The Premier Summer Music Camp in New Jersey

Our summer music camp in New Jersey, July 22-26, brings together student talented musicians and an amazing faculty in our inspiring rural campus in Lebanon, NJ. We have two amazing music programs to choose from depending on your musical interests.

Rock Camp - We pride ourselves in creating an inspiring environment where students are having fun and making friends, while also learning so much about music from the early days of Rock in the 1950’s to what is happening today in the music. Open to beginner through advanced musicians, in Rock Camp musicians have lessons in the morning, a morning ensemble, afternoon electives, afternoon lessons, and then a different afternoon ensemble. Our musicians then perform at our Friday Concert Series at the end of the week for family, friends, and the public. You will be amazed how students grow in our 5 day music program at Rock Camp. Rock Camp is from 9-2:50 pm, and there is late afternoon elective for interested students called Intro Jazz Workshop from 3-5 pm.

Rock Camp, Summer Music Camp in New Jersey

Jazz Workshop - Jazz Workshop meets in the afternoons, 1-5 pm, and is geared towards teens and adults looking to take their understanding of jazz to the next level. We will dive into the whole history of jazz from the music of Duke Ellington to Herbie Hancock, to what is happening today in the music. Students have lessons with master teachers and performers, perform in a variety of ensembles, and have classes that explore topics such as improv, harmony, and composition/arranging.

Jazz Workshop, Summer Music Camp in New Jersey

Jazz Workshop, Premier Jazz Summer Camp in New Jersey

In Jazz Workshop, a New Jersey jazz summer camp for teens and adults, we explore the music from many points of view. Let’s take a look at the jazz standard, All the Things You Are.

How would one approach soloing on this piece? First off, I think it’s important to understand what’s happening with the harmony. In the first 5 bars of the melody we are in the key of A flat major, and then we are in the key of C major for bars 6-7-8. Let’s just take the first 8 bars. There is a macro way of approaching our solo and more of a micro way. For the macro approach you can play ideas in the key of A flat major for bars 1-5, and then shift your focus to playing ideas C major in bars 6-7-8. By thinking in these big harmonic sweeps, you can let your ideas breathe and use space more easily. I find you are a bit less in your head and you can just let your ear guide the way in the key you are in.

A micro approach would be knowing your scales for each chord you are playing. So for F minor 7th chord one could think F natural minor (also called F aeolian mode), and for B flat minor one could think B flat minor dominant 7th scale or B flat dorian mode. It’s important to know your scales not just in the abstract but be able to play them in time in the song you are working on.

At some point what’s start to happen is these 2 approaches merge and you are able to do both at the same time. It’s similar to when you drive you see the car in front of you but you are aware that there is a curve in the road 10 cars ahead of you as well. he ironic thing also is that once you develop then your ideas and vocabulary with these two approaches, you basically “forget” what you learned (using quotes here, you never really forget, it’s just not your focus anymore) and you use your ear to guide you as you tell a story through your solo with your fellow musicians.

In Jazz Workshop in Lebanon, New Jersey in Hunterdon County, we dive into the music and have a while lot of fun along the way. See you this summer!

A Unique Kind of Music Camp in New Jersey

Tucked away in the beautiful countryside of Hunterdon County in Lebanon, New Jersey, is a very different kind of music camp that has been around for twenty years offering an inspiring musical experience for all ages.

Our music camp is structured in a way where we have 2 music programs that run side-by-side:

1. Rock Camp is from 9 - 2:50 pm, Monday-Friday, and is an amazing program where students have lessons throughout the day, play in a variety of ensembles, are able to take a number of electives during the day. While all this is happening we are having a whole lot of fun! I mean this is summer and we want students to have an inspiring experience and make friends along the way. If students would like to study jazz, we have an additional elective from 3-5 pm called Jazz Workshop. At the end of the week, students perform an amazing concert for friends, family, and the public. You can see our complete curriculum on our site.

2. Jazz Workshop is from 1-5 pm and is geared towards teens and adults who have some experience in music and are looking to dive into the world of jazz. Students study harmony, improvisation, and perform in a variety of ensembles. You can see our full curriculum on our site as well.

We look forward to seeing you this summer at the premier music camp in New Jersey, Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop. All students are welcome from beginners-advanced, and all ages as well. Our teachers are all performing musicians who love to share their knowledge. We look forward to seeing you this summer!

Rock Camp, The Premier Music Camp in New Jersey

Tucked away in the rolling hills of Hunterdon County in Lebanon, New Jersey is a music camp like no other, Rock Camp, which has been providing an inspiring musical experience to musicians of New Jersey for over 14 years. Beginner and experienced students are welcome, ages 7-19 years old, to take their music to the next level.

Students will have workshops, morning and afternoon ensembes, lessons, electives and and end of the week concert for friends, family and the public (see our full curriculum). Musicians will work with their peers and expert teachers to learn the full spectrum of rock music from a variety of time periods. Our campus is located on the beautiful campus of Acorn Montessori School in Lebanon, New Jersey

The end of the week concert is a real milestone for musicians. Students take all of that knowledge they have learned in their lessons and ensemble classes throughout the week and come together to create music they did not think was possible at the beginning of the week. Students finish the week with a certain confidence that that comes the realization that you can create incredible music through teamwork, inspiration, and practice.

The Art of Teaching, Summer Music Camp in Long Island and New Jersey

As we prepare for our music camps in Long Island and New Jersey at Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop, we always ask ourselves how can our teaching have the biggest impact on our students, and what makes for a great teacher? There are a few things that make Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop an amazing experience for our students.

1. We meet students where they are. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced student. It doesn’t matter. We meet you where you are and we push you 10 notches higher to a level you did not think was possible.

   2. Whether you are learning a song by Nirvana, Miles Davis, Taylor Swift, or Duke Ellington. We help you understand the harmony and how the architecture of the song, how it’s built. This gives you knowledge and the inspiration to not only learn and play the existing music, but also space to create your own music.

   3. Space and Nadia Boulanger. This is something that one of the greatest music teachers of the 20th century, Nadia Boulanger, gave to her students - knowledge of the structures and techniques used in great works of music in addition to inspiration, space, and encouragement for the student to then create his or own music. Seems like the art of teaching then lies in how to balance those two concepts - knowledge/analysis of music and one’s own creativity/voice. Finding that right approach then lies in the teacher’s awareness of where the student is in his or her development and what is the next step. Some consider Nadia Boulanger one of the most influential teachers after Socrates. She taught many of the greats of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky (Rite of Spring, Firebird), Quincy Jones (Wrote and arranged for Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson…Thriller and more), Astor Piazzola the amazing tango composer who fused the music of Argentine with jazz, George Gershwin (Rhapsody on Blue), and many many other great musicians.

   Here is a great article on Nadia Boulanger that just came out from the BBC.

2. Making music is fun, especially when playing with your friends! Let’s face it, people learn from teachers but they also learn from their friends and peers. It’s that synergy, that group energy when you are making music with others that makes the whole experience fun and fulfilling. After all, this is summer! At Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop in Long Isand and New Jersey, we don’t see ourselves as some sort of school….we see ourselves as an enrichment experience where students can be 100% themselves, learn a ton, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.

Here are some of the musicians who were influenced by the great teacher Nadia Boulanger. Herbie Hancock and orchestra playing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Stravinsky (Firebird)

Astor Piazzolla (Libertango, played here with To To Ma)

Quincy Jones (Wrote/Arranged music for Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, and many others)

The Premier Music Camp in New Jersey, Rock Camp and Jazz Workshop

When you come to our music camp, Rock Camp or Jazz Workshop, in the beautiful countryside of Lebanon, New Jersey, you will learn to master your instrument, play with others, and have a whole lot of fun along the way! At the end of the week we have a concert for friends, family, and the general public, a concert that our students prepare all week for.

While the music will undoubtably be amazing by all our students, whether beginner or advanced, no concert you will ever go to is ever “perfect.” Mistakes happen onstage, many of which no one in the audience notices because they are so minute and the musicians recover so quickly. We tell students it’s ok if you make mistakes. The key is to keep your cool and quickly recover, get back on the horse so to speak. After all, we are all human and part of being human is that mistakes happen.

Here is a video of the great pianist Herbie Hancock talking about that and how he came upon a surprising realization after hitting the wrong chord in a performance. Click here to see the video.

You Be You: Music, Art, Dance, and Theater Camps in Bridgehampton, NY and Lebanon, NJ

One of the benefits for those that come to our summer camps and classes in the Hamptons and New Jersey, Rock Camp, Jazz Workshop. Diving into Art, Dance Intensive, and Theater Workshop is that you are doing two things at the same time.

I once has a teacher that asked me what was a guitar. What is it? Well, it’s carved wood with steel or nylon strings, etc… The teacher shook his head, no, no, no. He smiled and said the guitar is a reflection of you! When you are studying to learn and master an art form this concept becomes more apparent every day. Through learning an art form you start to learn more and more about yourself. The second thing you realize is that while it’s important you work on your individual skills, it is also important to work well with others, to cooperate, challenge and support your fellow musicians, artists, dancers, and actors. These two ideas are not only important in the arts, but life in general!

Looking forward to seeing everyone this July!

Music Camp in New Jersey

Tucked away in the beautiful countryside of Hunterdon County in Lebanon, New Jersey is a music camp dedicated to inspiring musicians, beginner-advanced, to take their music to the next level. At Rock Camp and Jazz Intensive students have morning and afternoon lesson and play in morning and afternoon bands. Our goal is for students to have a fun and social experience while also learning to play music from a variety of angles.

At the end of the week students perform in a concert for their friends, family and the public where you will hear a wide variety of rock music (for those in Rock Camp) and for those enrolled in Jazz Workshop you will hear jazz from the 50’s through today. You will also hear students perform original music which gets musicians thinking outside the box and the intersection of lyrics/telling a story and song structure possibilities.

So if you are looking for a music camp in New Jersey that is both fun and inspiring, you are in the right spot.

Music Camp in New Jersey for Teens and Adults

If you have a passion for music then you are in the right spot at our music camp in Lebanon, New Jersey at Rock Camp (9-3 pm), Jazz Workshop (3-5 pm), and Adult;t Lessons (3-5 pm). We welcome beginners-advanced students.

In Rock Camp you will have a morning and afternoon lessons, morning and afternoon band, a whole bunch of electives in the afternoon, and you will be surrounded by musicians your age who share your interests. On top of that, our staff are all musicians pursuing their music and also love too share what they have learned along the way and teach at area colleges such as Rutgers University, Rider University, and Raritan Valley Community College.

In Jazz Workshop you will play in an ensemble, have lessons on your instrument, learn about harmony and how to improvise, and create original works of your own. Our teachers are all active performers in NYC, NJ, and regularly play festivals and concert halls around the world.

Call us at (908) 230-6079 to learn more……yes, we are old school like that, we love to speak on the phone, or you can email us at HMSRockCamp@gmail.com!