Camp Jam

Curriculum

Playing Techniques to Stage Presence:

Camp Jam’s multi-level curriculum schools students in every aspect of playing in a real rock and roll band. From playing techniques to stage presence, Camp Jam’s variety of classes will turn the bedroom player into a bona fide rock star.

Rotating Schedule:

Camp Jam’s rotating schedule features courses that develop creativity, instrument skill, and self-confidence. Our teachers are music professionals who make a living writing, performing, and teaching rock and roll music. Students learn not only from our staff, but also from each other by developing teamwork skills that apply to all aspects of life.

Morning Schedule:

The morning schedule begins with group instruction by instrumental experts. Camp Jam Instructors are music professionals who teach and play for a living. They school students in basic theory, playing techniques, and give help to each group on difficult sections of the song they've chosen to perform. Guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardists, and vocalists split off from their band to join others who play the same instrument to get instrument-specific instruction.

Next comes good old-fashioned band practice... with a twist! Our volume-controlled ensemble rooms enable bands to gather around a mixer, all wearing headphones, and rehearse their songs. This environment encourages communication and allows all parts to be heard. Roaming counselors and instructors listen in to give advice, help with difficult sections, and chart progress throughout the week.

Finally, the recording class instructs jammers on home recording techniques using software they can use at home. Our new curriculum gives jammers hands-on experience and focuses on recording as a channel for creativity. As the week progresses, recordings taken from afternoon on-stage rehearsals are brought in to the recording class and broken down to help each band identofy strengths and areas for improvement.

Afternoon Schedule:

Afternoons begin with a celebrity guest master class focused on the importance of being an effective team member. These guys have been to the mountain top of rock, and seen the promised land every aspiring rocker dreams of! Master classes have featured Liberty DeVitto (Drummer for Billy Joel for 30 years), Ed King (Guitarist, Lynyrd Skynyrd), Ed Roland (Vocalist, Collective Soul), Peter Stroud (Guitarist, Sheryl Crow and Don Henley), and many others.

The rest of the afternoon is filled with rehearsals on the big stage and classes on songwriting, improvising, ear training, and band promotion techniques. On-stage rehearsals give jammers valuable experience on the actual stage on which they'll be performing on Friday night.

Instruction on how to use and control amplifiers, vocal microphones, and other stage gear give rockers valuable knowledge they can translate into an awesome performance at the end of camp.

Songwriting classes help musicians tap into their own creativity, and some of the songs that have come out of these classes surprise instructors and parents alike! Instruction in improvising and ear-training basics help players be prepared for any musical situation when they leave camp jam. There's nothing more fun than being able to sit down with any kind of musician and starting a jam, and that's what these classes are all about.

Every professional musician knows that promotion and public relations can be just as important as playing, and we give jammers a taste of the challenges and opportunities that lie in these areas in afternoon classes.

Book of Rock:

Camp Jam Instruction draws from our “Book of Rock,” facilitating learning and helping students understand the concepts behind the songs they have chosen to play. Every technique in the book is presented and referenced to the rock songs students know and love. Through our instructional program, students learn the importance of orchestrating parts that compliment each other.

The Concert:

The Friday night concert gives students a goal to work towards, and an opportunity to experience the rush of performing in front of a live audience. Each band has it's time to shine, with all eyes and ears on them. Some bands choose to wear special stage gear, some show off new techniques they've learned just that week. Every band demonstrates the power of team work. The chance to show off the results of their hard work builds confidence and empowers jammers in all areas of their life. Not to mention how much fun it is for them to hear themselves and others play their favorite tunes! Every Camp Jam Concert is recorded and available on DVD, so everyone can go home with a lasting memory of the big night.