When school is out summer music camps are in! Besides providing support to SB Unified students during the school year, Santa Barbara Education Foundation provides affordable music camps to all students looking for fun musical enrichment over the summer.
Originally founded in 1989, the Nick Rail Summer Band Camp provides music instruction to kids ages 9 to 13 at all ability levels. Even beginners are welcome to join and explore the woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument of their choice. Students are grouped by ability and taught by professional musicians to play solo and as a group during the four-week camp.
Camp Director Jocelyn Tipple explains, “The emphasis is on a light-hearted summer fun setting where students put together a summer concert that culminates the camp.” Although Tipple has been with the camp for 25 years, she continues to radiate a contagious energy that both engages and inspires her students.
This summer, SBEF is expanding its summer music program offerings with the addition of the Summer String Camp. Music teacher Jeff Peterson originally started the Goleta Valley Junior High String Camp about a decade ago to help keep his students up on their violin, viola, cello, and bass skills during the summer months. He has now passed the torch to SBEF and newly appointed Camp Director Angela Miller to continue offering a summer full of strings to aspiring musicians ages 9 to 16 with at least one year of experience.
And just like the Nick Rail Summer Band Camp, the goal of the String Camp is to offer all students access to continue their musical learning during the summer months. SBEF ensures that the camps remain affordable and fundraises for scholarships throughout the year so that all eligible student musicians can participate. The cost of the String Camp is $95 per student for two weeks, while the Band Camp remains at $125 for four weeks.