Writing and producing a recording of your own song, diving deep into the intricacies of playing jazz music, honing your ability to perform in a classical orchestra, and learning crucial skills in entrepreneurship and audition preparation.
This is the kind of world-class musical program that college students study at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. And this summer, younger students—from budding elementary-level violinists to talented high schoolers aiming for a professional career, from across South Florida and as far as Japan—have flocked to the Frost school campus for the chance to experience that same top-notch musical education.
Named the Frost Summer Experience Camp, the program remakes the Frost School’s longtime summer music camps to mirror the quality and depth of the University program. Megan Walsh, director of the year-round Frost Preparatory Program and of the new summer programs, says the changes are geared towards attracting prospective applicants to the Frost School.
“We wanted this to be recruitment for the Frost School of Music,” Walsh says.
“They get an idea of what it’s like to be here,” says program manager Eddie Ercilla, a doctoral student in music education who has worked as a music educator for 20 years. “We offer hands-on experience with our faculty and our staff. The kids get to perform in our facilities and interact with our students. We provide them an all-inclusive experience.”
The biggest draw? World-class Frost School faculty now lead the July session for high school students. Walsh says it was in response to years of requests. “People would call and ask ‘will I learn from Frost faculty?’ and I had to tell them no,” she says. “I’ve been pushing this for years. Now we’re getting people who want to come from all over the place.”
This summer, classical pianist and lecturer Inesa Gegprifti; jazz professor and bassist Charles Bergeron; associate professor and jazz vocalist Kate Reid; music production teacher Camilo Salas; program director of the master’s program in popular music pedagogy and contemporary voice studio director Raina Murnak; and songwriter, band leader and lecturer Ian Holljes are leading programs in chamber and orchestral music, jazz instrumental, jazz vocals, music production, songwriting and rock band. They are assisted by Frost student teachers, who gain teaching experience and enrich their own practice.
Adding Frost faculty has attracted students not just from around South Florida but also from New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, California, the Dominican Republic, Greece, Germany, and Japan.
Students take classes not only on their instruments and ensembles but also in areas like music theory, audition and college prep, improvisation, arranging, music business, and entrepreneurship. Songwriting and rock band students work together to craft songs they produce and perform. Jazz vocal and instrumental students collaborate on a joint concert. All concerts are live-streamed and recorded for future access.
“We create this collaborative community of musicians,” says Ercilla.
A masterclass with assistant music therapy professor Yani Rubio inspired some students to say they wanted to study music therapy. “I went to bed happy,” says Walsh. “Some kids don’t even know you can study music therapy. So, exposing them to our top faculty members can change a life."
The Frost Summer Experience Youth Music Day Camp, in June, is for younger students. It is divided into Young Mozarts, for budding classical musicians from 2nd to 5th grade, and Young Beethovens, their middle school counterparts. Middle school age Young Rockers learn to play, sing and be part of a rock band. All show what they’ve learned in a final concert at Clarke Recital Hall.
The Youth Music camp aims to provide a rich musical experience for students of all abilities. Students with disabilities were afforded an opportunity to collaborate with others through music making. They included a pair of twins who are deaf and were able to participate in an ensemble with fellow musicians. The twins, and many of the young summer campers, have decided to continue during the school year with the Frost Preparatory Program, which offer classes for ages 0-18 including Mommy & Me, Group Piano, Private Lessons, Rock Band, Suzuki String courses and more.
Walsh and Ercilla say they purposely limited enrollment this first summer as they implemented the new curriculum, accepting just 56 students to the June Youth Music Day Camp and 116 high school students for the Contemporary, Chamber, and Jazz Camps in July. The inaugural program has been such a success that they anticipate adding new programs going forward. “We are small now,” says Ercilla. “But we are going to explode.”
