The University of Southern Maine welcomed the return of the Southern Maine Music Academy this summer inviting approximately 60 young musicians to participate in one of five enriching and intensive music and theatre camp opportunities, all while enjoying a Maine camp-away experience on the USM campus in Gorham.
Students from around the region come together for this unique camp experience focused on concert band and chamber music literature, but never short on camp traditions. These include daily recreational activities as well as exposure to live performances from professional musicians and presenters, making for a truly enriching camp experience for campers and staff alike.
Photo credit: Will Wohler of Wohler & Co.Due to complications of COVID-19 safety protocols, the camp music programs had to be cancelled in 2020, and ran as half-capacity day camps in 2021. The Academy has been a rich tradition since the 1960’s and Alan Kaschub, director of the Osher School of Music at USM, is thrilled with the turnout during this summer of rebuilding.
Campers are “having the time of their lives’’, according to Kaschub, as they participate in week-long, highly intensive band, choral and theater experiences. Campers’ musical growth and development are at the core of camp. Still, the students enjoy having a taste of “college life” while they lodge in college dorms, eat in college dining halls, and explore the campus in its summer splendor.
Dr. William Kinne, director of the Southern Maine Music Academy Concert Band and director of bands for the Osher School of Music shares, “What these students accomplish in just one week is incredible. We will perform a full concert of five challenging and diverse pieces of music. We know that our Southern Maine Music Academy campers will be returning to school in August with a passion for making music that is sure to inspire others in their school music programs.”
Photo credit: Will Wohler of Wohler & Co.Southern Maine Music Academy staff bring together a population of camp leaders to include highly qualified professional musicians among whom include USM alumni and high school and middle school public school music teachers. They share their knowledge and experience, helping to develop students who inevitably make tremendous gains in music and theater development, as well as confidence in their newly honed crafts, through group and individualized instruction.
Kaschub remarks, “The intense music-making and theater experiences allow for incredible growth and gives [students] momentum to become even more engaged when they return to school in the fall.”
Camps are offered from the last week of June when most schools have dismissed for the summer through late July. While the attendance is not as high as past years, there is a lot of pride in the return of music and theater camps to the USM campus and even more optimism for the future. The USM music program also offers youth outreach ensembles throughout the school year for young musicians.
Southern Maine Music Academy is one of the five USM Summer Youth Music and Theatre Camps, which includes Southern Maine Theatre Academy, Southern Maine Youth Band Day Camp, Southern Maine Choral Music Academy, and Southern Maine Junior Music Academy. More information on the youth programs at the Osher School of Music at USM can be found at usm.maine.edu/music/youth.