 |
Blue Bear Summer Camps
Truly Cool Music School!
Stay tuned for more info on our 2012 Summer Camps Program
SF Camps :: Marin Camps :: Suggested Guidelines :: Sign-ups :: Teacher Bios
Each summer Blue Bear offers week-long music day camps in both San Francisco and Marin. These exciting adventures in rock, songwriting and more are under the direction of Blue Bear Summer Camps Director and acclaimed music educator Bonnie Hayes. Bonnie knows rock 'n' roll and she knows education. She has written songs for Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Bette Midler, David Crosby and Robert Cray, among others, and has many years of professional stage and touring experience. She's also been a teacher for more than 30 years. Bonnie has put together a team of dynamic and experienced rock practitioners and educators to lead the Blue Bear Summer Camps, which are further distinguished by unmatched student-teacher ratios.
Expect a week of intense learning and serious fun!
Most camps run from 10am-3pm Monday through Friday and include a concert on Friday which typically starts between 4-5pm. Beats runs from 10am-3pm Tuesday through Friday, and SongPlay runs from 10am-1pm Tuesday through Friday, both without a Friday performance.
NEW for 2011: Pre-camp and post-camp activities available! For families that need earlier drop-off or later pick-up, and for kids who just want more music, Blue Bear offers supervised before- and after-camp activities. Monday to Friday from 8:30-10am will include a variety of activities such as music history and appreciation, and Monday to Thursday from 3-4pm will be a jam.
Save $50 on Tuition!
Sign up for a second camp, or sign up a second child in a camp, and you'll receive $50 off on tuition!
Please note: this does not apply to students receiving sliding scale tuition.
Tuition
Fort Mason Center Camps: $75 - $525
Beats Camp @ Fort Mason: $50 - $400
Marin Summer Camps: $100 - $550
SongPlay Camp @ Marin $40 - $265
Add before-camp activities and
after-camp jam: $200
Add before-camp activities only: $150
Add after-camp jam only: $80
(Individual slots are $25/hr.)
Payment in advance by VISA, MasterCard or personal check is required for enrollment.
Click here for sliding scale information.
Auditions: Drummers and bass players for all camps except Rock U 1 and Get Ready to Rock will need to audition. Guitarists also need to audition for Rock U 3. For more info, see the camp descriptions and suggested guidelines below.
NOTE: Grade levels indicated below are for the 2011-2012 school year.
2012 Schedules Coming Soon
Songwriting 1
This camp is for kids in Grades 5-8 (2011-2012 school year) who write songs or want to, and for musicians who want to play original music instead of cover songs. Students will write, arrange and perform their songs, and receive a CD of the show. Learn the techniques that the bands you love use to create the songs you listen to through workshops on lyrics, form, arranging and more.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
 Rock U 2
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 6-10 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Rock U 1
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 5-9 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Beats
Students in Grades 5-8 (2011-2012 school year) will create a song using the acclaimed Mac program Garage Band to write, arrange and record instrumental and vocal tracks. Everyone will receive a CD of their original work! For budding producers, musicians and artists, with interests ranging from Kanye's hip-pop to Jack White's rock 'n' roll basics, all levels are welcome. No previous music instruction required. Note: Beats is a four-day camp that runs from Tuesday through Friday 10am-3pm.
Tuition: $50 - $400 sliding scale
Rock U 2
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 6-10 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Rock U 1
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 5-9 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Get Ready To Rock
A low-key camp for beginning musicians in Grades 4-7 (2011-2012 school year) who have some previous instruction - six months of lessons on an instrument is recommended. Activities include trying different instruments, playing easy songs, songwriting, singing, jamming and other musical games! Drum circles help kids get in the groove, singing teaches ear-training and performance skills, and basic keyboard and guitar classes get everyone playing in a band. There will be a performance on Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Songwriting 2
This camp is for kids in Grades 8-11 (2011-2012 school year) who write songs or want to, and for musicians who want to play original music instead of cover songs. Students will write, arrange and perform their songs, and receive a CD of the show. Learn the techniques that the bands you love use to create the songs you listen to through workshops on lyrics, form, arranging and more.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Rock U 3
A camp for kids in Grades 8-11 (2011-2012 school year) who have been playing for a minimum of three years, this camp offers students a chance to play music they like with their peers. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. Lots of hands-on experience in jamming, soloing, songwriting, remembering and playing complex arrangements. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $75 - $525 sliding scale
Back to Top
Marin Camps
2012 Schedules Coming Soon
Rock U 1
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 5-9 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $100 - $550 sliding scale
Rock U 2
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 6-10 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $100 - $550 sliding scale
SongPlay
This fun four-day camp is for kids in Grades 3-5 (2011-2012 school year) who want to learn about music and writing songs. Through different games and activities, kids will create and develop story ideas, singing and playing their own songs! Some experience with music instruction is helpful, but not required. Note: SongPlay is a four-day camp that runs from Tuesday through Friday 10am-1pm; no before- or after-camp activities are available for this camp.
Tuition: $40 - $265 sliding scale
Rock U 1
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 5-9 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $100 - $550 sliding scale
Rock U 2
This workshop offers musicians in Grades 6-10 (2011-2012 school year) an opportunity to play the music they like with their peers. A minimum of one year of lessons is required. Repertoire is selected by the group, which rehearses every day. A typical day includes group lessons in the morning, a lunchtime jam with staff, and band rehearsals in the afternoon. The week culminates with a show on late Friday afternoon. More on suggested guidelines below.
Tuition: $100 - $550 sliding scale
Back to Top
Skill Level Guidelines
We strongly suggest the following skill levels for each Summer Camp.
Get Ready to Rock
• Campers will do best if they have been playing an instrument or singing in an organized setting for at least six months.
Rock U 1
• Suggested minimum of one year of lessons for all instruments.
• Drummers should be able to play a simple rock beat for one minute.
• Bassists should know names of notes and be able to play one song through to the end.
• Guitarists should know open position chords and E form barre chords.
• Keyboardists should know major triads in root position.
Rock U 2
• Suggested minimum of two years of lessons for all instruments.
• Drummers should be able to fill without losing time, and be able to hold three minutes of a simple rock beat.
• Bassists should know names of notes and how to read chord charts, and be able to play 1/8th notes through changes.
• Guitarists should know open chords and E and A form barre chords, and know minor pentatonic scales.
• Keyboardists should know major and minor triads, and know the blues scale.
Rock U 3
• Suggested minimum of three years of lessons for all instruments.
• Drummers should know syncopated kick drum patterns, shuffle and 6/8 beats.
• Bassists should know syncopated bass lines.
• Guitarists should know syncopated guitar rhythms (i.e., AC/DC) and riff songs (i.e., Led Zeppelin).
Songwriting 1 and 2
• Suggested minimum of one year of lessons for Songwriting 1, and two years of lessons for Songwriting 2.
Back to Top
Meet the Summer Camps Teachers
Blue Bear Summer Camps Director Bonnie Hayes is a platinum-selling songwriter, with songs on records by Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, Robert Cray, Huey Lewis, Robben Ford, David Crosby, Cher and Booker T. and the MGs. She plays guitar and keyboards, and has released five CDs of her own music on various record labels. She also has produced seven records, one of which was nominated for a Grammy. In 2003, she designed and implemented the Blue Bear Summer Camp Program and has taught songwriting, music theory, and performance skills at Blue Bear, Cal State LA, and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. More at bonniehayes.com.
Cole Odin Berggren is a Summer Camps drum instructor, Beats program lead teacher and general camps facilitator. Cole is a prominent local DJ who spins vinyl and the occasional CD in locations city and country wide. In the realm of writing and performing music, he plays drums for the electronic dance-rock band TIGERcat and is the songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist for his own band, a pulsing, psychedelic, electronic rock band aptly called oWNERSHIP.
Susie Davis is a respected music educator, as well as professional vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter, guitarist and accordionist. She has been a music professional for 22 years, touring and recording with some of the top names in the music world including Van Morrison, Prince, Sheila E., Billy Idol, Melissa Etheridge, Sinead O'Connor, Pat Benatar and Mick Jagger. She has worked extensively as a solo artist in the Bay Area and Los Angeles and currently tours and records with Those Darn Accordions, Rhythmtown Jive, and the Rubinoos. In 2000, Susie opened the Alleycats Music School in Fairfax, California. She currently teaches at her private studio in the Point Richmond area. More at susiedavis.com.
Nils Erickson graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1994 with a major in Arranging. Since then he has played guitar in many bands, including 20 Minute Loop, the New Morty Show, Brad Brooks, The Mad CattleEnsemble, and many others. He has also composed and arranged music for various products and advertisements, and a short film. Nils has taught guitar privately for 12 years; this is his fourth summer teaching Summer Camps at Blue Bear School of Music.
Josh Graves has a Master's degree in Guitar Performance from Chico State University, and has been teaching music for more than a decade. He has studied, recorded and performed on drums, bass, piano and as a vocalist, and loves all genres from pop to punk, reggae to country, rock and roll, and everything in-between.
Janak Ramachandran teaches voice, guitar, bass, vocal styling, and
acting principles for the stage musician. His acoustic, electric, and bass guitar instruction is designed to
concretely guide your progress from one level to the next with an emphasis on playing songs today and a
goal of making music forever. A graduate of SFSU's Music and Recording Industry Program, Janak
regularly works on original material and is currently fronting the classic and hard rock cover band
Bottoms Up!
Erik Schramm is a Bay Area guitarist who for the last several years has been touring the U.S. with the band Super Diamond. He performs often in San Francisco with artists Brandi Shearer, Clay Bell, Matt Verba and Strip Club. He also does sessions for songwriters, commercials and independent films. His playing is a mix of pop, blues, funk, rock and a taste of country for good measure.
Bob Tatum, a graduate of PIT (Percussion Institute of Technology), has been teaching drums and performing in the Bay Area for the past 15 years. In addition to being the house drummer for the Blue Lamp in San Francisco, Bob has played with bands and artists such as Jimmy Two Times, Noelle Hampton, Storm Large, Bonnie Hayes and Heather Combs. He is very excited to be involved with Blue Bear's Summer Camps program again because, well, it's just plain cool.
|
|
