Elizabeth Waldon to Lead Organ Camp at Shell Lake Arts Center

The Shell Lake Arts Center is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Waldon will lead our newest camp–Organ Camp.  This is our first delve into a camp that will not take place on our campus but rather in local churches with organs. The goal of this Camp is to help young keyboardists become organists.  This is perfect opportunity for churches in Northwest Wisconsin who are lacking organists but have student pianists that may want to learn to play the organ.  Betsy will begin the process of training them to use their feet on the pedals, teach basic registration, and potentially have them crawl around the inside of a real live pipe organ. Organ Camp will take place July 16-21, 2023.

Betsy Waldon earned her Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance from Indiana University, Bloomington. She was a magna cum laude graduate of the nationally-recognized program of St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota) with a Bachelors of Music degree. She has been a featured soloist with the Salt Creek Sinfonietta, and was the organist last year for the annual benefit concert at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Ms. Waldon is the Director of Music Ministries at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Downers Grove,  Illinois.  Prior to this, she was the Assistant Director of Music at Community Presbyterian Church in Clarendon Hills, and was previously director of Worship and Music at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hinsdale. She is experienced in both traditional and contemporary music leadership, and is an  experienced director of choirs, instrumental ensembles, and handbells. She has directed the Hinsdale Chorale (a community choir) and teaches private piano lessons.

Ms. Waldon is a member of the Choristers Guild, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and the American Guild of Organists, of which she has served as sub-dean and program chair for the Fox Valley Chapter. She studied Conducting with Anton Armstrong and Robert Scholz, and Organ with Larry Smith, John Ferguson, Douglas Cleveland, and Jane Holstein.