By STEPHANIE BUNKER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Lake Mead Baptist Church was filled music and learning last week as the Overton church hosted a Summer Music Camp.
Pastor Scott Adams had contacted a team of traveling musicians from the 1st Baptist Church of the Islands off of the coast of Georgia to come teach the youth of Moapa Valley. The church put together an orchestra ensemble with a variety of ages ranging from middle school to high school. Even one professional musician was in the group: Mr. Walter White the orchestra teacher at the Mack Lyon Middle School.
The orchestra practiced from 9am to 1pm every day last week Monday through Friday. On the final evening of the camp, the group performed at the Old Logandale School on Friday evening. The orchestra learned 6 pieces of music during that time, introducing 2 pieces to the young students each day.
Adam Howard, the director of the musical clinician traveling group said, “They have never seen this music before and there are more young students than we have had before so we had to adjust some things.”
“The young kids bring a new energy and they have stretched and grown so much.”
The theme for the camp is “Journey through Imagination.” Songs that were chosen to fit this theme included music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Back to the Future, Forge of the Vulcan, Pictures from an Exhibition and Born to be Wild.
Also a part of the Music Camp was a separate Vocal Mini Camp. This smaller ensemble practiced from 1:30 to 3:30 each day. In this group were youngsters from grades 3-12. Howard said the huge age gap was also stretching the youngsters because they are singing songs geared toward the older kids.
“They are doing great,” he said of the younger group. “They are getting to learn more vocal technique and experience the basics.”
The choral group learned a Swahili song from Africa. They also learned the tongue-twisting Peter Piper song that they sing in the round that helps with their diction.
They also sang Old Joe Clark, a Western Folk song, a Pirate Story, and Viva la Musica, a Latin piece also sung in the round.
At the Friday performance, a large bucket was passed around for the audience to make donations. A total of $1,150 was donated by the audience members. All of the proceeds raised went to benefit the music programs at Mack Lyon Middle School and Moapa Valley High School.
“This was (Pastor) Scott’s vision to raise money for the schools.” said Howard.
The clinician leading the orchestra was Mike Lutz. Lutz has had years of experience in the Ohio State Band and Orchestra, he also marched in the U.S. Army Marching Band and has been a music leader for 30 years.
Cynthia Dooley is a retired elementary music and chorus teacher from Savannah Georgia. She was able to bring her years of expertise to the children of Moapa Valley as the chorus director at the camp.
The group from Georgia also brought their Southern Cooks along for the ride and spoiled the children with that good Southern style cooking.
Adam Howard said, “I’m impressed with the talent here, and the camp gives them some practice during the summer.”
