Joining a Band at Camp

One of the most exciting parts of our summer program is the opportunity for students to join camp bands creating new music and memories to last a lifetime! Making music together can be incredibly rewarding — and also a new challenge for many first-time musicians. Playing in a band requires patience, listening skills, compromise, and the ability to collaborate creatively with peers.

 

Because learning songs, building confidence, and preparing for performance take time, band participation is best suited for students attending the full two-week camp session. This allows groups to form meaningful musical connections while developing the skills needed to play, create, and perform together.

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What Does This Look Like? 

1. Students can ask to join the band track on their first day at camp. After attending station orientations on day one, 

2. They will ask their homeroom section leader to show them the basics for testing into the band program (this will be done during choice/snack times first thing in the morning, during morning and afternoon snack and during end of day choice time)-

      Requirements:

           1) Play drum beats 3&4 from the OMA drum sequence

          2) Play melody, harmony, & rhyming for "Down By the Bay" on piano, ukulele or guitar

          3) Play G chord and strumming patterns 3 & 5 from the OMA ukulele guide

       Times to test and study band requirements (snack and choice times)

            9-9:35am,    10:15-10:40am,     2:10-2:30pm,    4-5pm

3. Complete Band Questionnaire: Once students have demonstrated understanding and ability to play basics of melody, harmony and rhythm, they will complete a questionnaire previewing responsibilities, challenges and strategies require to be able to be in a band. Once they can commit, they can begin the independent study during station rotations.

 

4. Students are expected to play a cover or write an original song. They are also expected to create an original band poster and copies to share with bandmates. 

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How We Support Band Success

We believe young musicians thrive when they feel safe, supported, and inspired. To help set them up for success, we use clear structures and routines during rehearsals:

• Expectations for communication and turn-taking

• Guided song selection and arrangement

• Conflict resolution and compromise strategies

• Teacher-facilitated decision-making (especially in early rehearsals)

• Behavior and safety guidelines to keep everyone engaged and included

As students grow in their teamwork and self-management skills, we gradually give the band more creative independence. When the group is collaborating well, we loosen structures to foster intrinsic motivation, ownership, and artistic flow. If engagement or safety becomes uncertain, we simply return to supportive structure until the group is ready again — a natural part of the learning process.

 

 

A Learning Opportunity Through Collaboration

One of the biggest challenges (and greatest opportunities!) in band settings is compromise. Many students are used to making creative choices independently and are just beginning to learn how to negotiate ideas within a group. This can bring up big feelings — excitement, pride, frustration, uncertainty — and we are here to guide them through it.

Sometimes a student might feel like quitting instead of adjusting their idea. Rather than seeing this as a setback, we view it as a valuable moment to learn:

 

- How do we share ideas kindly?
- How do we listen to others?
- How do we find a middle ground so everyone feels included?

 

Our instructors support students through conflict mediation, reflective conversation, and small successes that build confidence. Watching young musicians overcome challenges together and perform as a band is one of the most powerful experiences we get to witness!