Frequently Asked Questions

June 1 is the deadline to enroll without late fees. After that, you will be charged $75 as a late fee. You can enroll any time before camp begins!

Visit the Dates, Rates, and Travel page to see all fees and payment information.

The fee includes tuition, housing, meals, and tickets to all evening concerts. Transportation costs are not included.

STUDENTS
A student division is similar to your “major” during your time at camp. You can choose the Drum Major Institute, Marching Band (Winds), Marching Percussion, Color Guard (Middle School and High School), Concert Band (Middle School and High School), or the Music Production Bootcamp.

Your division applies to the Full Week Camp experience.

Students from any division may choose to add Leadership Weekend (High School Students Only) to the beginning of the week.

Only one division can be selected for each student. You may not change divisions once the week has started.

DIRECTORS
Within the Director Academy, participants can choose High School Director, Middle School Director, College Student, Color Guard Instructor Academy, Marching and Movement Instructor Academy, or Percussion Specialist Academy. Choosing one of these areas of study does not limit a participant to attending only sessions within their chosen area.

All Final Performances are free and open to all parents and family members who wish to attend. They will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET and conclude at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The camp concludes immediately after Final Performances.

Dorm checkout will begin after the performances have been completed.

Please Note: All students are required to stay until 12:00 p.m. for the conclusion of Final Performances. Exceptions will be made for students who turn in an Early Departure Form (completed and signed by a parent/guardian) at check-in at the beginning of camp.

Parents will need to make hotel accommodations on their own. Hotel rooms in Muncie are in limited supply (especially at the end of camp when Drum Corps fans are in town) so we suggest you do your research and make your plans early. Hotels that Music for All has used in the past have included: Hampton Inn, Fairfield, and the Courtyard Muncie in Downtown Muncie.

We invite you to connect with camp through Music for All’s social media outlets.

• Facebook
• Instagram

We also send Daily Buzz email updates to parents of attending students!

While at camp, students are required to attend all classes, concerts, and floor meetings. The following is a basic schedule from approximately 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. every day:

• Breakfast
• Morning Classes
• Lunch
• Leadership
• Afternoon Classes
• Dinner
• Small Groups
• Evening Concert
• Mandatory Floor Meeting
• Bed Check
• Lights Out

** Each division’s schedule will be available online during the week of camp.

The Bands of America Summer Camp is known for bringing in world-class teachers and artists. Faculty are highly qualified, student-centered educators who teach some of the best school music programs in the country. For more information, full faculty bios are available on individual division pages.

Students should bring their instruments and/or equipment with them to camp. Students in the Marching Percussion division should plan on bringing their own or school-borrowed instrument if possible; if needed, a limited quantity of marching percussion instruments will be available to borrow.

Music for All will try to accommodate the equipment needs of camp participants on a case-by-case basis. Communicate potential equipment needs as early as possible by contacting us at camp@musicforall.org.

Athletic wear is most appropriate for camp. Participants need to be able to move comfortably and should be prepared to be outside most of the day (except Music Production Boot Camp). Most indoor sessions will be in air conditioning. Bring layers and dress accordingly.

No clothing with inappropriate/offensive language. Students should dress for camp the same way they would dress for rehearsal at their home school.

Casual dress is appropriate for evening concerts.

The SWAG Team members are the camp counselors, teaching assistants, and superheroes. They are selected by a rigorous application process, undergo a background check, and carry forward the 40+ year tradition of ensuring safe, positively life-changing experiences for campers.

A SWAG team member is assigned to each residence hall floor, multiple SWAGs are assigned to each student division, and faculty supervise students during all sectionals and rehearsals.

Final performance attire varies by Student Division.

Marching Band & Marching Percussion: 

• Black shorts
• Athletic Shoes
• Performance shirt provided on site
• No hats, sunglasses, or jewelry
• (Same dress code for Friday night DCI performance and Saturday Final Performance)

Color Guard:

• Dark (black, dark gray, dark blue) shorts,
• White shirt
• Athletic shoes

Drum Major Institute & Music Production Boot Camp:

• Black shorts
• Athletic Shoes
• Performance shirt provided on site

Concert Band:

• Dark shorts/slacks/leggings
• Performance shirt provided on site

Students will stay in a dorm room with one other student. Music for All will email the housing assignment in June.

Students may choose their own roommate during registration. Roommates must choose one another in order to be paired together.

Yes, you may request a specific roommate, but the two of you MUST be arriving and departing on the same day. For instance, if you arrive on Friday night and your friend arrives on Saturday morning, you cannot be roommates. Each room houses two students. Requests can be indicated on the Student Registration Form; requests must be mutual. Music for All will make every effort to accommodate rooming requests.

Please note that if you add a roommate request after May 20, you will be charged a $20 late change fee.

If you are participating in Leadership Weekend, your meals start at Lunch on Saturday.

If you are participating in full-week camp ONLY, your meals start at Lunch on Monday.

To reach Music for All while we are on-site, please call 877-643-6043.

Headquarters Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Daily

If there is an emergency at camp, Music for All will contact the “Emergency Contact” that was listed on your student’s registration form. Please make sure that the phone numbers listed will be the best at which to reach you.

When registering for camp, you can reserve a spot on our shuttle. This shuttle is an additional fee and information about the shuttle reservations will be emailed to you about a week before camp. If you have any questions about adding the shuttle service to your existing registration, please email camp@musicforall.org.

Please head to your dorm first to get your key and drop off your stuff, and then visit the registration when it opens in the Recreation Building on the corner of Neely St. and McKinley Ave.

Early arrival check-in will be on Friday, June 20 (for Leadership Weekend Experience students who have arranged for early arrival) or Sunday, June 22  (for Full-Week camp students who have arranged for early arrival). Early arrival check-in on both days are from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. at the designated residence hall.

During check-in, students will receive information about MFA-sponsored events, and a specific time for them to return to the residence hall for a floor meeting and room check that evening. After moving into the residence hall, unless directly supervised by their parent/guardian or teacher, we require students to attend the MFA-sponsored activities for the afternoon and evening.

The latest someone will be at the registration table will be 10:00 p.m. If you have to arrive later than that, please call 877-643-6043 so we can have someone at the dorm to let you in.

Camp ends at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon. Campers booking flights from the Indianapolis International Airport should try to aim for flights leaving after 4:00 p.m. ET.

If you have to leave early, please submit the Early Departure Form and give it to your SWAG at Check-in. Please note that you will miss final performances if you leave before 12:00 p.m. ET

A recommended packing list can be found at camp.musicforall.org/packinglist.

Please notify Music for All of any instruments or additional equipment you will be shipping to the Bands of America Summer Camp as soon as possible.

You will need to ship the package so that it arrives no earlier than Tuesday before Camp and no later than the day before you arrive. REMEMBER: All Mail MUST Go Through Campus Processing, so please allow for an additional day or so for the shipment to reach its destination.

You can schedule a return shipment ahead of time if you’d like, or your SWAG can help you schedule one at the end of Camp.

No. Please don’t bring mini-fridges with you.

The following items are prohibited from the Bands of America Summer Camp:

• rollerblades
• skateboards
• scooters
• coffee makers
• bicycles
• non-performance weapons of any type, such as pocket knives, Swiss Army knives, etc.
• Juuls, vaporizers, e-cigarettes, or any form of tobacco/nicotine products

You can park near your dorm when you arrive, and you will receive a parking pass and instructions about where to park when you check in to your dorm. Please note that students who are staying on campus will be asked to turn their car keys into their SWAG at Check-in. If you’re a Commuter, you will be given a parking pass at Registration.

Yes. Please make us aware of any restrictions in the Medical Information portion of the registration process. It would be a good idea to let your SWAG know about it, too.

Yes, there is a nurse on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You and/or your student will be able to speak with the Head Nurse at Registration about any concerns you have. If you absolutely must speak with the nursing staff before camp begins, please call us at 800-848-2263 or email us at camp@musicforall.org.

Please make us aware of any issues in the Medical Information portion of the registration process, and please check in with the nurse and your SWAG when you come to registration.

In order to ensure the safety of all students on campus, all students with prescription medication (with the exception of insulin, inhalers, and EpiPens) are required to turn the medication over to the camp nurse during Check-In.

Please note that the nursing staff can ONLY distribute medication that is provided by the student or parent at check-in.

While at camp, students may want to purchase souvenirs, snacks, and memorabilia from the artists performing each night.

Indiana weather is unpredictable, but you can expect the weather mostly to be hot and humid. Temperatures typically range from 60 to 90 degrees, and it is not uncommon for there to be 90%+ humidity (Thankfully, the dorms are air-conditioned.) There is always a chance of rain as well, so bring an umbrella and rain boots if you’d like.

Yes – the entire Ball State Campus has free wifi.

Find your SWAG, and they will help you get a new one. Ball State charges a fee for lost room keys and lost meal cards. The costs for replacements are the responsibility of the student.

See your SWAG or instructor for help. We will do our best to help students with instrument repair needs.

It is always a good idea to bring your own valve oil, extra reeds, and any other items you may need to play your instrument (outdoors!) throughout the week.

While on campus, Music for All maintains lost and found items in our headquarters.

If you notice an item has been lost or left behind after departing Ball State, please call the Music for All office at 800-848-2263 or email us at info@musicforall.org to inquire about lost items.

They can, but please be aware that all shipments must go through Ball State’s central receiving office, which typically adds a day to shipping time. You cannot ship items directly to a student’s dorm.

A member of Music for All staff or the SWAG Team will deliver all mail directly to the student’s room within the Residence Hall. The University receives several large shipments of mail per day, so letters or packages may not be processed the day it arrives. We advise you to send mail EARLY so that it will get to your child while they are on campus.

Address for sending letters and packages:

[Student’s name]
Conferences and Special Events
c/o Music for All Headquarters
1515 N. McKinley Ave
Ball State University, LA 152
Muncie, IN 47306

Please check the final camp communications from Music for All, or the Guidebook App, for the most up-to-date parking information.