CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois Summer Youth Music is tuning up for its 61st year of camps for budding musicians, thespians and vocalists, and this summer's students will have even more opportunities for courting their muses.
ISYM, which has offered camps annually since 1949, is one of the best-known and most highly regarded musical programs of its kind in the U.S., providing comprehensive and intensive instruction annually to more than a thousand students in sixth grade through high school. Students can choose camps that focus on band, orchestral or choral music or camps that focus on a single instrument.
Over the past several years, ISYM has expanded the number of camps from 18 to 23, spread over three one-week sessions. The first session begins June 20.
New this year are a world music camp and a camp for senior-high trumpet players. The pre-college organ performance camp, begun last year, also is being expanded to accommodate more students, said David Allen, the coordinator of outreach and public engagement for the School of Music.
ISYM Academy, an accelerated track within the ensemble programs for college-bound music majors, is being offered for the second year. The academy is geared to high-level performers who seek a more rigorous musical experience, including private lessons with faculty members, master classes and playing in small chamber ensembles with other academy students.
Enrollment is limited to one or two students per instrumental or voice area, and selection is made through audition recordings, which must be submitted by May 1.
"Last year, we accepted 35 academy students out of about 1,000 campers, so it's a really high-level, challenging track for music performers," Allen said. "The beautiful thing about ISYM is that we provide challenges for college-bound music majors, but we also have opportunities for kids who just want to come and play in a band or sing in a choir for a week."
Activities for all campers may include large or small ensemble rehearsals and technique and repertoire classes. Students also have opportunities to explore their musical abilities in outlets other than performance with electives such as basic and intermediate conducting, music technology, the Alexander Technique and composition and theory.
In the evenings, campers enjoy leisure activities such as movies, swimming, basketball, soccer and other sports and arcade games. They also attend concerts at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, on the Quad or at other School of Music performance venues.
The pinnacle of the camp experience for many students is a final concert on the last night, which enables students to showcase their talents for their families and the public.
Last summer, some of the top-performing students from each session were featured on "Live and Local With Kevin Kelly," broadcast weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. on WILL-FM (90.9). Kelly has expressed interest in showcasing some students again this year, Allen said.
Scholarships are available from Rotary or Lions clubs and other organizations, while some students earn scholarships from ISYM based upon their achievements. A $5,000 grant from the city of Urbana Arts Council will pay tuition for 13 commuter students this year, Allen said.
Camps usually fill quickly, and ISYM already has received about 200 applications, Allen said.
A complete schedule of camps and information about scholarships are available on the ISYM Web site.
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