Camp 2022

The Basics

What?

A creative music and media summer day camp.
Who?

Instrumentalists* and vocalists ages 11-18.
When?

July 18-22, 2022 + Showcase on July 23, 2022
Where?

Headwaters School (807 Rio Grande St., Austin. TX 78701)

*Open to instrumentalists with at least one year of experience. See FAQ for a list of instruments we can support.

Get to know the MFML Program

Start a Band: Every student will be in a multi-instrumental band mentored by two artist instructors. Bands create an original song, music video, name, logo, and merch!

Learn Special Skills: Each student is empowered to own a part of their band’s creative process. They develop the skills to do this through multimedia labs.

Create in Community: Students create unique and compelling art through a process that uplifts one anothers' contributions and skillsets

Perform: Following the end of camp, students will showcase their original art and music at a local venue!

Learn more

“At camp I’ve learned that music is a lot more than notes on a page or chord progressions and scales. It’s about community, being willing to experiment and learn from your friends, and about creating something new together. “

— Audrey

Enroll Now

Schedule and Experience

Warm yourself up for the day! Open your ears, eyes, and instincts to turn inspiration into art.
Activities: Stretches, breath, and vocal exercises, curated media listening and viewing, group improvisation.
Tools: Your body and your space (listening, looking, breathing, singing, body percussion, found sounds).
Explore popular songs and make them your own! This interpretive process is guided by your group’s unique ideas, skillsets, and instrumentation.
Activities: Song analysis and adaptation.
Tools: Instruments, music theory, song structure, part writing, and arrangement.
Daily showcases by acclaimed local artists provide entertainment, insights, and community connection!
Campers enjoy intimate performances and learn from diverse perspectives and life experiences through Q&A participation.
Check out our gallery of past guest artists! (link provided late January)
Write an original song! This innovative process is guided by your band’s creative vision.
Activities: Vision development through storyboarding, lyric writing, collaborative composition, improvisation
Tools: Instruments, extended techniques, established and experimental music theory, song structure, part writing and arrangement
Create your band’s vision through animation, recording, or screenprinting!
Activities: Visual storytelling / music production / merch production / portrait design.
Sound Design: Record your band's song and learn live sound engineering via digital audio workstations!
Animation: Campers design a stop motion animation that will be projected throughout their band's final performance!
Screenprinting: Design and produce high-quality merch for your band!
Tools (provided): Stop Motion (app) and craft materials / Ableton Digital Audio Workstation and studio equipment/shirts, silkscreens, and paint/cameras.
DIY merchandising course for your band’s brand! Discover your band name & design your logo.
Activities: Concept development and logo design through illustration, painting, exquisite corpse, and collage
Tools (provided): Craft supplies and materials.
Bands and group ensembles perform at an acclaimed local venue! Featuring original products from multimedia workshops.
Bands perform their original song live on stage with a projection of their band portrait and song animation, while wearing screen-printed t-shirts featuring their logo. Group ensembles additionally perform their adaptation of a popular song. This experience is inspiring for the audience, rewarding for the performers, and fun for the whole community!
Check out our youtube channel for past Saturday Showcase videos.

FAQs

If you have concerns/ questions about any of the FAQs, please reach out to us via the form below or at mfml@mfml.org.

We are here to help.

Yes! Contact us and we will send you a simple application for financial aid.
Yes. Students need at least one year of experience unless you are a vocalist. If you have less experience but want to join the camp, reach out to us and we’ll work towards a solution.
Yes! We will continue to monitor COVID, but our intent is to be in person. Any COVID precautions will be communicated prior to camp.
We encourage students who attend to have at least 1 year of experience on one of the following instruments listed below. If your instrument is not listed or you have less than one year of experience, please reach out to us!
Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass
Guitars: Electric, Acoustic, Classical, Ukulele, Banjo, Mandolin, and Electric Bass
Piano
Woodwinds: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone
Brass: Trumpet, Trombone
Percussion: Drumset, Mallet Instruments
Vocals*
*Attendance encouraged with any level of experience.
No, but if you have a song in progress, we believe you will enjoy camp. The intention of camp, though, is to create a song from scratch collaboratively.
Since it is a short experience dependent on collaboration and each student has an important role to play, we require students to be present each day, as well as at the Saturday Showcase unless students are sick or there is an emergency.
Yes- with the exception of pianists and drummers (they will be provided). If you will not have access to an instrument this summer, please contact us and we will happily work towards a solution!