July 10

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Our Music Camp Accidentally Became A No-Screens Camp

I saw an amazing thing at our first week of summer music camp at Rosman High School here in North Carolina.The students were so fully engaged in every activity that none of them were on screens of any kind. They were thriving, happy and getting along with their peers and teachers. 

In fact, I didn’t hear a single cross word for the entire week. We had over 40 students between the ages 7 and 17,in attendance from 8:30 – 12:30 for 5 days. How did we get here? How did we curate an experience where the only technology was musical instruments and the occasional microphone? 

Faculty were present and engaged

None of our faculty were on their phones or computers (except for an occasional photo or video). The staff was fully engaged teaching, performing and recreating with the students. We played chess and basketball, and then we played fiddles and banjos together. The faculty fully took part in the ensembles and performed right alongside the students. By playing with the students the level of the performance and music raises and the students get to experience being in a full fledged musical group. Our faculty are also extremely talented, and when the students get to watch their instructors and mentors perform, they become inspired and totally invested in the project.

Good vibrations

Tone and balance are musical words, but they also influence our camp experience. We balanced large group activities with small ensembles and private lessons where students could feel heard and cared for. The teachers also set the tone with how they spoke to the students. When one student was a little teary and missing his mom, the teacher didn’t just let the student be in distress, but softly asked what was wrong and then talked to them and offered support. The teacher said that when the student feels that way they can seek them out for support or a break. That student had a fabulous week after that kind exchange. 

Stay on the beat, but improvise

Schedule, schedule, schedule! I think we had one of the best schedules I’ve ever worked with. The schedule breaks up the half day to keep it engaging and moving, but never hectic. At the same time, the students had a lot of self-direction in their activities. The students choose their bands to work in and they get to choose different classes each day. In our breakout sessions we have everything from basketball, singing, crown making, yoga, ukulele, chess and instrumental techniques. This mini session allows students to take a break, try something new or really get deep into their bow hold! 

When there are so many options, why would you want to be on a cell phone? When the class moves on to the next activity in a relaxed way the students are never bored or overtaxed. 

It wasn’t until the end of the week when I reflected on what made it such a great camp that I realized no one had been on screens. Yes, technology is an amazing tool, but we are overusing that tool to the point where our students don’t know what to do without it. As teachers we see how they’ve become addicted to it.  

While I don’t think we need to completely deny our students all technology to help them find a balance in life, we do need to give them the tools to monitor that balance for themselves. Music is one such tool that can be very socially and spiritually rewarding. .

 We still have 2 more weeks of camps offered in Rosman and Brevard, and I can’t wait to hear all the beautiful music and see the wonderful smiles.


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