Let the Music Play!

This last summer we held our second annual summer percussion camp! This year we partnered with Seattle Percussion Works, led by Storm Benjamin and supported by Rose Martin and Jonathan Rodriguez. Camp was again made possible by donors like you, along with a very generous grant from the Pierce County Arts Commissions.

In 2023 we had ten participants in grades 6-12, who had three full days of music-making with our college-educated professional artists and educators at no cost! 

We had several returning students were excited to come back, and they are all hoping to return to another percussion camp with us this summer. In fact, they had so much fun they would like it to be longer—a full week!  So that is our goal in 2024!

Camp participants learned to play orchestral marimbas, drums, and handheld percussion instruments during group lessons and individual coaching, and even made their own instruments. By the end of camp students were holding their own rehearsals and actively encouraging and uplifting each other, which was wonderful to see. 

Vivienne, an eighth grader who participated in camp the last two years has this to say: “This year’s camp had some new leaders, new styles of music, and new kids. My favorite parts of camp were learning new styles and forms of music, getting to play new instruments (marimba and vibraphone), and making music with everyday objects. I like how the forms of music change every year and give people a great way to explore new genres. This camp was so fun and inspiring. I believe that even though the camp is small in size, it just gives the campers and leaders better chances for one-on-one lessons. The camp was creative and such a good way to make friends. I definitely want to go again next year.”