This season, our faculty and staff had the privilege of working with over 1,800 students across our programs in Music, Acting, Visual Art, Film & Video, and Professional Development. While we streamlined our programs into seven weeks, we grew by an additional 130 registrants this year!
In addition to the return of our most popular programs, including Summer Acting Camps, Filmmaking Camps and Creative Discoveries visual art classes, MCAA presented our brand new Children’s Choir Camp!
The Children’s Choir Camp and Kodály Side-by-Side supplemental program was once a years long dream now come to fruition. Through this program, our young choral students participated in choir practice, folk dancing and song, rhythm based games, and so much more, guided by Kodály teachers in training.
This year, our second annual Mason Summer Band Camp under the direction of Dr. William L. Lake, Jr. and featuring several guest teaching artists, welcomed over 120 young musicians from all over the region. The Mason String Camp combined the High School Strings Institute and String Camp into one program. Directed by George Mason University’s Dr. Soo Han and Professor June Huang, along with fantastic guest faculty, students were divided into two ensembles and also learned through chamber ensemble rehearsals, private lessons and master classes.
Thanks to the recommendations of our Music Technology faculty, the popular Music Producer program was divided into two sections: Song Production and Mixing Techniques. In Song Production, students were introduced to the artistic and technical skills needed to produce professional-sounding music tracks. In Mixing Techniques, students learned how to shape a mix for emotional impact, how to make musical elements fit together, and how to tighten pitch and timing of recorded parts.
Again this year, our Orff and Kodály teacher training programs provided music teachers with the opportunity to earn credit or gain professional experience in these intensive courses of study. Nine hundred fifty students attended our Acting for Young People theater programs. Our Visual Art classes, under the leadership of Dr. Justin Sutters and Dr. Hayon Park, provided young students with the opportunity to learn various art techniques and make visits to the campus libraries and other locations. While campus was bustling, over 210 students attended private music lessons each week at our Academy building!
A huge thanks to each and every one of the faculty members who shared their expertise in all of these programs. We are ever grateful to our colleagues in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Arts Support Umbrella staff, who welcome us into the campus spaces each year and make our programming possible. As always, we thank our students and families who attended a camp, class or lesson this year.
Last but certainly not least, please join me in thanking and congratulating our incredible MCAA staff. None of this would happen without their tireless efforts. Before the summer season is even over, they are already hard at work, reflecting on this year and making plans for next! Stay tuned for exciting updates coming in early 2025, and of course, we look forward to our Fall Group Classes and private music lessons.
On behalf of all of us at MCAA, we wish you a happy end of summer and beginning of fall. We can’t wait to see you again soon, and to continue watching you create and grow!
-Mary Lechter, Executive Director