Summer Music Camp trains students to reach the world through musical excellence

Southwestern Seminary’s School of Church Music comprises many talented students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Each student has answered the call to honor and serve the Lord with his giftings, and under the leadership of 12 full-time professors, each is trained to fulfill the school’s mantra to “train all skillfully to perform masterfully so that we worship passionately.”

This mission is carried out in many ways from year to year, but the school has a unique opportunity each summer to pass on that knowledge and passion for music to another generation of talented musicians. The school’s annual Music Camp, which took place this year from June 4-8, welcomed 32 campers ages 12-18, four of whom will join Scarborough College as music students in the upcoming fall semester.

Campers were led through an immersive experience, giving them a taste of life as a Southwestern music student. Led by Southwestern faculty and music school student volunteers, campers took courses in music theory, worship and conducting. They also took specialized courses in areas unique to their skill sets including voice, piano, composition, percussion, French horn and tenor saxophone.

Timothy Edmond, bachelor of music student and one of the camp’s chief counselors, says the week allows campers to see the hard work required of music students, but also the product of their dedication. Campers participated in morning chapel services, took classes from professors who taught on biblical aspects of music and worship, and concluded the week with a recital in Reynolds Auditorium in Cowden Hall where they demonstrated to friends and family their week’s work.

Edmond says the camp counselors and Southwestern faculty hope to see many of the campers eventually enroll in Southwestern’s music programs. Their ultimate goal, he says, is that students would honor God and reach the world for Christ. “Most importantly, we hope the campers will see how God should always be glorified in our use of music, whether it is through the study of voice, instrument, choral directing, composition, theory or worship studies.”