Classes
A variety of studies for personal growth and preparation to serve others.
Music Fundamentals
A series of four classes for understanding the elements of written music. See Composition classes for advanced theory study.
Level 1: Notation – a study of the elements of basic notation, simple meter and time signatures, note and rest values, and major scales.
Level 2: Scales & Keys – a study of accidentals, chromatic and minor scales, major key signatures, and compound meter and compound time signatures.
Level 3: Intervals – a study of intervals and their qualities, major and minor keys, and key signatures.
Level 4: Chords – a study of triads, triad inversions, and dominant seventh chords.
A placement test is required prior to camp to determine the appropriate level of study. Returning students may progress to the next level without retesting. A class coordinator will assist students in their class placements.
Textbooks:
Rudiments 1-2: Draw Near, Nisly and Kauffman. ISBN: 978-163625106-6
Rudiments 3-4: Discover, Nisly and Kauffman. ISBN: 979-8-89298-919-0
OH 2025 – Level 1: Sarah Sommers | Level 2: Deana Swanson | Level 3: Anthony Glick | Level 4: Lloyd Kauffman | Level TBD: Francesco Barone
ON 2025 – Level 1: Jeff Swanson | Level 2: Rosemary Eberly-Lebold | Level 3: Ryan Kimberlin | Level 4: Lloyd Kauffman | Level TBD: Dwilyn Beiler
VA 2025 – Level 1: Nolan Martin | Level 2: Jonathan Miller | Level 3: Ryan Kimberlin | Level 4: Lloyd Kauffman | Level TBD: Franklin Miller
A series of four classes for learning to read pitches and rhythms. Skills will be taught through demonstration and practice in class, individually, and in ensemble. A placement test is required prior to camp to determine the appropriate level so that you are neither bored nor overwhelmed. Returning students may progress to the next level without retesting. A class coordinator will assist students in their class placements.
Levels 1-4 will follow a sequential approach to:
– Develop ability to recognize intervals (e.g. 2nds, 3rds) and major vs. minor tonality
– Recognize note values and read rhythms in various time signatures
– Sing round notes on solfege with accuracy in unison or several harmony parts
Textbooks:
SS 1-3: Sing at First Sight, Book 1, Andy Beck, et al. ISBN: 978-0739031520
SS 4: Sing at First Sight, Book 2, Andy Beck, et al. ISBN: 978-0739049242
SS 1-4: Sight Reading Factory (Only new students doing online testing will have SRF.)
OH 2025 – Level 1: Francesco Barone | Level 2: Dan Yutzy | Level 3: Anthony Glick | Level 4: Franklin Miller | Level TBD: Jeff Swanson
ON 2025 – Level 1: Yolanda Lichty | Level 2: Dwilyn Beiler | Level 3: Ryan Kimberlin | Level 4: Lloyd Kauffman
VA 2025 – Level 1: Jeff Swanson | Level 2: Ryan Kimberlin | Level 3: Ivan Godoy | Level 4: Franklin Miller
An introduction to the concepts and practices of healthy tension-free singing. Areas of study will include developing controlled breathing, phonation that is neither pressed nor breathy, focused resonance, and crisp articulation. Students will sing for, analyze, and critique each other.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
OH 2025 – Sarah Sommers, Franklin Miller, Jeff Swanson, Dan Yutzy
ON 2025 – Rosemary Eberly-Lebold, Jeff Swanson
VA 2025 – Ivan Godoy, Jeff Swanson, Nolan Martin, Kristin Nolt
This course is an introduction to basic elements of conducting a group and will build foundational skills applicable to classrooms, choirs, and congregations. Participants will conduct hymnbook-level music in class for instructor and peer review. Both men and women are welcome.
Prerequisite: A working knowledge of music equivalent to SCMC Rudiments 1 & 2. Instruction will not include remedial Rudiments-level teaching.
Beyond Beating Time, Samuel Heatwole. ISBN: 978-0878133215 | Local hymnal will be used.
OH 2025 – Lloyd Kauffman
VA 2025 – Lloyd Kauffman
Congregational Worship and Leadership
Hymns offer a rich treasury of devotional literature, biblical insight, and anecdotal history. This class includes literary analysis and interpretation as well as history of hymns. It is an opportunity to grow in appreciation and understanding of the hymn texts we sing. Both men and women are welcome.
Textbooks:
The Church Sings Its Faith, Robert C. Mann. ISBN: 978-1622776726
The Gospel in Hymns, Albert Edward Bailey. ISBN: 978-9110007123
Recommended Resources:
101 Hymn Stories, Kenneth W. Osbeck. ISBN: 978-0825442827
101 More Hymn Stories, Kenneth W. Osbeck. ISBN: 978-0825442834
VA 2025 – Jonathan Miller
Students will study a biblical framework for the worship and music of the church, and focus on growth as musical, congregational, and worship leaders. Topics include preparation for song and worship leading, textual and musical study of hymns, non-hymnal music, and strengthening congregational singing. As this class specifically trains congregational leaders, it is open only to men.
Prerequisite: Leading Group Singing or experience with basic conducting.
Textbook: Melodious Accord: Good Singing in Church, Alice Parker. ISBN: 978-1579999971 | Local hymnal will be used.
OH 2025 – Brandon Mullet
ON 2025 – Lloyd Kauffman
VA 2025 – Lloyd Kauffman
Choral Conducting
The conducting gesture is the primary means of communication with and through the choir. Students will learn conducting patterns for complex and irregular meter, free rhythms and subdivided beats, develop additional technical and interpretive aspects of conducting, and consider the role of a conductor in evoking both sound and meaning from the choir.
Prerequisite:Leading Group Singing or a basic working knowledge of conducting including common beat patterns, simple and compound meter, and basic gesture-related communication (tempo, dynamics, etc.).
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
OH 2025 – Franklin Miller
What audiences see and hear when they attend a choir program is a small spring arising from subterranean waters. Those subterranean waters are the choral rehearsal; it is in the rehearsal that the musical and spiritual aspects of the program are formed. Rehearsal Techniques will explore how to reach spiritual and musical goals. Students will work with both text study and conducting an effective music rehearsal, and will be given opportunity to hone their skills in class.
Prerequisite: A working knowledge of basic conducting patterns. Students should be current or former choir directors.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
VA 2025 – Wendell Nisly
Music Education
How can learning music be fun? Age appropriate activities, folks songs, and games taught with the Kodaly method make class engaging. This is a class for teachers to learn how to teach music to elementary students. Adult students will role-play as grade-school students, participate in discussions, and receive tips for lesson planning. You are encouraged to observe Children’s Skills classes. See each camp’s page for schedule details.
Prerequisite: A basic knowledge of rudiments and solfege is helpful.
Grades 1-3
Rhythmic Concepts: Beat vs. Rhythm, Quarter note/rest, Eighth note pairs, Tie and slur, Half note, Duple & triple meter, barlines, Conducting patterns of 2 & 3
Melodic Concepts: pentatonic scale, solfege, Curwen hand signs, aural and visual pitch identification, Progression: Mi/So, La, Do, Re, high Do’
Textbook: The Kodaly Method I, Lois Choksy. ISBN: 978-0139491658
OH 2025 – Gwendolyn Good
ON 2025 – Regina Brubaker
VA 2025 – Regina Brubaker
How can learning music be fun? Age appropriate activities, folks songs, and games taught with the Kodaly method make class engaging. This is a class for teachers to learn how to teach music to elementary students. Adult students will role-play as grade-school students, participate in discussions, and receive tips for lesson planning. You are encouraged to observe Children’s Skills classes. See each camp’s page for schedule details.
Prerequisite: A basic knowledge of rudiments and solfege is helpful.
Grades 4-6
Rhythmic Concepts: Level 1 concepts, plus sixteenth notes, dotted half and whole note, eighth/quarter/eighth sequence, dotted quarter/eighth pairs, conducting pattern of 4, prep beat, simple & compound meter, fraction names of notes
Melodic Concepts: Level 1 concepts, plus low La, low So, Fa, Ti, major & minor scales, absolute pitches on treble clef
Textbook: The Kodaly Method I, Lois Choksy. ISBN: 978-0139491658
VA 2025 – Regina Brubaker
Explore a variety of teaching tools that can be used in general music classes and choirs for middle and high school students. Topics will include effective use of classroom materials (e.g. whiteboard, flashcards), instructional methods for ear and voice training (e.g. solfege, warm-ups), rehearsal techniques, and curriculum selection. Hands-on activities will demonstrate the tools presented.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
OH 2025 – Jeff Swanson
Composition
A study of part-writing stylistic practices found in music of the common-practice period (ca. 1650-1900) as an introduction to composing SATB hymns. This course also includes a brief survey of basic non-harmonic tones and authentic cadences. Students will add voices to supplied voice parts to create four-part textures in the common practice style.
Prerequisite: A working understanding of the material from Rudiments 4 is required. You are required to take the Composition Readiness test prior to camp.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
Not offered in 2025
An introduction to the standard phrase model, including more cadences, chord progressions and the three primary functions (tonic, dominant and predominant). Students will analyze phrases at two different levels: a first-level description of vertical sonorities and a second-level interpretation of harmonic functions in context. Students will also add original harmonies to supplied melodies.
Prerequisites: A working understanding of the material from Rudiments 4 is required. You are required to take the Composition Readiness test prior to camp. An understanding of the material from Voice Leading is also recommended.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
VA 2025 – Lyle Stutzman
An introduction to functional chromaticism, including applied/secondary chords, tonicizations and modulations. It also briefly explores expressive chromaticism, including modal mixture, the Neapolitan chord, and the augmented sixth chord. Student work includes both analysis and composition of short excerpts.
Prerequisites: A working understanding of the material from Rudiments 4 is required. You are required to take the Composition Readiness test prior to camp. An understanding of the material from Voice Leading and Functional Harmony is also recommended.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
Not offered in 2025
A study in variation technique for voices, the process of taking pre-existing musical material and modifying it to add variety, musical interest, and textual enhancement. It includes a practical look at basic variations for melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture.
Prerequisites: A working understanding of the material from Rudiments 4 is required. You are required to take the Composition Readiness test prior to camp. Experience with the material from Voice Leading and Functional Harmony is also recommended.
Textbook: Material provided by instructor
VA 2025 – Lyle Stutzman
Music History
CONTEMPORARY ERA
A survey of a cappella choral works from the last 50 years by six composers: Knut Nystedt (1915-2014), Veljo Tormis (b. 1930), Henryck Górecki (1933-2010), Arvo Pärt (b. 1935), John Tavener (1944-2013), and James MacMillan (b. 1959). Students enrolled in this class are asked to listen to selected recordings before coming to camp; please contact the registrar for information about these recordings.
Textbook: Listening library resource provided by instructor
Not offered in 2025
HISTORICAL ERAS
An overview of Western art music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. Attention is given to the basic history, vocabulary, forms, and genres from each of these periods. Priority will be given to unaccompanied choral music.
Textbook: Listening library resource provided by instructor
Not offered in 2025
