Most people think of summer camp as something for kids to go and learn new skills, make new friends, and have a blast. While the Music for All Summer Symposium offers a wide variety of divisions for students ranging from marching band to drum majors and jazz band to orchestra, the camp also offers an area for all the directors out there.
The Directors’ Academy is truly special with speakers, presentations, and demonstrations from the best in the business. The day is set up with multiple sessions that you can decide to sit in on and absorb the abundant amount of information. For example, you could start your morning out with legendary director Bob Buckner on the basics of visual design, learn about defining and molding a great program from Richard Mayne, and brush up on some leadership techniques from Anna Rodriguez. The types of sessions are endless and each director has the opportunity to choose their own adventure.
For instance, you have a small band and are interested in learning how to grow your program or how to put the best product on the field and on stage for concerts. We have you covered! Maybe you are a new director and you just need guidance to get that first year under your belt. Guess what… we have your back and we will make sure you are equipped for that first year and beyond.
On top of the director sessions, we offer an opportunity for percussion and color guard instructors with the Percussion Specialist Academy and the Color Guard Instructor Academy.
These programs are set up for percussion instructors wanting to gather more information and content to take home to their programs. There are sessions with our corps in residence each year (this year we have the honor of having Carolina Crown with us at camp.) Not to mention classes going over the best use of electronics with your percussion and band programs.
And we haven’t forgotten about our color guard friends! We have sessions for you to learn new achievable choreography for your groups, maybe some new warm-ups and across the floors to propel your guard to that next level. Not to mention having a block to spin and dance with Carolina Crown.
During breaks and once the day is done it is fantastic seeing directors from across the country, and the world, come together and build relationships. Many directors come year after year not only to learn, but because the people they have met here at camp have now become their best friends, people they can bounce show ideas off of, discuss music repertoire for the upcoming season, and so much more.
So for all of you directors out there who are not here at Ball State right now, mark your calendar! The 2018 Summer Symposium will be June 25th-30th on the campus of Ball State University. Grab your director friends, make it a summer trip, we’d love to see you. If you love what you do, your program, and music education, you know you won’t want to miss this camp.
