MD Campus: Strathmore – Session 2 Newsletter

Dear Camp Levine families,

What a joy it has been to be part of your campers’ summer!

As we explored our theme, Sights, Songs, and Sounds of the City, it has been incredible to watch our campers grow, create, and gain confidence in just a few short weeks. From Spirit Week and Games Day to our end-of-session performances, they truly brought the magic of Camp Levine to life through their creativity, enthusiasm, and hard work.

Thank you for trusting us with your children this summer and for giving them the opportunity to explore, learn, and express themselves through the arts. We hope they leave camp with wonderful memories, new friendships, and a lasting love of music and the arts.

We wish you and your family a wonderful rest of the summer, and we hope to see you again next year!

Best,

Jazmin Goodson, Director of Camp Levine

We have had an incredibly amazing time working with your campers this summer.  It has been so rewarding for our teachers and staff to get to observe the surprising amount of progress they made in such a short time.  Your children were amazing in their final camp performances, where they danced, played and sung songs and pieces representing traditions from many different boroughs and avenues around the world.  I was particularly impressed by the number of lyrics they were able to memorize. The dancing, art and drama were also quite spectacular! I observed many new friendships blossom, as well as several teary-eyed goodbyes.  I hope to see your camper again next year, and am excited to see what our new camp theme will be! 

-Jason McFeaters

Camp Families,  

What a great second session under a great theme.  It’s been truly great to see how creative the campers have been, and how they’ve interpreted our theme, the Sights Sounds and Songs of the city, turning it into many memorable songs and dances. From our younger campers, who’ve journeyed down to Erie, Pennsylvania, or to our oldest who’ve celebrated the American Icons of New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Campers have explored Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, and Nursery Rhymes all originating from towns around the world.  

We couldn’t be prouder of the enthusiasm, creativity, and camaraderie our campers brought to every rehearsal, performance, and morning sing-along session. Thank you for spending your summer with us. 

As we say goodbye to Session 2, we’re already looking forward to next year and continuing to discover the world of music, through whatever theme we explore next. See you all next year; our 40^th anniversary! 

Warmly, 

 
Noam Kagan, Assistant to the Site Director  

Maya Boekeloo-Drake, Teen Apprentice Coordinator 

The Pigeons and Squirrels have had an terrific time at Camp Levine so far! We start with morning sing to get warmed up, and they do a great job singing. We then head to our classroom for Circle Time. During Circle Time the Pigeons and Squirrels sing amazing songs to learn about the days of the week, when to brush your teeth, and how people work in towns and cities! When we have more time, or want to wake campers up for the amazing day ahead, we do more dances and sing more songs! Then it’s time for lunch! During lunch we teach campers how to clean up after themselves. After lunch, it’s time for visiting instruments. The campers have a little warm-up by playing instruments like the hand drum, triangles, and egg shakers. Then, when the instrument teachers arrive, the flute, piano, and guitar teachers come to show us demonstrations of how to play music on their instruments. When we have the flute teacher to teach us during visiting instruments, we like to play a game with little fishes and a very hungry explorer. The flute teacher tries to catch them with his flute. The science behind it is that it mimics stream sounds to lure fish. Then, we have a movement break to get loose and do a quiet/nap time. The campers listen to the teachers very well. After nap time is done, we have art. This lesson teaches campers how to be creative with the supplies they have. For example, we have made watercolor paintings to show off their amazing art skills and collages, which keep their imagination going! When they have finished creating their beautiful art, TAs help clean up with the campers, and the campers can have some free play. After the day is done, TAs and teachers get to read books to the campers until dismissal starts. During dismissal, campers walk down the stairs (with the help of teachers and TAs). This teaches how to be brave and responsible. In conclusion, the Squirrels and Pigeons have had an amazing time at Camp Levine. The teachers and TAs are looking forward to work together and have more summer fun!

In Music+, we’ve had a wonderful time singing, dancing, and building our skills as musicians! We learned about call and response, musical improvisation, and how to work together to accompany ourselves on the Orff instruments. Hips and Hops got to create their own Thunderstorms and explore steady beat, movement, and solo singing through games like Apple Tree, Doggie Doggie Where’s Your Bone, and Charlie Over the Ocean. Boroughs and Avenues got to dig into improvisation to explore how we can talk through the music we make as well as the various elements to go into Orff arrangements. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve learned and accomplished as a group through our showcase!

In Games & Sports with Mx. Jade, we use our imaginations to become sharks, foxes, turtles, and even ghosts as the campers and TAs compete to see who can catch who! We learn how to play fair, include others, and show good sportsmanship as we try everything from “Bridge Tag” and “Steal The Bacon” to “Gaga Ball” and “Ninja.” Whether we’re inside or outside, we’re always staying active and having fun here at Camp Levine! (Except when the campers force Jade to dance around like a Zombie Alien Unicorn Princess!!!)

The groups learned about the artist, Keith Haring, who created subway art and murals using simple, bright figures or animals, adding movement with lines. The children took that style and created their own figures, animals, invented images and added something they were excited about for the summer to their art. They turned out bright, playful and fun.
We talked about cities and neighborhoods. The Avenues have been enthusiastically creating elaborate recycled 3-D buildings, houses, movie theaters, clubhouses, fire engines and more filled with people, fireplaces, seats, trees, anything you can imagine. The other groups have been working with cut paper shapes and pastels- creating amazing neighborhoods with grass, trees, roofs, people walking dogs, zoos with animals. They also added 3-D parts to their creations using rolled up paper, folded paper steps, bridges and roofs. They just started designs using their initials that they will paint and put on a patterned background. All the groups are so creative! 

What an exciting session at the piano! Our campers have been discovering how great American music grew out of city neighborhoods — from the brass bands of New Orleans to the streets of Baltimore. In addition to learning pieces like “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Good Morning Baltimore,” campers have explored keyboard geography, learned to find their way around the black keys in groups of two and three, and played their first scales. They’ve also clapped and tapped the rhythms they hear in everyday city life, then turned those rhythms into music of their own. Taking their first steps into improvisation, campers have been building their own melodies and discovering how much fun it is to create something entirely their own. We’ve loved making music together and hope you enjoy hearing the results! 

Our two groups of violinists are already playing real songs! Last week, we started slowly by learning how to hold the violin on the shoulder and the proper bow hold. After focusing on those important foundations for a few days, the violinists were able to add their left hands and play simple songs – hot cross buns and twinkle, twinkle, little star. Soon Camp Levine was full of the sounds of the violin focus groups practicing during their breaks in the afternoon, and yesterday we started working on our final performance song – “We Go Together”, from Grease. It’s going to be a great final performance!

Our sampler groups loved learning about the violin. They couldn’t wait to make sounds and play with the bow! But first, they had to learn how to hold the violin, first with a foam violin and then a real violin. After they held the violin they learned to pluck the strings. The bow hold comes next, first by making a bunny with their fingers and holding the bow with the tips of their fingers. Then they were finally able to play the violin with the bow. But it was worth the journey – everyone could play the ant song and the fox song together. 

In Pre-K we learned about the violin, its parts, and the bow. We read “Zin, zin, zin, a violin”, and played a freeze dance with “pop, goes the weasel”. We enjoyed our first weeks of camp and can’t wait to put on our final performance!

It’s been a wonderful 3 weeks of flute at Camp Levine this session. All ages have learned about the history, assembly, fingerings, balance, and beautiful sound of the flute. First we learned the different parts of the flute with the Flute Song (Head, Body, and the Foot) in the style of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Then it was time to work on our air and embouchure (flute faces). We had a silly time making the wrong flute faces (big kissy face, chipmunk cheeks, etc.) We used the NUVO Toot flutes to get an immediate sound lest they get too discouraged with the real flute. We learned the fingerings for “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” We turned into snakes to activate our blowing muscles in our stomachs/tummy. We used the pneumo pro to practice blowing that strong air at a downward angle (air direction). With enough consistency, students were then able to make good sounds on the real headjoint (tone development).

Then we worked on the “safe” way to assemble the three pieces of the flute. Some students had curved headjoints to make the full instrument easier to hold in their hands (left hand mirror, right hand waving). With the real flute assembled, we returned to “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Now we are working on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” for the final concert.

In Pre-K, we learned history and the assembly of the flute(flute song). From there, they listened to and moved to various songs from the flute and piano instructors together. We created storytime we tales of bamboo flutes, explorers in the Amazon river chasing fishes, and “A train” rides. Go, Camp Levine!

Students are exploring different ways of playing a guitar: melody vs. accompanying a song with the guitar while singing. 

They started with foundations which included the sitting position and the right- and left-hand positions. They have learned the notes on the first three strings and have been able to play a complete G major scale to help them warm up. With the notes, they are preparing a song for the recital, which involves reviewing music theory concepts such as reading notation, rhythms, dynamics, and ensemble skills. They have learned accidentals and a few chords, starting with the half chords (using only the first three strings) and some students moving on to the full chords. Right hand basic strumming patterns have also been introduced, and particularly the children had a lot of fun playing with a pick. They only need to be reminded that it takes a good left-hand position, time, and practice to get a clear sound and a faster change between chords…they are learning perseverance.

As the performance approaches, we will work on getting more comfortable playing, stage skills, making the notes sound like music, and enjoy playing with friends. 

Our students are learning to raise their voices in song to proudly sing some classic selections- from the Hips and Hops singing a playful “Hakuna Matata” to the Avenues and Boroughs singing dramatic ballads like “On Broadway”. We have lots of fun learning the fundamentals of quality singing production, with tools like deep breathing and posture helping our voices ring true. Our favorite game this session has been Give, Get, Pass- a game of sharing compliments with each other and creating the warm, inclusive environment that choir settings love to have. We’ve been working hard, and we’re excited for you to hear us sing in our show!

Our campers have had an AWESOME time exploring the world of Theater this session! In addition to learning their lines and staging for our “Sights, Songs, & Sounds of the Big City” show, campers have been learning the importance of developing Stage Presence, the power of Projecting their voices on stage, and how to develop characters and play people that are different from themselves. They have also learned a bunch of new theater games that are teaching them about Improvisation and how much fun it can be when one has to “think on their feet.” We have enjoyed our time together and hope you will enjoy our show!

Dance is for everyone to enjoy! At Camp Levine, our campers are enjoying their dance sessions while tapping into their creative spirit. Our dance sessions feature an array of  engaging and enriching dance activities. Campers are learning basic dance terminology such as: tendu, demi plie, ground plie, releve, port de bra, passe, the positions of the arms and feet and so much more. The Boroughs, the Avenues, the Hips and the Hops are exploring dance genres such as  jazz, hip hop, modern, and ballet. They are enjoying the sights, songs and sounds of the city as they work on their Camp Levine production. There are so many fun dances like “ Ease on Down the Road” in the show. The campers are talented and it’s a joy working with all of them.  They are excited for you to see the show. Sit back and relax, it’s SHOWTIME! 

The hips at Strathmore are a joy to work with, they are always excited and enthusiastic, but never fail to listen. They love to participate whether it be in morning sing or playing dodgeball in sports and games. They enjoy the variety of instruments they get to learn in sampler as well as playing xylophones and rain sticks in music. But the highlight of our day is lunch, we get to know the amazing people that make up the hips group. The hips are also very thrilled to be in the performance as they are having lots of fun in theater dance and vocal. We’re all excited for the performance, see you there!

The Hops are an amazing group and a joy to be around. No matter how hyper and lively they get, they always find ways to have tons of fun. In sports and games, they always find something new to do, whether it’s “National Step on your TA Day”, “Bridge Tag”, or “Ghosts in the Graveyard”, they always find ways to have fun. In Music+, they always love to create a thunderstorm, play instruments, or play “Apple Tree”. In Art, they love experimenting with different styles of painting, writing, and creating paper neighborhoods, and in sampler, they love playing the instruments. In Vocal/Choral, they are learning “Hakuna Matata” and “Hard Knock Life” while dancing around and playing small games at the start or end of class. The highlight of every day is Sports and Games, and they are looking forward to the final performance while enjoying every second of every day.

The Boroughs have truly been a remarkable and exciting group to work with! Since the beginning of camp, the Boroughs have been able to learn our theme, Sights, Songs, & Sounds of the City, through various activities. They start their day with morning sing. From there, the Boroughs have the opportunity to learn how to play and master their chosen FOCUS instrument. They have made incredible progress, moving from the absolute basics of how to properly hold their instruments to playing songs for the final showcase. Sports and games are also a fan favorite, with a variety of fun movement games to play. Gaga ball and Steal the Bacon are just a few of the group’s favorites. In Music+, they’ve practiced playing call and response on mallet percussion instruments. The results have been truly impressive. Following that, they are able to show their art skills through painting, drawing, and crafting, inspired by artists and artwork from our city theme. In the afternoon, the Boroughs get to prepare for their final theater performance through drama, dance, and vocal choral. It’s here where they learn about acting, receive lines for the show, learn and master dance choreography, and sing iconic songs like “New York, New York,” “A Million Dreams,” and “Empire State of Mind.” We can’t wait to see you next year!

The Avenues have had such a fun and busy session at camp! Every day they have been coming with lots of energy and they have been willing to try new things, whether it’s making art, learning music, practicing dances, or working on their drama scenes. They especially loved working on their 3-D art projects and were always excited to see how their creations came together.  It’s been awesome watching everyone learn about music as they practice their focus instruments. They’ve also done a great job encouraging one another and making new friends along the way. We’ve had plenty of laughs during sports and games where their energy never seems to run out whether it’s indoor or outdoor. It’s been great seeing how much the campers have grown together, and we’re all excited to show off everything they’ve worked so hard on in the final performance.