Tag Archives: summer camp

West African Drumming Camp

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This week is all about the GROOVE! and making ancient West African Drumming fun, accessible and challenging, all at the same time.

West African Drum Camp
Loosening your hands
Dunun!
  • NO DRUM NEEDED!
  • explore polyrhythms on djembes and dunun (a series of double headed drums played on their side)
  • build instruments (diddley bos or bucket basses) and explore aspects of rhythm and acoustics
  • sing songs and learn dances relevant to the rhythms
  • and tap into the ancient knowledge of the West African Mande musical tradition

This goes way beyond a drum circle! Campers will not only learn patterns on djembe and develop skills to solo but will also learn the interlocking patterns on the dunun – the soul of the West African Mande drumming tradition. These rhythms can be extremely challenging, even to pro drummers!

Learning to play dunun
Masks and dance
Masks and dance

But with the guidance of guest instructor Anna Melnikoff, West African Drumming week at MusiCamp is set up to engage and teach the absolute inexperienced while at the same time provide on-going challenges for advanced drummers. And of course, at the end of the week, campers will perform for friends and family!

End of Week Performance 2013

Below is a slightly edited video is from our 2013 week-end performance of the children-composed rhythm “Timbaraba.”

NOTE: Because the speakers of computers and portable devices aren’t designed to capture the bass, to hear the dunun pattern you need to listen to this video with headphones or good speakers.

Although it is difficult to see, at the back left are 3 double headed drums known as dunun. The dunun play a complex interlocking rhythm upon which the djembes play another rhythm or solo.

Check out our MusiCamp Flickr Gallery for more pics of MusiCamp

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2019 MusiCamp Themes & Fees

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2019 DATES!

15% EARLY BIRD registration discount before May 30!
$25 discount for additional weeks, siblings and referrals!
No additional fees or taxes charged!

July 15-19 ~ COMPOSITION & SONG ~ $285 … more info →

July 22-26 ~ WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING (guest artist!) ~ $350 … more info →

  • Class sizes are small.
  • All-day (9am-4pm) programming with extended care available from 8:30am-6pm.
  • No formal training is required. No instrument required – just an enjoyment of music
  • Our intuitive approach to exploring sound, music, composition, the voice, and the weekly themes also functions as a great supplement to conventional music lessons
  • We also integrate crafts (instrument and mask making), backyard games, Pizza-making Wednesdays in Dufferin Grove park and other outdoor fun
  • Limited financial assistance is available on a per person basis. (Contact MusiCamp for more info)
  • 2019 Registration can be accessed here
visit our Flickr Gallery – click on the images below

MusiCamp at a glance

Composition & Song Camp

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ICE CREAM! is an original composition by MusiCampers Click to learn more about it!

Have a song you want to sing? A story you want to tell? Through a series of musical games, exercises, songwriting workshops and the study of different elements of music, aspiring songwriters and singers put their ideas to music.

Stringing up diddley bos
Stringing up diddley bos
Practicing bucket basses
Practicing bucket basses
Set List for end of week performance
Set List for end of week performance
Painting bucket basses
Painting bucket basses

In a fun and practical way, campers are introduced to aspects of songwriting, like hooks, riffs, harmony, and rhythmic accompaniment, chorus-verse format, basic chord progressions, intros and outros, rhyming and storytelling – useful skills/review for even the more experienced song-writers.

Besides the tonne of musical games and other fun-in-the-park activities we do every week (including pizza-making in the park), campers will:

  • build and compose on there own instruments (diddley bos or bucket basses)
  • learn about composition and form, intros/outros, verses/choruses, hooks, accompaniment, etc.
  • explore and recognize a variety of chord progressions
  • write lyrics, compose and arrange their own songs

By the end of the week campers will have written and/or collaborated on the creation of original songs and arrangements. Kids who already have basic instrumental skills are encouraged to bring their instrument. The week ends with a world premiere performances of our songwriter’s compositions!

Body Percussion
Body Percussion
Composition & Song Performance
Composition & Song Performance
Song writing exercises
Song writing exercises

Check out our MusiCamp Flickr Gallery for more pics of MusiCamp

Reminiscing the Dundas West Fest…

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It’s time to start thinking of summer and I’m remembering the great time we had at the Dundas West Fest last couple of years!
(If interested you can view the 2018 line up or 2017 line up. The 2019 lineup will be updated soon!)

LOOKING FOR PERFORMERS:  know of any talented youth in the Dundas West neighbourhood? Have them fill out our CALL TO PERFORM!

And mark the date for this year’s festival SATURDAY JUN 8 2019

We’re super excited with MusiCamp’s stage, the talented youth that will perform, the FREE West African Drumming Workshop 1:25-2:30 and the FREE Community Dance workshops series culminating in a workshop-performance demonstration at 12pm!

 

The stunning Rebekah Wise
“Forgiveness” by the Eclective Collective
Song writer ahead of her years, Rebekah Wise
The Graces make their own music with dance!

 

The Graces – hip hop fusion duo
Sofia Kay is next level and so young!
So talented & young http://www.SofiaKay.net/
Doom, Tah, Tek
Gabo got the crowd smiling singing “Cheap Thrills”
MusiCampers ready to perform at the Dundas West Fest 2018
Mariami performing traditional Georgian Song
Emma
Will Smythe
MusiCampers
Tangled Chords
West African Drumming workshop with AnnA Melnikof
Songstress Rebekah Wise is joined by friend Ruby to perform original tunes at the MusiCamp stage 2017
Director of MusiCamp Andrea Kuzmich
Get Ready and Drum!
Eclective collective contemporary dance

 

We covered everything – here traditional Georgian polyphony!
Songstress and award winning singer Sophia Hong wowed the audience!
Crowds gathered to see and hear the talented youth of our Dundas West community

 

A real bass or a bucket bass? MusiCamp had diddley bows and buckets basses for kids to try out! Instrument making is part of the programming at our summer camps.
Rockers 321 Sleep at the DuWest Fest MusiCamp Stage

FREE African Drumming Workshop Jun 8 2019 at 1:25 PM

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West African Drumming Workshop open to kids and their parents!

June 8 2019 1:25 pm to 2:30 pm at the MusiCamp YOUTH STAGE at
the Dundas West Festival, 1496 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin

 

This goes way beyond a drum circle!
West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe and will also demonstrate the interlocking patterns on the dunun – the soul of the West African Mande drumming tradition. These rhythms can be extremely challenging, even for pro drummers! And with Anna’s guidance, this workshop is set up to engage and teach the absolute inexperienced while at the same time provide on-going challenges for advanced drummers.

 

In this workshop kids (& parents) will:

  • learn the difference between 3 basic slaps (slap, tone & bass) on the djembe
  • have a chance to practice these on the drum with a fun etude that develops these rudiments
  • have a chance to play the dunun
  • learn a basic accompaniment pattern
  • have a chance to solo
And we’ll even do some singing! Have listen to us at the 2015 Dundas West Festival.

 

The video to your left is from MusiCamp’s Summer Camps. the West African Drumming week. (Note: If you want to hear the groovy bass you’ll have to use headphones.)

Mande drumming is based on three stand-up drums called the dunun that play three interlocking rhythms often thought of as the melody. The djembes play accompanying patterns on top of this and are also used for soloing. To learn more about the Mande drumming tradition follow this link or if you are interested in our West African Drumming summer camp click here.

REGISTRATION

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KIDS’ VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP or WORKSHOPS REGISTRATION

To register for other programs please contact us

MusiCamp Stage at the Dundas West Festival 2018!

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MUSIC FOR KIDS AND BY KIDS
ALL IN THE HEART OF THE KIDS ZONE

FREE AFRICAN DRUM WORKSHOP
MEET MUSICAMP INSTRUCTORS
LIVE MUSIC BY YOUNG LOCAL PERFORMERS

We are so so so excited to be part of the vibrant Dundas West community that puts on such an amazing festival. MusiCamp is curating the stage in the Kids Zone again, providing more opportunities for our local and talented youth to showcase their art – plus we’re hosting a drum workshop. All starting at 11 am, at 1496 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin.
The full line up of events can be found on our Facebook event page

LIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL YOUNG PERFORMERS 11 am – 4:30 pm

From 11 am to 4:30 pm the stage will be filled with live music. This year we welcome back sweet songsters Tangled Chords, Rebekah Wise, Sofia Kay and Gabo. Joining us for the first time is Emma Campbell. While Will Smythe is no stranger to the MusiCamp stage, he’ll be joining us in a whole new context – this year he’s not playing drums in a rock band but playing solo ‘cello! – his instrument of major at the Etobicoke School of the Arts.


 

But rock’n’roller Charley Lukashevsky (formerly of 321 Sleep) will be back with a new band, the Patti King. We’ll also have 2 dance performances by the Eclective Collective and mom-daughter indigenous interdisciplinary urban duo The Graces, who will also lead a dance workshop! And of course students from MusiCamp will feature some body percussion,  blue grass tunes and original compositions – some of which will call on audience participation!

 

 

WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP 2:25 pm to 3:25 pm


The public joining in on MusiCamp’s African Drum workshop at The Dundas West Festival 2016.

This goes way beyond a drum circle! MusiCamp’s West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe and the interlocking patterns on the dunun – side-playing drums.

More info can be found on this post.

Check out MusiCamp’s stage at the 2017, 2016 and 2015 Dundas West festivals.

 

MusiCamp and Other Activities


MusiCamp will have a tent, so please visit us – try our the home made bucket basses and diddley bows, ask questions about our teaching and camps or just come and say “Hi!” Also don’t forget, there will be lots of other activities and crafts offered by other local organizations and business to take part in all around our stage.

A REMINDER
Don’t forget to bring sun screen, sun hats and water bottles! Also, the Kids Stage is located at 1496 Dundas St W, just West of Dufferin.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

FREE West African Drumming Workshop Jun 2 2018 at 2:10 PM

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West African Drumming Workshop open to kids and their parents!

NEW TIME: June 2 2018 2:10 pmto 3:10 pm at the MusiCamp YOUTH STAGE at the Dundas West Festival, 1525 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin

MusiCamp is hosting a free hands-on drumming workshop at the Dundas West Festival this Saturday, June 2 2018. Taught by AnnA Melnikoff, one of Canada’s foremost experts in the Mande drumming tradition, a tradition which predates the division of West Africa into the current political regions and arguably represents the roots of African American music, including the Blues, Rock & Roll, R&B, Mowtown, Funk, Soul, and many forms of pop music.

This goes way beyond a drum circle!West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe (as seen briefly in the video to your left). But Anna will also demonstrate the interlocking patterns on the dunun – the soul of the West African Mande drumming tradition. These rhythms can be extremely challenging, even for pro drummers! And with Anna’s guidance, this workshop is set up to engage and teach the absolute inexperienced while at the same time provide on-going challenges for advanced drummers.

In this workshop kids (& parents) will:

  • learn the difference between 3 basic slaps (slap, tone & bass) on the djembe
  • have a chance to practice these on the drum with a fun etude that develops these rudiments
  • have a chance to play the dunun
  • learn a basic accompaniment pattern
  • have a chance to solo
And we’ll even do some singing! Have listen to us at the 2015 Dundas West Festival.

The video to your left is from MusiCamp’s Summer Camps. the West African Drumming week. (Note: If you want to hear the groovy bass you’ll have to use headphones.)

Mande drumming is based on three stand-up drums called the dunun that play three interlocking rhythms often thought of as the melody. The djembes play accompanying patterns on top of this and are also used for soloing. To learn more about the Mande drumming tradition follow this link or if you are interested in our West African Drumming summer camp click here.

A Fun Singing Adventure at Harbourfront May 19 2pm

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Join MusiCamp’s director, Andrea Kuzmich, for a fun, interactive, kid-friendly, family-inclusive event at Harbourfront this Saturday May 19 2-3:30 pm. FREE!

First we’ll do some singing. Then, following the lead of indigenous artist Tamara Podemski, we’ll weave the songs into theatrical story. Find out more about Why We Are Here as part of the Junior Festival at Harbourfront.