Summer Music Composition Institute/Camp

Introduction Subjects and Activities Participants' Comments Additional Participants' Comments Photographs Faculty Fees Registration Directions, Daily Schedule, Housing, What to Bring Registration Form (.pdf)

Introduction

• Prerequisite: a reading knowledge of music notation.
• Learn how to compose effective music in different styles.
• Learn about the resources and opportunities that are available to young composers.
• Learn about the opportunities for studying music at the collegiate level (as either a music major, or as a non-music major).

Subjects and activities

• The elements of music:  melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, form, articulation, and dynamics
• Faculty comments on students’ compositions
• In-class performances of selected student compositions (performed by Illinois Wesleyan University music majors)
• The opportunity to see and hear the music that other high school composers are creating
• Career opportunities in music
• Studying music at colleges, universities, and conservatories
• Preparing your composition portfolio for the college audition process
• Scholarship opportunities for music students
• Jazz theory, harmony, arranging, and improvisation
• Songwriting
• Film and television music
• Composing musicals
• Music notation (handwritten and computer-generated)
• Music technology
• Rehearsal strategies
• Techniques of conducting
• The major twentieth-century and contemporary composers of concert music and their important music
• Organizations for composers
• Composition competitions

Some comments from previous participants

“The week I spent at Illinois Wesleyan turned out to be an excellent experience.  The classes and private lessons with Dr. Pelusi were insightful.  I learned so much!  Everyone was friendly and eager to learn, regardless of personal tastes or prior training.  I feel as though my skills in composition really improved because of this program. Anyone interested in composition should definitely consider this program.”
             Erin Sumpter, Wade Hampton High School
             Greenville, South Carolina

“This program introduces students of all levels to a comprehensive guide to creating sound and improves musicianship on many levels.”
             David Bloom, Indian Springs School
             Birmingham, Alabama

“I had a lot of fun at the Institute, but more important, I learned about new areas of music.  The piece that I had created by the end of the week was completely different from anything I would have written at home.  I certainly expanded my musical horizons, while at the same time making lots of new friends.”
             Ethan Berl, University Laboratory High School
             Champaign, Illinois

Faculty

The principal faculty member will be Dr. Mario J. Pelusi, Professor of Composition and Theory and Director of the School of Music at Illinois Wesleyan University.  An accomplished composer, theorist, and conductor, Dr. Pelusi holds the M.F.A. and Ph.D. degrees in composition from Princeton University, and the B.M. and M.M. degrees in composition from the University of Southern California.  For detailed biographical information, click here

Additional instruction will be provided by faculty members with particular expertise in the area of music technology.

Fees

• Tuition:  $430 (includes all materials and access to recreational facilities for swimming)
• Housing:  $140 (single room, includes linens)
• Meals:  $130 (IWU meal plan includes lunch and dinner; breakfast can be purchased individually on campus)

Registration

Send an e-mail message to this address: mpelusi@iwu.edu (this will put you in direct contact with Dr. Pelusi), or call the IWU School of Music at (309) 556-3061.  After your message has been received, you will be contacted and sent a detailed program schedule and a registration form. 

Limited enrollment--Registration deadline: May 25, 2009