Rossland is getting its own acoustic music camp.
The Rossland Acoustic Music Camp will take place Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the Red Roof Church (2110 First Ave.).
“There are weekend and week-long music workshops and camps that have been springing up all over the West Coast and North America, I’d say, probably for 20 or 25 years. Probably the oldest one I know was running in the ’70s at Puget Sound,” says Dave Scanlan, organizer for the camp and one of the instructors. “So we’re going to model it somewhat after those camps and the idea is that people come together who already know how to play a bit and it’s a chance to learn more skills.”
The camp also offers the chance for musicians to increase their repertoires, develop new techniques and build social contacts.
It includes workshops for guitar, ukulele, singing and songwriting, and participants will have the chance to hear a description of each workshop from the instructor on the first night.
“We have a total of 12 options and the idea is that people can take two classes, one will be in the morning and one will be in the afternoon,” explains Scanlan.
Ideally whatever class someone starts on Saturday morning, they will continue on Sunday morning, etc., but Scanlan says that if someone finds themselves in a class that’s too hard or too easy or not what they expected, they can leave and go into another class.
“And we really want to encourage people supporting each other,” says Scanlan. “I’ve been to a lot of these camps — I was at one once where there were I think 23 or 24 of us all in one class and so a big range of abilities, and the instructor did an amazing job of handing some new information to people and those who already knew it or got it quickly could help the person beside them that was struggling with it.”
Proceeds from the camp — minus the cost of paying five of the instructors (Scanlan is volunteering), advertising and some snacks — will go to the Seven Summits Centre for Learning.
Scanlan also hopes the camp will provide an opportunity for musicians in town to connect with each other so they can get together and jam every once in a while.
“Really it’s about encouraging people, giving people confidence, and probably the most important message I’d like to get out … it’s for the people who say, ‘Yeah, I play a little bit, but I’m not good enough. Maybe next year.’ Those are exactly the kind of people I want to see come to camp.”
For more information on the Rossland Acoustic Music Camp or to register, visit ramcamp.wordpress.com. The early bird registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 8.