Piano Camps are intensive and enjoyable piano program, where the focus is only on Piano, where students can get totally immersed in learning the Piano. Its perfect for students looking for opportunities for music-making while sharing common interests with their peers.
Why Attend a Piano Camp?
A piano camp is sort of a workshop where several students gather for a several days for a complete immersion course on learning the piano. All the activities in these camps revolve around the piano and nothing else!
Attending a Piano Camp is another way of getting started with the piano, or to enhance your existing skills. You can expect to achieve impressive musical growth, guided by accomplished faculty members, and driven by an encouraging community.
Piano camps also provide young pianists with the social opportunities and camaraderie that most students of the string, voice, and wind instruments have when playing with orchestra, chorus, and band class.
Piano camps conducted at top conservatories boast of top class facilities, where students have access to several pianos, with experienced faculties at the helm.
Who Should Attend a Piano Camp
A camp could be meant for beginner students or for students who can already play; so it makes sense to check out what aspect of piano playing the camp is going to focus on. Nevertheless, they provide several opportunities to the enthusiastic learner.
- Piano Camps are usually open to students of all levels (even for the very beginner). However, some camps require participants to have 2-3 years of piano lessons.
- Some piano camps (especially at the conservatories) may have a cap on the age limit, like some of them may not be open to students above 18 years old.
- Classes include combination of activities such as keyboard/rhythm games, masterclasses, piano ensemble (duets and six-hand piano), improvisation, songwriting, ear training, technology, music theory, and more.
- Depending on the facility available, the camp may also have a fun, casual student recital every day (where the students can show off what they have learned).
- As mentioned, the camps conducted by top conservatories have highly experienced piano teachers/educators who provide an unforgettable week for the camp students.
Piano camps are also held for those who know how to play the piano (a bit..they are not complete newbies). Its fun where players show off their skills, perform beethoven (songs like fur elise…and that too only the opening part), compose their own music. Even those who have never seen a piano before can attend such camps.
Is it easy to compose on the piano?
You just play on the piano, try out the notes, chords and rhythms. If you like what you heard, write it down and try to build it further. That’s who most do it, as you will observe in the piano camps.
Playing piano is normally such a solitary act, and piano camps are a great way to incorporate some fun and play together.
Piano Camp Presents Several Opportunities
The written information about the camps should be able to provide you the highlights of the camps; but in general these workshops present the following opportunities to different people.
- Get charged up and energized with the environment
- Forum to exchange experiences and make some long-lasting friendships
- Know of the latest developments and other avenues related to music
- Benefit from the experiences & teachings of experts
Things to Check Out
Some of these camps can be expensive (not all are free) and will need commitment of a few days from your end. So you need to be sure that the camp adds some value. Try to find out as much as possible about the camp; you can call them up and personally talk to one of the organizers if needed.
Some things you may probably need to check out before you attend one.
– Check if it costs a lot more than what it would cost if you were to take expanded lessons from a private teacher; you may get more for you money from a personal teacher.
– Make sure there would be sufficient pianos for the camps; you need to get sufficient time to try out some of the ideas learnt on the pianos.
– Make sure there is sufficient time devoted to the piano. Lot of time could be taken up by meals, social activities and other breaks.
– Find out about the level of the participants, you need to have participants on a more or less similar level to derive maximum benefits out of the camp.
– If you are not exactly a beginner, it will make sense to find out about the faculty as well. You need to have well-known and experience pianists/teachers who can contribute to your leaning.
– Find out if the camp is going to offer you a chance to perform in front of others. If it is, give it a higher preference; you need to take advantage of the opportunity!
Remember, to provide an extraordinary educational experience in music, one must find the most extraordinary musicians and educator.
Having said that, for the committed student, piano immersion camp is an opportunity worth exploring. It simply means spending a few weeks of your life doing nothing but just what you enjoy doing.
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KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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