From First Notes to Full Songs: Summer Foundations Camp

From July 8 to 12, we hosted our Summer Jazz Foundations Camp, welcoming over 70 campers in a one-week intensive music camp. This jazz camp was designed for new musicians to learn an instrument, and it was nothing short of inspiring to see students advance from playing their first notes to full songs in just five days.  

The Day-to-Day 

Day 1: Getting Started  

On the first day, campers were introduced to their chosen instruments. As these campers congregated in the gym, they met their lead teachers and interns for the week. After separating into their sectionals, they began learning the fundamentals of their instrument. Within the first few hours, a solid foundation was laid to ensure students felt comfortable and confident with their instrument. 

During the last hour of each day, all the campers come together for all-play where they learned essential conducting signs and how to play together, setting the stage for some musical communication.  

Day 2: Sound Painting 

Students practiced sound painting, a method of creating real-time compositions through hand and body gestures. Through sound painting, students use their instruments to play notes of different lengths and volumes. It’s a great exercise to experiment with new ways to express themselves. 

The campers also practiced “G Jam Blues” a variation of Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues” for their Friday performance.  

“My daughter has shown quick learning. I was impressed to see that by the second day, when we got home, she was already practicing different notes and parts of songs.” - Vivian 

Day 3: Collaborative Music-Making

Two Students practicing saxophone in their Sectionals

It’s mid-week! Students continued the music-making by working on individual songs in their sectionals and began learning a second whole-camp song, “Night Train.”  

The all-play session saw campers expanding their sound painting vocabulary after being introduced to loops of single and multiple notes. They were also treated to a live demo of a jazz jam session by our teachers who were able to spontaneously collaborate through a common melody and improvised solos.  

Day 4: Rehearsal Day 

Students rehearsed for their final Friday performance. They showed off what they’ve been learning during all-play. Their improvement from Day 1 to 4 was a reflection to their hard work and practice.  

“My son played the drums. He was nervous about coming and wasn’t sure if he was going to like it, but he ended up having a really good time. He would come home and be energetic in telling me what they learned. I think the way the camp is structured, teaching the students to work as a group and follow the conductor’s cues, is a fantastic approach. You can tell the kids were having a great time. I’m impressed with what the teachers accomplished in a week.” – Ann  

Day 5: Performance Day  

The final day! Mixed with anticipation and excitement, the students spent the final morning practicing in their sectionals and came together after break for a final dress rehearsal. 

For many, this was their first-ever performance. 

The show began with some sound painting led by all-play teacher Freddy Gonzalez. We then flowed into “G Jam Blues,” followed by sectional performances, and concluded with the lively “Night Train.”  

Freddy Gonzalez leading sound painting at Seattle JAzzED’s Summer Foundations Music Camp

Celebrating a Week of Music and Looking Ahead 

The Summer Jazz Foundations Camp was a resounding success. In just one week, our campers transformed into jazz musicians, displaying their new skills in an impressive performance. The enthusiasm and growth demonstrated were inspiring.  

The work in our Foundations level classes is both about introducing playing skills while emphasizing how important listening is when starting to play. If this is something you and your music-curious student are interested in exploring, we invite you to join us in our year-long Foundations program starting this fall.