Campers rehearsing during Summer Strings Camp. Photos by Alyssa Miller/The Connection
Ruth Donahue knows children need to have fun to learn. That’s why every year at Summer Strings music camp, Donahue’s elementary school campers are encouraged to dress up in costumes while they rehearse for their upcoming concert.
“Kids need to experience playing [music] in the summer, because it’s so much fun,” Donahue said, adding that practicing when they’re not in class helps keep their skills fresh for the school year.
According to Donahue, a typical camp week includes dress up days on “Messy Monday,” “Wacky Wednesday” and “Freaky Friday.” Campers dress as everything from a Ghostbuster to a giant squid.
They sight read — play without previously reviewing the material — around 50 pieces. The campers then vote on the pieces they want to play at the end of camp.
Noor, a camper who plays the viola, said his favorite part of camp is “playing [music] with everyone and doing all different pieces.”
Donahue, who started Summer Strings camp in 1983, also teaches composer history to the campers. The camp is held in St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean.
While the idea of keeping several dozen elementary school children engaged while playing music for hours may seem daunting, Donahue’s strategy is simple: “Just playing as much as possible” and providing downtime only in small amounts allow the campers to stay focused and ready to learn.
Sarah, a camper who plays the violin, enjoys the ability to “learn more techniques” at camp.
The children, with Donahue conducting, play everything from country to jazz to classical music on their string instruments, taking a short break to play kickball during the day. Donahue doesn’t have a favorite piece, but emphasizes the idea of providing a variety of options.
She also gets input from the campers; they vote on every piece to decide whether or not it will be performed in the concert, and she asks campers what pieces they want to review during the day.
Many of the campers are enthusiastic about tackling a challenge. Nafisa, a violinist, said her favorite part of camp is the music, and she loves “playing fun pieces.”
Nicolas, a cellist, said he likes playing what he considers their hardest piece, a military march called “Men of Harlech.” He said the hardest part of the piece is the difficult timing. While Nicolas won’t be able to attend the concert, he can’t wait to hear about “Men of Harlech” from his friends.
“I’m interested to see how that will work out,” said Nicolas.