Music in the Mountains - A reflection of our Annual Music Camp at Mapelton.

Dappled sunlight glimmers through the dense, cool, green forest surrounding our little camp village in Mapleton, Southeast Queensland today. A variety of buildings, some large and open, others small and intimate, are housing a multitude of excited, sonic gatherings.  Crisp, bright and breezy Celtic reels can be heard spilling out from the string room. Epic harmonies, rich in bold climaxes can be heard from the Concert Band Auditorium. Earnest voices offer out inspiring Gospel tones accompanied by a funky, jazz piano.  And a space spilling with enthusiastic guitarists is transformed by the dulcet strumming and picking of their nylon strings as notes and flourishes cascade around the room. ..

It is the Annual Music Camp for Villanova College and Loreto Colleges.

 

Despite the intensity of two and a half days of rehearsing and tutoring, these camps are also somewhat of a form of retreat. Coming away from the city to a beautiful mountain setting gives us as staff and students, an opportunity to reflect on our practices, plan for the year ahead and enjoy some down time with our students in the much anticipated breaks and free-time. Our venue is the beautiful QCCC Mapleton which resembles a resort with a series of rock pools surrounded by rolling green lawns, a lake for canoeing and rainforest walking tracks to little brooks with water falls.

 

  

This year the theme of our camp is ‘Let’s Dance!” and clinicians have had the task of creatively interpreting the theme for each group in order to provide some inspiring repertoire and challenging but fun musical moments.

Here in the string room our students are working with guest clinician, Emma Nixon where she has the ensemble swooning to “Waltz from The sleeping beauty” by Tchaikovsky. 

The crisp accompanying figures, soaring melodic lines and refined, elegant style is proving a challenge to our robust teens, but they are meeting each obstacle with great commitment. 

They have an opportunity to really throw themselves into the sound with Basse Danse from the Capriol suite by Peter warlock where the punchy rhythms and off beat accents produce a string, organic string sound. 

Spanish themes and rhythms are enjoyed in El Toro by Don Brubaker.

A highlight for me however, was witnessing Emma (who is a foremost expert in Scottish Fiddle Playing) teach 50 string players a traditional Reel and accompaniment all by ear! Such an important skill for our young musicians, but not something we always incorporate into our traditional orchestral rehearsal technique.