From June 5-9, 2023, Desert Hills Community School of Music (DHCSM) will present a two-part summer camp, with each day featuring a band instruments workshop for ages 10-17 and a string workshop for ages eight and up, including adults. Instructors will include Gregory Hamilton, DMA, an Associate Professor of Cello and Bass at Concordia College, Vitaly Serebriakov, DHCSM Artistic Director and Artist in Residence with the Scottsdale Philharmonic, and Bryn Cannon, former principal viola for Kirkland Symphony, Orchestra Seattle, Puget Sound Symphony and Lyric Arts Ensemble. DHCSM is located on the campus of Desert Hills Presbyterian Church in North Scottsdale. The camp programs are filling up quickly, so interested participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

The band instruments camp will take place each day from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open to beginning and intermediate-level players and all band instruments (including woodwind, brass, and percussion), the camp is designed to help middle and high school students ages 10-17 become more proficient on their instruments and develop increased confidence and ability playing in ensembles. It is aimed at young musicians who will be joining band in August as well as more experienced musicians who want to become stronger leaders in their school band programs. Each day, students will spend time playing in both large and small ensembles, and will have the option to focus on two out of three supplementary skills: group piano, conducting, or music theory. From Monday through Thursday, professional musicians – including Vitaly Serebriakov, Gregory Hamilton, and the Fountain Hills Saxophone Quartet – will give performances from 12-12:30 p.m.; on Friday, the performance will run until 1 p.m. and will feature all student groups performing pieces they have worked on through the week. All performances will be free and open to the public.

The cost of the five-day band instruments workshop is $375; scholarships are available. Stringed instrument rentals will be available on site for $50 for the week.

To learn more or register for the DHCSM summer camp, visit https://www.deserthillsmusic.org/summer-camp.