Here's a fun and worthwhile way to spend two weeks of your summer vacation:  Attend the 20th annual Somerville String Camp, recipient of a Gold Star award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The camp will be held from July 15 to 26, 2013, in air-conditioned Kennedy School, on Elm Street near the Porter Square T  stop, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:10 P.M., Monday through Friday.  This location is very convenient to Cambridge and is on the 87 bus line from Arlington.  

Every student will attend daily technique class; orchestra or large-group rehearsal; music theory class; and one elective, usually chorus/ear training for younger children and chamber music and/or improvisation for more advanced students. String Camp will end with a short concert, open free to the public, at 11:15 on
Friday morning, July 26.

The director, Ms. Joanne Sadler, has taught strings in the Somerville schools for three years. A former member of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Ms. Sadler has been on the string camp faculty for three years.  The other staff members were chosen not only for their teaching expertise and experience, but for their ability to make learning enjoyable for young people.  In the past these have included:

- Rick Saunders (chorus and theory), music director, Somerville Public Schools

- Andrew Blickenderfer (lower strings, improvisation, orchestra), string teacher, Somerville Schools

- Lisa Lederer (chamber music, violin/viola), string teacher, Longy School of Music

- Adam Grossman (orchestra, chamber music), orchestra director, Newton North High School

- Tony Szykniej (violin technique, orchestra), string teacher, Medford Public Schools.

- Diane Cline, director of the Somerville El Sistema program

- Rob Bethel (improvisation), cellist and teacher 

The String Camp curriculum is based on successful summer music programs at the Union County Band and Orchestra Summer School in New Jersey and The Hague Summer Music Center in The Netherlands.  All students who have played for at least one school year, or who can read music and play simple folk tunes, are eligible to attend.  A beginning violin class will also be offered for children 7 years old and up.

Cost for the two-week session will be $100 for Somerville residents, $110 for residents of other communities.  A $10 discount per child will be offered to anyone paying in full by June 1.  Some scholarship aid will be available.

Hope to see you on July 15!  Please come early (8:30 - 8:45) on the first day to pick up your class schedule and find your way around.  Parents are invited to meet the teachers and teaching assistants at
about 8:55.  We hope all of you will learn a lot, and have a wonderful time as well!