Rhythm is an essential component of most kinds of music and drummers are invaluable to many kinds of musical groups. Not only do drummers set the timing and pacing of a song (and help other musicians keep with the beat), they also contribute to its feeling, movement and formal composition.

The CMC Atlanta Drum Camp immerses students in a week long program focused on drum technique and musical expression. Students start by getting to know the drum set itself, and they learn how to identify its components, properly assemble, disassemble and set up a kit. The camp curriculum also focuses on stick technique, because whether just beginning or playing for years, stick technique can always be improved upon. Kick pedal technique and basic coordination are included in our studies, too.

While we emphasize by rote learning and feeling rhythmic flow on the drum kit, notation is also a key area of concentration because basic to more advanced rhythmic reading and application is crucial for any drummer, whether they are playing a single surface, pad or snare drum, or splitting rhythms and reading them over an entire drum set with all four limbs.

Finally, Drum Camp also introduces students to a variety of drum styles. To be a versatile musician on the drum set is to learn, listen and investigate many styles of music and the grooves and patterns specific to those styles. Rock, funk, shuffle, swing, reggae, Afro-cuban, blues, second line, drum corps, among many others, all incorporate different musical approaches. Through listening to, learning about, and playing great music, we ourselves can learn from our heroes and keep pushing to create, innovate, and strive to hone our craft as music makers.

Since we group by age and skill level, beginners and more experienced students alike are welcome.

Please note: no camp July 4

Violinists, violists, and cellists, all are welcome. And since we group students by both age and skill level, the CMC Atlanta String Camp is open to beginners and more advanced players.

CMC Atlanta String Camp provides beginners and more experienced players alike the opportunity to develop both playing skills and their understanding of musical concepts. Through a mix of private lessons and group activities, students will learn good technique, build their knowledge of the fundamentals of music, and tackle a couple of age and skill appropriate compositions. Camp includes a variety of group activities like singing, drumming, theory drills and projects, and indoor and outdoor games. The curriculum incorporates a survey of historical repertoire (from simple compositions most children learn to virtuosic masterpieces), projects that introduce important composers and famous performers, and live performances by CMC Atlanta Artist Resident Teachers.  Our young musicians are also engaged by both traditional and more contemporary uses of string instruments in classical, jazz, rock, and folk music.

Campers take private lessons with CMC Atlanta faculty.  For beginners, we gear the curriculum to laying a firm foundation to support the potential for ongoing study after camp. For more experienced players, we introduce new solo and collaborative pieces, more advanced musical concepts, and teach improvisation, a skill overlooked in many studios. When it comes to improvisation, even experienced students mostly start from scratch when they come to our camp, and most students enjoy having this world of artistic expression opened for them in an encouraging setting.

All CMC Atlanta Day Camps for Kids are sensitive to developmental needs of children. While the students are immersed in the world of strings at the camp, there are breaks throughout the day, play time at nearby parks, and fun activities to provide an appropriate balance, especially for summer.

Blues music is one of the the original forms of American music and also an influential foundation for contemporary pop and rock music around the world. Its origins trace back to Africa and Southern Plantations, and it retains a redemptive and transcendental quality from its roots in the songs and field hollers of American slaves and ex-slaves. Blues has roots in religious music, but without Muddy Waters and Bessie Smith, there would be no Rolling Stones or Janelle Monae. Its soulful expressions and innovative stylings have inspired countless of contemporary musicians and artists alike and still make blues music one of the most important (and fun) genres for young musicians to study today.

With this in mind, CMC Atlanta’s Blues Camp takes a historical and contemporary approach towards the blues. Through a combination of private lessons and group activities, students will be immersed in original, early blues music of the past as well as its manifestations throughout musical history. Campers sing, play instruments, and study blues music theory, songwriting and also explore improvisation, one of the most important tools for a blues musician, in group performance projects. Camp includes private lessons (voice or instrumental) and culminates with an informal in-house showcase at each camp location.

If interested, campers are also eligible to join either or both of our two CMC Atlanta Summer Showcases: one will be held at Seven Stages on Saturday, June 30 and the other on Friday, July 20 at Atlanta Music High School (in the North Druid Hills/Brookhaven area). Logistics of the optional Summer Showcase participation are worked out with each camper’s family upon registration. Since we group by age and skill level, beginners and more experienced musicians alike are welcome in our camp.

Rhythm is an essential component of most kinds of music and drummers are invaluable to many kinds of musical groups. Not only do drummers set the timing and pacing of a song (and help other musicians keep with the beat), they also contribute to its feeling, movement and formal composition.

The CMC Atlanta Drum Camp immerses students in a week long program focused on drum technique and musical expression. Students start by getting to know the drum set itself, and they learn how to identify its components, properly assemble, disassemble and set up a kit. The camp curriculum also focuses on stick technique, because whether just beginning or playing for years, stick technique can always be improved upon. Kick pedal technique and basic coordination are included in our studies, too.

While we emphasize by rote learning and feeling rhythmic flow on the drum kit, notation is also a key area of concentration because basic to more advanced rhythmic reading and application is crucial for any drummer, whether they are playing a single surface, pad or snare drum, or splitting rhythms and reading them over an entire drum set with all four limbs.

Finally, Drum Camp also introduces students to a variety of drum styles. To be a versatile musician on the drum set is to learn, listen and investigate many styles of music and the grooves and patterns specific to those styles. Rock, funk, shuffle, swing, reggae, Afro-cuban, blues, second line, drum corps, among many others, all incorporate different musical approaches. Through listening to, learning about, and playing great music, we ourselves can learn from our heroes and keep pushing to create, innovate, and strive to hone our craft as music makers.

Since we group by age and skill level, beginners and more experienced students alike are welcome.

Please note: no camp July 4-5, tuition discount applies

Contemporary Music Performance Workshop (CMP Workshop) and Studio 5 Production Workshop  

• Session 1, CMP Workshop all day, CMC L5P: June 03-07 
• Session 2,CMP Workshop all day, CMC L5P:  June 10-14
  
  SHOWCASE 1: June 14
  
  
• Session 3, CMP Workshop mornings, Studio 5 afternoons, CMC L5P: June 17-21
• Session 4, CMP Workshop mornings, Studio 5 afternoons, CMC L5P: June 24-28
  
  SHOWCASE 2: June 28 
  
  
• Session 5, CMP Workshop mornings, Studio 5 afternoons, CMC L5P: July 8-12
• Session 6, CMP Workshop mornings, Studio 5 afternoons, CMC L5P: July 15-19
• Session 7, CMP Workshop mornings, Studio 5 afternoons, CMC L5P: July 22-26
  
  SHOWCASE 3: July 26 - listening sessions and performances