Registration now open for NIU summer arts camps

DeKALB – Northern Illinois University has theater, jazz, visual arts, percussion and brass on the summer camp agenda for June and July.

Summer in the Arts at Northern residential campers work and live with NIU faculty, alumni and students, gaining a greater appreciation for the life of an artist, and experiencing their art as never before. In the evenings, residential campers enjoy a variety of recreational activities including bowling, basketball, movies, talent shows, concerts and more.

New for 2019: NIU Brass Boot Camp meets
at Plainfield East High School, June 10 to 12

This three-day camp provides the intensive training high school brass instrumentalists need to excel as performers and improve as musicians. Campers meet each day at Plainfield East High School in Plainfield for a variety of brass instrument drills and exercises, plus master classes, chamber ensembles and rehearsals led by NIU Director of Athletic Bands Tom Bough, NIU professor, composer and trumpeter Mark Ponzo and NIU faculty horn instructor Kelly Langenberg. Daily lunch is included, and family and friends attend a full camp brass ensemble performance on the final day. Attendees receive a camp T-shirt along with IMEA audition tips and instrument-specific instructional materials to use throughout the year.

NIU Jazz Camp and Theatre Arts Camp Junior scheduled July 7 to 12

NIU Jazz Camp invites instrumentalists from grades 8 to 12 who want to take their jazz playing to the next level. Campers rehearse and perform in a big band, combo or Latin jazz combo, working on ensemble skills and preparing for the final day concert. Master classes, concerts, jazz theory instruction, improvisation, jam sessions, sectionals, and optional private lessons are all part of the daily curriculum. Acclaimed saxophonist, composer and NIU jazz studies faculty member Geof Bradfield directs the camp.

Theatre Arts Camp Junior is designed for theater buffs who have completed grades six through nine. Campers enjoy daily classes, individual coaching sessions, theater games and rehearsals for the final day performance. Workshop choices in past years have included auditioning, acting, musical theater, devising a scene, voice techniques, and character movement, and new workshops are added every year. Camp co-directors are Nathan Wyman, professor of theater at William Jewell College near Kansas City, and NIU faculty acting instructor Kendra Holton.

Visual Arts Camp and Theatre Arts Camp Senior scheduled July 14 to 19

Visual Arts Camp offers a diverse creative art experience for artists in grades 8 through 12. Campers enjoy two daily in-depth studio sessions, choosing from a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional classes. Camp activities also include talks by professional artists, open studio time, and a gala art show on the final day. This camp is directed by Lynn Stockton, NIU alumna and award-winning art teacher at Jefferson High School in Rockford.

Theatre Arts Camp Senior is an intensive program for students who have completed grades 9 through 12. Senior campers spend the week in rehearsals, classes and individual coaching sessions, honing skills and preparing for the final day performance. Workshop choices in past years have included auditioning, musical theater, dance choreography, adapting books for the stage, improvisation, movement and voice techniques, and new workshops are added every year. Camp co-directors are Nathan Wyman, professor of theater at William Jewell College near Kansas City, and NIU faculty acting instructor Kendra Holton.

NIU Percussion Camp scheduled July 22 to 26

NIU Percussion Camp provides middle and high school students a chance to explore the amazing world of percussion. Hands-on camp activities include snare drum, timpani, drum set and keyboard percussion classes. Campers rehearse in Steel Band, concert percussion ensembles, and samba bands, and enjoy a faculty recital. Percussion camp concludes with a final all-camp concert performance for family and friends. New for 2019 is a Percussion Camp commuter option for those who do not wish to stay overnight.

Camp participants work with NIU faculty percussion instructor and camp director Ben Wahlund, Fulbright award recipient, NIU professor and head of percussion studies Greg Beyer, NIU Steelband co-director Yuko Asada, DeKalb High School director of bands Steve Lundin, and several other professional educators and guest percussionists during this unique and intensive camp.

The fine arts camps at NIU fill quickly, so early registration is advised. To learn more, call Summer in the Arts at Northern at 815-753-1450. Need-based scholarship applications are being accepted through May 1. Find scholarship and registration forms, and camp schedules online at www.niu.edu/extprograms/summer-camps/faq.shtml