Pick up an instrument, warm up your vocal chords, and prepare to join the musical storm at Appel Farm!
The Music program at Appel Farm is ensemble based. Campers choose to study a specific instrument as a major or minor. Once you know which instrument you want to study, you choose how you want to study, and what kind of music you want to play!
We offer instruction in the instruments listed below, and campers can also play any instrument in their enembles! So, bring on the tubas!
Major I classes are based on families of instruments like strings, winds and woodwinds, brass, guitars, as well as piano, voice and recording. In these classes, campers will study music theory and sight reading, take part in critiques and and learn to think and speak critically about music. They will develop an understanding of music with regard to historical, social, and cultural influences, traditions, and contributions of their particular area of study. They will also get one half-hour private lesson each week, and they will spend most of their time developing and practicing their technique, rehearsing, and performing as an ensemble.
Major II classes are mixed ensembles, and are perfect for campers who want to play music in an ensemble. Campers and staff join together in the following classes to learn, rehearse and peform music.
Past Music Minors, which vary every summer and reflect the unique strengths of current staff, have included Chamber Music, Funk Band, Songwriting, DJ/Remixing, and Beginning Guitar.
Our ensembles play classical, jazz, rock, and pop music, as well as music from any genre in which a group of campers has an interest! Some summers we play anything from folk music to heavy metal to chamber music to klezmer!