Students are encouraged to register now for Southwestern College’s Cole Family Summer Music Festival, to be held June 6-11 on the SC campus.  Award-winning faculty and popular special events are set for the event, with registration closing on Sunday, May 15. 

The festival is for students ages 13-18, and campers will choose from tracks in band, choir, orchestra, and piano.  The daily schedule will include ensemble rehearsals, practice time, electives, recreation time, and much more. 

“We are excited to offer a re-designed elective program that provides students the opportunity to explore new topics and develop skills with a secondary instrument,” says Shook.  “Electives include beginning keyboard, voice, strings, and African drum and dance, musical theatre voice, and fun with music theory.”

The tracks are led by award-winning conductors, performers, and teachers.  They include Brian Winnie, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at Southwestern College; Amber Peterson, assistant professor of music at Southwestern College and the Maize Barnett Kilmer Chair for String Education; Jeremy Kirk, assistant professor of music and director of bands and percussion at Southwestern College; Steven Butler, instructor of music theory and piano at Southwestern College; and festival dean Tim Shook. 

Faculty assistants are full-time certified music teachers and include Whitney Maxwell, Marcia Hatfield, and Susan Mayo for orchestra; Karissa Hoag and Brandon Wade for choir; and Peter Weinert, Austin Russell, and Hollyann Sewell for band.

Mark Saunders will be artist-in-residence for the camp.  Saunders is a musical theatre graduate from Lindenwood University and currently lives in St. Louis.  He is a tenor section leader/soloist at Trinity Presbyterian Church and a tenor in the symphony chorus with the St. Louis Symphony.  He is also a member of the St. Louis Chamber Chorus.  He has served as a counselor for the Cole Family Summer Music Festival for many years.

Through generous support from the Cole Family, the all-inclusive cost for the week-long festival is $375.  

For more information about the Cole Family Summer Music Festival at Southwestern College or to register, contact Jessica Falk, director of camps and conferences at Southwestern at (620)-229-6141, email dir.campconf@sckans.edu, or visit the website at www.sckans.edu/musicfestival.