Celebrate music this summer with these six great ideas from Hoffman Academy!
Summer is a great time to relax, have fun, and try something new! It’s also a great time to make music, either on your own or with family and friends. Here are some fun ideas to keep the music going all summer long:
1. Join Hoffman Academy Summer Piano Camp
Summer Piano Camp 2023 runs from Monday, June 5th to Friday, August 11th. Choose your cabin and get started here.
Every summer, Hoffman Academy holds an online Summer Piano Camp! This piano summer camp has seven exciting Piano Camp Cabins to choose from, each one packed with music learning awesomeness! Hoffman Academy Summer Piano Camp is a great way to keep piano students engaged with learning new songs, developing their listening skills, and enjoying fun videos and activities over the summer break.
How does it work? During each week of summer piano camp, students can choose a cabin to join. Each cabin has a downloadable packet that will guide students through five days of fun music learning activities. Some of these activities are part of the printable packet, while others are online, such as fun listening playlists on Spotify, piano lesson videos, and music theory tutorials on the Hoffman Academy website. When a student completes the activities in one cabin, they are welcome to join another cabin. This means that the piano camp fun can last for just one week, or all summer long!
The Hoffman Academy Summer Piano Camp cabins are:
- Pop Star
- Brave Adventurer
- Classic and Cool
- Christmas in July
- Movie Magic
- Mr. Hoffman’s Hits
- Challenger Cabin (for intermediate piano students)
In each cabin, students choose one or more piano songs to learn from a list based on their cabin’s theme. As they learn the song throughout the week, they’ll also enjoy a campfire sing-along, participate in creative activities like improvising or composing their own songs, explore music theory with one of our expert camp counselors, and do some music theory fun pages. Practice instructions and a variety of activities are included for each day. Note that while we try to provide sheet music for piano camp for free where we can, many pieces we use are under copyright and we want their creators to be paid! You’ll be able to purchase and download sheet music for these songs (usually around $3-$5) from sheetmusicdirect.com.
On the last day of piano summer camp, students are encouraged to plan their own celebration where they gather friends and family to share with them the song they’ve learned. Summer campers are also encouraged to share videos of themselves playing their summer camp songs on social media, such as on our Hoffman Academy Facebook Group.
What are the benefits of going to a piano summer camp?
With summer vacations, sometimes keeping up with piano lessons can be difficult. Piano summer camp is a fun way to continue practicing piano throughout the summer at the student’s own pace! Not only are the activities fun and engaging, but they continue to develop the skills students are learning in their Hoffman Academy lessons. Each cabin is designed to teach students about a specific style of music. Students are introduced to new music and new musical ideas. Within each cabin, students learn about composition, correct posture, ear training, and how to feel the music. Summer piano camp also challenges students by providing cabins with a range of skill levels. Explore the Challenger Cabin if you want to challenge your current piano skills!
What is the importance behind a piano summer camp?
Piano summer camp encourages students to think creatively and critically about the music they listen to. Each summer camp cabin begins with a listening and feeling activity. This helps students connect with music before they even begin playing. Piano summer camp doesn’t just tell students what to practice but how to practice. This includes the amount of times students should review a song, when to put hands together, and how often to practice before moving on.
Sign up for Hoffman Academy Piano Camp now!
2. Create Your Own Digital Music Hits
Kids love using Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker to create their own compositions. This free website by Google lets musicians enter notes and percussion beats on a grid, then plays the song back. You can even save songs and share a link with family and friends. Give it a try!
3. Make Your Own Musical Instruments
From rubber-band guitars to water xylophones, summer is a great time for a music-related craft. There are lots of internet resources with instructions and ideas for instruments that kids and parents can make together. Here are a few good ones to get you started: rain stick, drinking-straw pan pipes, and coffee-can drum.
4. Build Your Own Summer Playlist
Did you know that a free account on Spotify lets you create playlists of your favorite songs? Why not put together some of your favorite tunes so you can listen while you’re on the road or outside playing with friends. To get started, check out some of Hoffman Academy’s playlists, then build your own!
5. Learn Your Favorite Song
During the school year, piano practice gets squeezed in between homework, sports, and other activities. Once summer comes, a lot of that pressure goes away! With that extra time, why not learn one of your favorite songs? Browse our Popular Music Lessons and pick something fun to try. Share a video of your playing and also check out what other musicians are learning on our Hoffman Academy Facebook group.
6. Put On an Outdoor Performance
Do you have an electric keyboard that you can take outside? Invite your friends and put on a concert in your very own yard. Also, if you happen to be located in Portland like we are, you can go find one of Piano Push Play’s outdoor public pianos and play your favorite songs for everyone to enjoy.
Have a happy summer, and make music a part of every day!