Total Music Immersion June 14-27 June 28 - July 11 July 12-25 and July 26 - Aug. 8 Aug. 9-15 2015 Growing Musicians for 40 Years (920) 868.3763
ABOUT BIRCH CREEK Our Mission : To provide intensive, performance-based instruction to promising young musicians by immersing them in a professional, mentoring environment. Birch Creek, located in the heart of Wisconsin s beautiful Door County, is a young musician s dream. Founded in 1976, this unique summer music school and concert venue provides talented students (typically ages 13 to 19 for the instrumental sessions, and 13 to adult for the Vocal Jazz session) advanced training as well as the opportunity to perform publicly alongside some of the top music professionals in the country. Birch Creek offers four two-week summer sessions: Percussion & Steel Band, Symphony, and Jazz (two sessions); and one one-week summer session: Vocal Jazz. The student:faculty ratio averages 2:1, ensuring that students receive attentive, hands-on mentoring from top music educators and professionals. STUDENT COMMENTS Birch Creek has challenged me musically and allowed me to grow exponentially as a performer. My time at Birch Creek was a life-changing experience. The experience allowed me to gain a year s worth of improvements, knowledge, and skills in two weeks, not to mention a lifetime of memories. CONCERTS Numerous public performances are a key part of the Birch Creek experience. Most other summer music schools have only one concert at the end of each session. At Birch Creek, students perform in up to 10 public performances in the historic, renovated concert barn before paying audiences. Students may also perform in public concerts throughout Door County.
June 14-27, 2015 Program Director: Ben Wahlund (inset), Black Dog Music Studio, with Steel Band Director Liam Teague (above in red), Northern Illinois University The Percussion & Steel Band Program offers a comprehensive experience for young percussionists. Through a hands-on learning environment in large- and smallgroup instruction, faculty/student performances, and recitals/master classes, the program develops an excellent working knowledge of all essential styles for today s percussionist. Students perform in eight public concerts in their concert percussion, steel band, West African, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban ensembles. Our small size and busy concert schedule challenge each student to learn and perform at a pace like that of professional musicians. June 28 - July 11, 2015 Program Director: Ricardo Castañeda (inset), Northern Illinois University The Symphony program is unique in that it incorporates a student/mentor approach in virtually every aspect of training. Students rehearse and perform alongside their teachers, and with a 2:1 student:teacher ratio, students receive a great deal of personal attention. In this nurturing environment, students develop excellent practice habits and rehearsal skills. Six public performances of four completely different orchestral programs are given over the two-week session. Students also have multiple opportunities to perform chamber music. While repertoire varies from year to year, students must be able to perform at a high technical level. Major repertoire for the 2015 season includes: Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 ( Eroica ); Sergei Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, First Suite, Op. 64-bis; and Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30. Additional repertoire will be posted on the website as it becomes available.
Two Sessions: July 12-25, 2015 and July 26 - Aug. 8, 2015 Program Director: Jeff Campbell (inset), Eastman School of Music The Jazz program gives students an effective combination of experiences to help them master the fundamentals of jazz while establishing professional attributes. This includes top-flight instruction during the day, a chance to perform before a live audience in the evening, and the opportunity to hear instructors perform in the Birch Creek Jazz Orchestra on concert nights. All students perform eight times in their Big Band, and a minimum of four times in their combo. Jazz session students perform music drawn from standard and jazz repertoire. They perform in small groups and large ensembles focusing on improvisation, ensemble skills and fundamental technical training. Emphasis is also placed on the practical application and development of the vocabulary and syntax of the jazz language. Aug. 9-15, 2015 Program Director: Janice Borla (inset), North Central College The Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp provides a unique educational experience for aspiring jazz vocalists in an intensive, one-week course of study and skills development, conducted by an outstanding artist faculty of professional performing and recording artists. The program s international reputation draws students from all parts of the U.S., Canada and abroad. The curriculum is designed specifically for the solo jazz vocalist. Daily activities include workshops in jazz improvisation, performance styles and techniques, and solo performance preparation; as well as artist master classes, vocal jazz history and music theory.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE Application information is available on our website at www.birchcreek.org or by calling our office (920) 868-3763. Auditions are required for the symphony session and for any student applying for scholarships/financial aid. There is a nonrefundable $50 application processing fee. Application period opens November 10, 2014. Application review begins as follows: Feb. 1 Percussion & Steel Band and Symphony applicants March 1 Jazz and Vocal Jazz applicants Applications continue to be welcomed after these dates and are reviewed until all positions are filled. FEES AND POLICIES Fee for each 2-week session: $2,000 Fee for the 1-week Vocal Jazz session: $1,000 Due to the intensive, mentoring-based nature of Birch Creek s programs, campus residence is required. SCHOLARSHIPS/FINANCIAL AID Obtain a scholarship/financial aid application from our website at www.birchcreek.org or contact our Registrar for more information. Student application requirements must be met before scholarship/financial aid applications are considered. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY Eligibility for enrollment and financial assistance is based solely on the applicant s personal qualifications without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. QUESTIONS Please feel free to contact our Registrar with any questions you may have: (920) 868-3763 or registrar@birchcreek.org CONTACT US Birch Creek Music Performance Center PO Box 230 Egg Harbor, WI 54209 registrar@birchcreek.org (920) 868-3763 FAX: (920) 868-1643