<p>So, our son has been playing drums since age 8 and has voiced an interest in going to a summer jazz camp - and 2 that look really appealing to him are Stanford and Ithica. Stanford is one week and around $2K - Ithica is 2 weeks and around $2K. Im wondering if anyone can share their opinions of the two camps, the jazz/drumset faculty in particular, and any other advice. </p>
<p>Does participation in camps like this help when applying to college? I know that auditions are most important, but are these types of activities helpful when applying?</p>
<p>Camps are especially helpful at the college he is planning to apply to. Perhaps he wants to attend Stanford, attending that camp may help him if he includes it in his application and essay, but it is no guarantee. Also, if he stands out, he will be remembered by the faculty and that will boost his chances of acceptance. In my opinion, Stanford would be the better of the two due to the fact that every faculty member is top-tier in every way. However, if Ithaca is financially better for you, go with that. He will learn a lot either way. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Most importantly, these camps will show him how he stacks up against other drummers AND will give him an opportunity to see what kind of music major he might want to be: conservatory (in all its forms on- and separated from a college campus, music department major; or even a musician who can play in college WITHOUT being a music major.</p>
<p>Ithaca has a really nice camp. They also give kids scholarship money which brings down the cost of attending. Greg Evans is the drumset instructor at Ithaca. He is a really good player and a really nice guy. He’s a Manhattan School of Music graduate. I agree with the last poster camps help kids understand where they stack up against the competition. Drums/percussion is a tricky area there are lots of areas to become proficient in. I’m speaking from experience as my son is a current classical percussion major. He also plays drumset and is learning more hand/ world percussion things. good luck.</p>
<p>You also might want to look at Litchfield Jazz Camp. The faculty and the student body (including the RAs) are all very well connected and one can go for one to five weeks. It is in CT. </p>
<p>Also NEC is now offering a one week Jazz Camp.</p>
<p>I think attendance in camps helps because it allows your son opportunity to play with a wide variety of other musicians, which for any one who is in the Jazz Rhythm section is important. The more people your son plays with and the more experience he has the better musician he will be.</p>
<p>Another one to add to your list would be the Skidmore Jazz Institute. They have some good teachers and they bring some of the current jazz artists as well as older ones for master classes. They give need based scholarships,too. (Plus your son would get one college credit for the course.)</p>
<p>Not sure if this is of interest but there are summer programs (including jazz) at Domaine Forget in Quebec, Canada. My son attended the string session for 2 years and it was amazing. Top students, faculty, and performances (it is part of a larger music festival). They had some big name people giving masterclasses. There were certainly a number of students from the US and I believe there were also some from South America. The location is absolutely gorgeous - outside of Quebec City along the St Lawrence. It is in the middle of nowhere so all the kids do is practice and perform. Cost is great and they also have scholarships. </p>
<p>Not familiar with the jazz program but it looks like one of the faculty is from Berklee.</p>
<p>Happy to answer any questions if you are interested.</p>
<p>Eastman has a 2 week jazz program that my son attended a few years ago and enjoyed. I have also heard good things about Litchfield and Skidmore.</p>