adults, and families the opportunity to experience music-making in an idyllic summer environment. Both centres are situated in rural parts of Quebec where lakes and forests abound.The summers at CAMMAC are divided into eight week-long sessions, each with a different focus. Beginner to advanced amateurs participate in specialty subjects as diverse as early music, Broadway, and world music. Camp Musical du Saguenay follows a similar model. The first five weeks of summer are dedicated to young musicians ages five to 17, while the remaining four weeks are dedicated to week-long themed retreats for adults.
Montreal-based pianist Paul Çelebi has studied at both Domaine Forget and Orford Music Academy, professional training institutes which, like CAMMAC and Camp Musical du Saguenay, are situated in close proximity to nature. Çelebi cherishes the distraction-free environment these sorts of residencies provide. “Being in such a beautiful and natural environment and at the same time exploring it around your lessons, and not having the obligations of everyday life, just kind of gives you this time and space that is sacred and consecrated to encountering beauty through music,” he says.
Professional Training Institutes
While Domaine Forget and Orford Music Academy are the main professional training institutes in Quebec, Western Canada also boasts a wide range of summer opportunities for musicians.For one, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, located in the Rocky Mountains, is Canada’s largest postgraduate arts and media school. The centre started out as a single drama course in 1933 and now offers a plethora of residencies across dozens of disciplines. This summer, Banff offers residencies for classical performers and composers, emerging recording engineers, and jazz and sonic artists.
Prisma Music Festival Photo: Robert Colasanto
Located by the sea in Powell River, B.C., PRISMA Festival offers a week-long summer residency for aspiring orchestra musicians. The program is designed to bridge the gap between the university and the professional life of an orchestral musician. Masterclasses, workshops, private lessons, mock auditions and performances are all geared toward helping students win a position in a professional orchestra.Aside from diving deeply into one’s craft and meeting like-minded musicians, professional training institutes offer a unique opportunity to study with renowned faculty. Çelebi particularly cherishes his time studying with Louis Lortie at Domaine Forget. The celebrated pianist’s direct teaching style greatly impacted the young pianist. “His teaching taught me how to teach well,” Çelebi says.
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