Friday, March 12, 2010


The following Music Friends Summer Camps will be offered this year:



For full descriptions of the camps, click on the above titles or scroll down the blog page.



Violin & piano fun. Summer music camps in Vancouver. Fun for all

Thursday, March 11, 2010

In this summer camp the kids will be singing classic campfire songs and learning how to play the ukulele. The ukulele is very easy to learn and lends itself well to accompanying the voice. I've taught children as young as 6 to play the instrument.

The kids will learn as many of the following songs as they can manage...

On the last day we'll meet at the beach, light a fire in a BBQ pit (or whatever, according to beach ordinance) and sing our songs. Parents, siblings, other family members and friends are all welcome to join in. Bring some marshmallows!

This fulfilling camp experience is available to children ages 7 and older, and they don't need any musical experience. There will be a fee of around $30 to buy a ukulele. Please don't buy one in advance: I have a special supplier that has superior quality ukuleles and I've been very disappointed with the quality of the ukuleles in other stores. If you already have a ukulele, though, it's fine to bring that as long as it's in working order.

My Summer Music Camps are half-day 9:30-12:00 or 1:00-3:30, for the 5 weekdays of a given week. I book my camps according to the availability of interested parties.


fun piano & violin summer music camps, Vancouver music fun

Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Klezmer is the traditional music of the Jewish people of Eastern Europe. With its exotic improvisatory melodies and exotic harmonies, it is a style of music that is widely loved. It has its origins in the Ukraine, Galitsia and Romania and shares a kinship with Gypsy music. We'll be learning Bulgars, Freylechs and other Dances, and maybe even a Doina.

This exciting instrumental experience is available to children ages 8 and older, who have been playing their instrument for at least 2 years. The following instruments are welcome: violin, cello, clarinet, recorder, accordion, piano, and possibly others. I myself play violin, accordion, and cello so we're sure to have a rich sound regardless of what the students' instruments are. I myself have no experience of Yiddish pronunciation, but if any of the students do and would like to sing, I can work up some arrangements to accompany them.

On the last day we will perform our new repertoire for the parents, hopefully outside if weather permits.

My Music Camps are half-day 9:30-12:00 or 1:00-3:30, for the 5 weekdays of a given week. I book my camps according to the availability of interested parties.


Vancouver summer music camps. Violin & piano welcome. Vancouver fun, summer fun

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

We'll be playing Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes that will make you want to dance, and beautiful Airs to melt your heart. Learn how to improvise the tunes, and how to put together instrumental arrangements with other musicians. I studied fiddle in Ireland for a year and am so happy to pass along what I know to my students.

This Celtic Music Camp is open to children ages 8 and above who have been playing their instrument for at least 2 years. The following instruments are welcome: violin, cello, recorder, tin whistle, flute, guitar, piano. I myself play almost all of these instruments as well as accordion, low whistle, mandolin, mandola, and a bit of the bodhran drum so there's a lot we can do to have fun with the instrumentation.

I'm happy to teach the kids some new instruments too. Violinists find it very easy to pick up mandolin because it's the same fingering, flute and recorder players might like to try tin whistle, and all the kids seem to like playing the bodhran.

My Music Camps are half-day 9:30-12:00 or 1:00-3:30, for the 5 weekdays of a given week. I book my camps according to the availability of interested parties.


fun Vancouver music summer camps. violin or piano. Have summer fun in Vancouver

Monday, March 8, 2010

In this camp the kids will learn a variety of music, and lots of performance techniques to help them be more expressive and entertaining when they play. At the end of the week we'll go out and perform outdoors in public, maybe at a farmer's market or in a shopping district.

This camp is open to children ages 8 and older, who have been playing their instrument for at least 2 years. The following instruments are welcome: violin, cello, recorder, piano, and possibly others.

My Music Camps are half-day 9:30-12:00 or 1:00-3:30, for the 5 weekdays of a given week. I book my camps according to the availability of interested parties.


summer music camps in Vancouver. Piano and violin are welcome. Vancouver summer fun.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Here's an opportunity for Canadian kids to get in touch with traditional Canadian musical roots, from Scottish and Irish dance music to Cape Breton style and Sea Shanties and French-Canadian dances and songs.
Open to children ages 8 and older, who have been playing their instrument for at least 2 years. The following instruments are welcome: violin, cello, recorder, piano, and possibly others.

On the last day we will perform our new repertoire for the parents, hopefully outside if weather permits.

My Music Camps are half-day 9:30-12:00 or 1:00-3:30, for the 5 weekdays of a given week. I book my camps according to the availability of interested parties.


Vancouver music summer camps. Violin and piano are welcome. Get ready for some fun!