Harmony Explosion
For the past 14 years, the Sunshine District of the Barbershop Harmony Society has sponsored a 3-day Summer Music Camp for Florida high school boys and their Music Educators. This year we are happy to announce the camp is going co-ed! This camp, called Harmony Explosion, is entirely FREE (except for a small non-refundable student registration fee of $35.00). There is nothing to buy and there is nothing to join. This is not just another Camp. You and your students will experience the very best of a cappella singing.
As a Music Educator:
- You will gain solid, usable teaching ideas
- You will discover ways to generate excitement and attract singers to your program(s).
Your Students will:
- Learn about and experience singing a purely American musical art form
- Entertain for an enthusiastic audience at a gala Saturday evening show
More About This Harmony Explosion Camp
The Camp is a three day musical experience for you and your students. The dates for the 2013 Camp are June 13th -15th. The venue will be the Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, Florida 32901. The students will sing music in the barbershop style taught by amazing clinicians Tony DeRosa and Gary Lewis for the guys, Debbie Cleveland and Denise Helbig for the girls, and demonstration quartets BHS International Champions, Max Q and SAI International Champions, the Buzz! Clinician and Quartet Biographies It’s a great way for your students to gain part independence, develop ear-training skills, and to sing in concert with their peers. The Florida Barbershop, Sweet Adeline, Inc and Harmony, Inc chapters, quartets, and individuals will make every effort to provide full scholarships (at $225 each), which will cover dorm rooms, meals, music and rehearsal halls for both Students and Music Educators. This camp also receives financial support from Harmony Foundation International, which is the charitable arm of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
It is not necessary for Music Educators to attend this Camp with their students. A student may attend without his/her Music Educator and conversely a Music Educator may attend without his/her student(s).
Some Recent Comments From Past Attendees:
“We’ve been here every year since it started, and I’m going to keep coming as long as you’ll have us here.” -
Scott Houchins, Music Educator – Palm Beach Central High School
“As a parent of one of the boys here at Harmony Explosion, I just want to say what a fabulous weekend it is, and I want to thank everyone who sponsored it.”
Parent attending a Harmony Explosion Camp
“The only thing I didn’t like about it is it was too short. It should have lasted a least 3 – 4 more days.”
Spoken by many students each year
As A Music Educator, What Should You Do Now?
1. Select students you feel will benefit by attending this Camp.
2. Download and have your selected students complete the registration and other appropriate forms as explained further on in this letter. This is extremely important again this year.
KINDLY NOTE: Any Student or Adult not following these instructions will not be allowed to participate. These rules are State of Florida law. Send, or have the students send, the completed forms to the address at the bottom of the Registration Form. Use blue or black ink only. Registered Students and Music Educators will emailed a link containing the sheet music to be learned, part predominant learning tracks of all songs, and other pertinent information including items to bring to the camp, arrival time, location on campus for check-in and campus emergency phone numbers. As a Music Educator, whether you attend or not, it would help greatly if you would review the music with your students prior to the camp.
2. Download and have your selected students complete the registration and other appropriate forms as explained further on in this letter. This is extremely important again this year.
KINDLY NOTE: Any Student or Adult not following these instructions will not be allowed to participate. These rules are State of Florida law. Send, or have the students send, the completed forms to the address at the bottom of the Registration Form. Use blue or black ink only. Registered Students and Music Educators will emailed a link containing the sheet music to be learned, part predominant learning tracks of all songs, and other pertinent information including items to bring to the camp, arrival time, location on campus for check-in and campus emergency phone numbers. As a Music Educator, whether you attend or not, it would help greatly if you would review the music with your students prior to the camp.
Harmony Explosion Camp will be an excellent opportunity to learn about the barbershop style of music, and for you to give your students a musical experience they will not forget. Again, this year, in addition to a few classes in the art of barbershop harmony, Music Educators, both male and female, will be given the opportunity to join the mixed chorus finale number with the chaperones, who are all members of the Barbershop Harmony Society, Sweet Adelines, Inc or Harmony, Inc. Together, we will learn the song and will perform it on the Saturday evening gala show with the combined guys and girls chorus. What a thrill it will be for your students to have you perform with them. All registered Music Educators will receive the link to the legal sheet music and the part predominant learning tracks to simplify the learning process. Of course, this will be an optional activity for Music Educators. This will be the 6th year of this popular activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When, where and how much are the tickets for the Saturday night performance?
The performance will be held on Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 PM at the Gleason Performing Arts Center on the Campus of the Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32901. The tickets are $20.00 each – look for the form, which will be e-mailed to all registrants as part of their music packets. Camp attendees do not pay for this show.
2. When is the Camp “officially” over?
The Camp is “officially” over immediately following the Saturday evening show. If you need to stay Saturday night please contact Camp Director, Ken Carter, (e-mail address and phone number appears below). An additional fee will apply for a Saturday night stay.
3. Is there a deadline for registering?
The DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING IS MAY 15, 2013. We need to impose this date in order to meet the Florida Institute of Technology deadlines for dorm rooms and food – as well as to have the music in the hands of Students and Music Educators before school adjourns for the summer.
We will accept the first 100 male students and 100 female students who register with the proper forms and registration fee. There is no limit on the number of Music Educators registering. We realize that this program will only be successful with the support of our Music Educators.
There will be an adult chaperone assigned for every ten (10) students.
This will be our 15th Harmony Explosion Camp and we promise you and your students a great weekend. If you have further questions, please contact:
Ken Carter, Camp Director – (352) 259-3574 – kekmcarter@embarqmail.com
NOTE – Important information regarding submitting proper forms with proper signatures. Please read carefully & comply:
EVERYONE (including clinicians, teaching quartets, music educators, chaperones, and students) must fill out the (1) Registration Form; (2) Medical Information and Release Form, and (3) either Form A (Parent/Legal Guardian Release Form) OR Form B (Adult Participant 18 & Over Release Form). THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS! Everything must be filled out in BLUE or BLACK INK, have no alterations or revisions, and be properly signed.
Please note: There is $35.00 non-refundable registration fee due at the time of registration for each Student. This payment must be made by check and accompany all the appropriate forms. Please send the forms and check to:
Ken Carter, Camp Director
1202 Arriago Way
The Villages, FL 32162-0106.
We look forward to seeing you at FIT in Melbourne on Thursday, June 13th!!!!!
Download complete form set here: Sunshine District HX Camp 2013 Form Package
Download complete form set here: Sunshine District HX Camp 2013 Form Package
