Music for All (MFA) Summer Symposium

Music for All (MFA) Summer Symposium

In June, my son attended the Music for All (MFA) Summer Symposium, presented by Yamaha Corporation of America. As a saxophone player and rising 8th grader, he signed up for the middle school concert band track. Other tracks involve marching band, color guard, percussion, drum majors, high school concert band, jazz, orchestra, peer teaching, and music production.

The nearly 100 middle school campers along with more than a thousand high schoolers convened on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

The middle school track split into two groups. My son enjoyed learning from conductor Chris Gleason from Patrick Marsh Middle School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, composer-in-residence William Owens, and the saxophone section leader. In the culminating concert, the band performed several fun pieces including “Carpathia” by Owens and “Castles and Dragons” by Todd Stalter.

Here were my son’s major takeaways from the six-day camp.

  1. First of all, from a practical standpoint, the saxophone section leader helped correct his embouchure.
  2. Second, the ensemble learned how to effectively chunk and repeat the music.
  3. Third, the campers were advised to reach and strive for material just beyond their current capabilities in order to grow.

My son spoke enthusiastically to us about these ideas during the closing family picnic. He felt that the musical concepts could help him practice and perform better on all of his instruments, especially piano, which he considers to be his primary endeavor.

In my opinion, two aspects set apart the MFA Summer Symposium from other music camps.

The Summer Symposium includes an amazing lineup of concerts. This year campers heard Yamaha Young Performing Artists, Boston Brass, string ensembleQuattrosound, the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus, and the Drum Corps International Central Indiana competition.

My son’s favorite was the Yamaha Young Performing Artists concert. I believe that he could envision himself being an up-and-coming artist someday.

I was particularly excited for my son to be exposed to the leadership training built into the Summer Symposium. At the opening session, presenter Fran Kick urged attendees to “judge less and help more” as well as to think beyond the obvious in order to “understand, value, and apply” the learnings. Throughout the week, Kick interacted with students from each track. For example, the middle schoolers used beach balls, hula hoops, and pool noodles to develop cooperation, strategic thinking, higher-level performance skills, and personal accountability.

In the end, my son came home with some new friends, a greater appreciation for various genres of music, and new music techniques that will accelerate his learning.

Musically Yours,
Christine Ngeo Katzman
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

About author

Christine Ngeo Katzman

Christine Ngeo Katzman is founder and chief executive officer of Muse Media, LLC, creator of books, magazines, and additional content highlighting performing arts and youth activities. Magazine assets include Halftime Magazine for marching arts participants and fans as well as Yamaha SupportED Magazine for K through 12 music educators. Previously, she was a writer and editor at Crain Communications and Imagination Publishing and a marketing manager at Chatsworth Products, Inc. Christine also worked for Yamaha Band and Orchestral Division. As a child, Christine learned five instruments, with flute being primary. She marched in the Northwestern University Marching Band, including the 1996 Rose Bowl and 1997 Citrus Bowl. Christine graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1997 and earned an MBA with honors from the University of Southern California in 2007.