The beauty of virtual programs is that anyone, anywhere can access them without traveling from home. Look at the programs offered – we’ll be adding more every week – and decide which ones look like they’d work for you. Email the programs with any specific questions. The biggest obstacles may be your connectivity and the time the programs are offered. So check all of that as well. Note that some of these programs may end up being offered virtually instead of in person and others may be offered in hybrid fashion (both live and virtually).

Also look into the NYU beginning and advanced summer songwriting intensives. The classes are great.

My son has done the Berklee 5 week last summer as a Drum Performance major. It was overall a positive experience (he was an incoming 9th grader). He was put into two ensembles, one was not so challenging and less than stimulating, the other was with more experienced players and he found that one challenging and lots of fun. My biggest criticism was that each ensemble rehersed only twice per week. The rest of the time he was in elective classes, all important stuff (jazz history, music theory, musicianship training), but what he really wanted to do was rack up hours of ensemble experience with players that were at or above his level. He got to do this twice per week, 9 times total during the 5 weeks. That said, the experience of living in a dorm, having to advocate for himself, practice, play, etc, was amazing.

Absolutely! It really all depends on you – what kind of program you’re looking for, where you want to be geographically, whether you can afford out-of-state programs.

Definitely worth checking with the programs you’re interested in. Explore the many options on our list of summer programs, both close to home and in other states. Make a list of those that seem to be a good fit and compare. You eventually may have to call individual programs to fully understand what they can do for you. Many offer different levels of instruction to accommodate students of varying proficiency, with the goal of helping them rise to the next level. Your commitment to practicing will help you establish a solid foundation.

We don’t know of any country music-specific programs but we suggest you check out songwriting and summer guitar programs – the skills learned will likely serve your student even if the program doesn’t focus specifically on country music.

Rather than rank or evaluate programs, �ƹ�app provides a wealth of information to empower students and parents to make smart choices and decisions based on their personal criteria. This is far more likely to result in a good fit. Look at the criteria listed on this section to get started. Also take a look at some of the articles under – some of the same criteria apply for summer programs.

Thanks,
Travis

Every program is different – some offer beginner lessons, while others are geared toward those much higher levels of expertise. Also look at programs offered by community music schools in your area – most offer programs for children and adults at all levels.

Are there any programs that would take beginners pianists/vocalists?

This page of Summer Camps & Programs is updated starting every December, but you can get a head start by visiting any of the links/programs on the right side of this page. For now, look under the California listings in the right column.

You’ll have lots of options. Summer programs offered on college campuses are a great way to get a taste of what a college environment is like and to familiarize yourself with a particular college setting. Pick a few programs in the list provided on this page from colleges that interest you. Get in touch with them a ask questions to start the ball rolling. We suggest you consider a program that will also give you theory training, and opportunities to perform at whatever level you’re at.