Dear students, parents and guardians, PERCUSSION CAMP HANDBOOK July 9-13, 2018 We are very excited to bring an action-packed week of percussion education to the city of San Antonio by hosting the 2018 UTSA Summer Percussion Camp! This week-long experience will give students diverse experiences in the fascinating world of percussion, including studies in concert percussion, mallet keyboard techniques, marching percussion, jazz percussion and drum set, as well as world percussion and steel band. All classes will be taught by UTSA percussion faculty and other teaching artists from the San Antonio area. The information in the following handbook is intended to provide a safe and structured learning environment for all students involved. It will also give both students and parents/guardians all of the information you need for a successful camp experience. We can t wait to have you at our camp this summer! Best regards, Michael Mixtacki (camp director) Sherry Rubins (assistant director) FINANCIAL INFORMATION Paying Deposits and Balances The total cost of the UTSA Percussion Camp is $265. A $75 non-refundable deposit (applied toward tuition) is due upon registration online. The remaining balance of $190 is due by June 1 st. This may be paid in full right away, or in installments until the deadline. You will get an email reminder from Myonlinecamps before this deadline. You will receive a registration ID when signing up for camp, and you will need to log in to your account to pay any balances. Please be aware that Myonlinecamps, our registration website host, also charges a $5 administrative fee when signing up. PLEASE NOTE: All payments for registration must be done online through the registration website. A dashboard parking permit for the week may be purchased for $10, which is especially useful for high school students driving themselves to camp.
Cancellation and Refunds Any cancellations in attendance must be sent in written email form to: michael.mixtacki@utsa.edu. Please note our cancellation policy: Before June 1 st : 100% refund (not including the $75 non-refundable deposit) After June 1 st : 50% refund (not including the $75 non-refundable deposit) Discounts and Scholarships Discounts on tuition will be given for students who are willing to bring instruments for use at camp. We are always in need of the following instruments, so please take note of the list below and the discount given for that particular instrument: Conga drums - $20 discount Xylophone - $30 discount Drum Set - $30 discount Marimba/Vibraphone - $50 discount Students wishing to bring any of these instruments should label every piece of equipment with their name and/or initials. Please bring a small inventory list for our staff to keep on file. Please note: UTSA Percussion Camp is not responsible for any theft, damage, or loss of any personal equipment. We will, however, ensure these instruments are kept safe by monitoring practice room usage, keeping doors locked and secured, enforcing instrument care and respect, and giving priority usage to the owners of the instruments. Please note that students are welcome to bring bell kits with them, but these are less useful for our classes and rehearsals. It may be easier to leave these at home for practice in the evenings. Scholarships for this camp may be available as the spring semester progresses. Check back on our website for scholarship information. GENERAL CAMP INFORMATION Camp Check-In/Check Out On the first day of camp, check-in will start at 7:45am. Students should bring their sticks and mallets with them, along with any music they plan to play at their placement audition (if needed). Placement auditions will last until 9am on the first day of camp. Each day, check-in will start at 7:45am. Our first classes begin at 8am (usually group warm-ups), so please plan accordingly to arrive on time. Classes end at 4pm and students must check out as they leave. After the final concert, students may leave campus without checking out. There is no official check out process that day.
Parking For parents wishing to park their cars and bring their child in for check-in, paid parking is available in the Ximenes Garage. This is approximately a 2-3 minute walk (including stairs) from the Arts building. This same parking garage is the best place to park for the final concert on Friday, July 13. Please note that parking in any spaces in the Bauerle, Ford or Ximenes lots without a permit may result in a ticket. For more information on UTSA parking policies, please visit this website: http://www.utsa.edu/campusservices/parking.html For students who are planning to drive themselves to camp, a parking permit is available for purchase upon registration for $10. This allows parking in any space in the Bauerle Road Lot 1. Students may pick up these permits upon check-in, but need to park their cars before starting their placement audition. A map of the southeast side of campus is provided below: Drop-off and Pick-Up The official drop-off and pick-up location every day will be located at the top of Key Circle, right in front of the doors to the 1 st floor of the Arts building (you may wish to search for UTSA Recital Hall Entrance in Google Maps for directions). Please be aware that this is also a busy bus drop-off location, so be very careful when exiting vehicles and driving in this circle. Parking in this circle is not allowed and should be used for drop-off and pick-up only. A loading dock is accessible from this same circle for students bringing their own large instruments. Directions will be provided on Monday during check-in.
Counselors/Staff Several UTSA Percussion students have been hired to work as counselors, teaching assistants, and logistics assistants throughout the week. They will be around to help answer questions, supervise lunches and breaks, and will be a wonderful resource for campers. Final Concert The final concert will take place on Friday, July 13 at 4pm. This will showcase what students have been working on throughout the week and is free and open to the public. No food or drink is allowed in the performance hall, along with no pets except for service animals. Non-flash photography/video is allowed, but please be respectful to the performers. RULES AND GUIDELINES Conduct We expect all of our camp attendees to behave appropriately during their time at the UTSA Percussion Camp. Our camp is designed to foster a safe, welcoming and fun learning environment for everyone involved. First and foremost, we expect our campers to treat each other and our faculty with respect. Bullying, theft, and other negative or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated, and offenses may result in dismissal from camp with no refund. In addition, the following items are FORBIDDEN at the UTSA Percussion Camp: Alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, or weapons of any kind. Students caught in possession of these items will be immediately dismissed from camp without a refund. Attendance Campers are required to attend all classes, rehearsals and performances. Attendance will be taken during each class. If a student must miss a class or rehearsal for any reason, the camp director must be notified in writing (michael.mixtacki@utsa.edu) before camp begins as early as possible, please! Students must check in/out if they need to leave camp for any reason. Please note that the camp cannot offer refunds due to missed classes. All rehearsals are cumulative and are in preparation for the final concert. Keep in mind that missing a class may negatively affect the learning experience of others, especially in ensemble settings.
Instruments As percussionists, we primarily deal with instruments that are not our own. Appropriate treatment of all equipment used at the camp is expected and required. Proper covering and moving of instruments will be demonstrated and instrument care will be one of our top priorities. This means that no instruments may be moved out of any rehearsal or practice rooms without permission of the instructors and staff. Any mistreatment of instruments will be reported to the camp director and may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from the camp. Alternatively, we understand that some items may break or get damaged as a result of normal wear and tear. Students are expected to notify camp staff about any broken instruments immediately. Dress Code Dress for all camp activities is casual (jeans or shorts, t-shirts, etc.) and we ask that you follow the same dress code as any public school. Any student wearing clothing deemed inappropriate (i.e. revealing or with vulgar language or symbols) may be asked to change or could potentially get sent home for the day. Campers are asked to wear their camp T-shirt for the final concert, so please plan ahead accordingly. Cell Phone Policy Campers are allowed to keep their cell phones with them during camp, but they must be silenced and put away out of sight during all classes and rehearsals. If a student s cell phone is distracting from their own or any other student s learning experience, it may be confiscated until the end of the day and returned upon check-out. Students wishing to use their phone (or other device) to audio or video record a class, lesson, rehearsal, or performance must obtain permission from the instructor. Placement Audition In order to provide the proper learning experience for each student, the faculty will listen to placement auditions on the first morning of camp. Students will be divided into specific classes each day based on their experience level. Students are requested to prepare the following for their audition: Keyboard percussion Prepare two scales of your choice (major and/or minor) Prepare a short 2 mallet or 4 mallet solo or etude, roughly 1-2minutes in length (Region/district band repertoire or solos from UIL Prescribed Music List http://wwwdev.uiltexas.org/pml/ are recommended but not required) Sightread a short two-mallet excerpt (up to two sharps/flats) Snare drum
Prepare one short solo or etude in either rudimental or concert style, roughly 1-2 minutes in length (Region/district repertoire or solos from UIL PML are recommended but not required) Sightread a short snare drum excerpt Drum set Prepare a short demonstration of 2-3 musical styles or grooves, roughly 30 seconds each. (suggestions: jazz/swing, funk, rock, or Latin styles) Timpani Students will be asked to match and tune several pitches (no prepared etude required) No audition is required to register for the camp. Students may omit a portion of the audition if they do not feel comfortable. Concert recordings Audio and video recordings of the final concert will be available for purchase after the conclusion of camp. Please check our website for more details as we get closer to the start of camp. Private lessons Students will have the opportunity to take private lessons with the camp faculty for an additional cost. Lessons will typically last 30 minutes and will cost $25. We recommend that sign-up and payment for private lessons be settled upon check-in, however, students may sign up for lessons as the week progresses (subject to faculty availability). Please note that payment is required to take a lesson, and faculty may choose not to conduct a lesson without payment beforehand. Students will have the opportunity to study privately with multiple faculty if they choose, and lessons will occur during breaks and practice time during the day. FAQs Will instruments be provided during the camp? Do I need to bring anything with me? All large percussion instruments will be provided (timpani, keyboards, drum sets, world percussion, etc). Students should bring sticks, mallets, and a practice pad with them every day. Is a 4-mallet etude required for the audition? No. Students are encouraged to play what is most comfortable for them for the audition. Why am I required to so many etudes and instruments for my audition? The audition is designed to get an idea of a student s musical development.
What if I have no experience playing? (mallets, snare drum, drum set, world percussion, etc) If you do not have any experience playing certain instruments over others, we are glad you are considering our camp. While we are not designed to be a camp for beginners (1 year of band and/or music study required to attend), our goal is to give all our students a total percussion experience. This means students will take classes and workshops involving many different percussion instruments and should be open to learning something new. Is there a residential option for this camp? The UTSA Percussion Camp is designed to be a day camp that allows students to return home and rest after each intensive day of classes and rehearsals. This keeps costs down for those who wish to attend. A residential option is not being offered at this time. What if I need to leave camp during the week? If students anticipate any conflicts with scheduled classes or rehearsals, the camp director needs written notification upon or before check-in. If a student must miss multiple days of classes or rehearsals, they may not be able to perform in the final concert. Refunds or discounts for missed classes will not be offered. Emergency situations that involve leaving camp will be dealt with on a case-bycase basis.