June 30 – July 5
Classical Strings Camp
Instructor: Tamara Gonzalez
Residential Tuition…………..$895
Commuter Tuition…………..$695
- For Students grades 6-12
- Adult registration as Commuter and only with instructor consent
About
We are excited to offer this fun string intensive week for students wanting to deepen and improve their playing skills. Students will work with experienced teachers and explore a range of musical styles in various settings. Students will play in orchestra and work on their ensemble playing and note reading skills. They will also be placed in smaller chamber groups (duets, trios, quartets and such) and work on listening, watching and leading each other through their music. Technique classes will strengthen students foundational skills such as tone production, intonation, left hand dexterity, shifting, bow control and articulations and other important skills. Teamwork, positive reinforcement and collaborative learning will be central to the camp’s approach as we aim to inspire students to continue their musical journeys long after camp ends.
String camp will include daily instrument specific technique class, orchestra, orchestra sectional, small ensemble and musicianship.
The Strings Camp will end the week with a performance open to the parents, family and friends.
This camp is intended for:
Violin
Viola
Cello
Acoustic Upright Bass
Minimum playing experience: Students should have a minimum of two years playing experience, or a Suzuki Book 2 minimum playing level. Previous note reading experience is required.
Placement screening: This camp experience is ideal for intermediate to advanced students. Students receive a personal private screening on Sunday when you arrive at Shell Lake. They will be matched with others of the same abilities and technical skills for their small ensembles. This will also allow us to appropriately program music for the orchestra.
Students should expect to present a two or three octave scale of their choice, along with a 3 minute section of a solo of their choice, and a short sight reading excerpt which will be provided when they arrive at camp.
Sample Schedule
Wake-up
7:15 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m.
Technique Class
9:00 a.m.
Orchestra
10:00 a.m.
Orchestra Sectional
11:00 a.m.
Lunch
12:00 p.m.
Small Ensemble
1:00 p.m.
Individual (supervised) practice OR Music Theory supervised study
2:00 p.m.
Musicianship
3:00 p.m.
Rotating activities which may include bucket drumming, body percussion, solfeggi, etc.
Dinner
5:00 p.m.
Evening Concerts/Camp Activities
7:00 p.m.
Free Time
Lights-out
10 p.m.
About the Instructor
Mrs. Gonzalez began her musical studies at the age of four in the Washington DC area. She was enrolled in her local Suzuki violin program as well as in the DC Youth Orchestra Program, and later Levine School of Music. At age nine, Tamara moved to Puerto Rico with her family and began studying at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music Preparatory Program, and was placed in the Advanced Orchestra. At age 11, Tamara was admitted into the FOSJA summer festival and continued participating for the following six summers.
During her time living in Puerto Rico, Tamara studied with Jaime Medina, and served as Concertmaster for the Advanced Orchestra for two years. In 1999, at the age of 15, Tamara graduated early from the Preparatory Program and began studying in the P.R. Conservatory of Music, with Jose Vanga and Henry Hutchinson. In the summer of 1999, Tamara attended Interlochen Arts Camp for the first time and was a member of WYSO. She also began her viola studies at Interlochen that summer and continued to attend Interlochen through the summer of 2001, when she was awarded the Emerson Scholar for Puerto Rico. Also in 2001, Mrs. Gonzalez won first place at the Puerto Rico Conservatory Concerto Competition and first place at the FOSJA Concerto Competition. In the fall of 2001, Tamara began her studies at DePaul University with Joseph Genualdi and later with Robert Waters. She served as Concertmaster for the DePaul Chamber Orchestra through-out her time at DePaul and graduated in 2005 with a BM in Violin Performance. Tamara returned to DePaul and in 2010 obtained an M.M with Honors in Violin Performance, studying with Olga Kaler. Tamara Gonzalez enjoyed an active career as a free-lance violinist and violin/viola instructor in the Chicago area, and moved to the Twin Cities in 2014. She received Suzuki Teacher Training through Suzuki Violin Book 10, Viola books 4-9, and has taken Violin Practicum and Suzuki Principles in Action. Tamara is an adjudicator in training with the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program. She has taught at DePaul Community Music, Smiling Strings, Lane Technical and Vernon Hills High Schools, Sherwood Community Music School, Music Institute of Chicago and is currently on faculty at MacPhail Center for Music. She served as Suzuki Department Head and Pre-Collegiate Program Coordinator for Sherwood Community Music School from 2011-2014. Tamara joined the faculty at The Chicago Suzuki Institute faculty in 2014, working with students as young as two and a half years old. She has since worked with students in Memphis, Kansas City, South Dakota, Rochester, Austin and Madison Wisconsin. She was a Sphinx MPower Grant winner in 2015, which funded a strings workshop in Puerto Rico. From 2018-2020 she has served as Minnesota Public Radio Bilingual Orchestra Clinician, and is a regular clinician at
Elementary, Junior High and High Schools across Minnesota. She is currently serving as the St. Paul Honors Orchestra conductor for 2023-24. Tamara is an active performer, and has played as a member of the Sphinx Festival Orchestra, Chicago Classical Symphony, Rockford Symphony and the Chicago Sinfonietta. She enjoyed playing various solo and chamber recitals in the Chicagoland area. Her chamber ensemble Stone Arch Collective was selected as a Minnesota Public Radio Class Notes Artist, and both recorded and performed on their behalf through-out the 2015-2016 academic year. Tamara also performs regularly in faculty recitals at MacPhail as a violinist and a violist, and other chamber music and solo programs.
Additional Information
Questions? Feel free to contact us for any additional information.
Accommodations
Lodges are available for the duration of the camp session. They are supervised by a professional counseling staff on duty 24 hours each day and meals are prepared under the supervision of a state-approved dietitian.
Commuter Expectations
Commuter students are expected to remain at camp until the day’s activities are completed (Typically 9:am-8pm).
Registrations
Online registrations are accepted until the camp is full. Students may be placed on a waiting list if desired. A camp registration form is sent after payment is received. All cancellations must be made in writing and received 3 weeks in advance of the start of camp for a full refund. A $100.00 fee will be deducted from your refund. Refunds less than three weeks before camp will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Residential Tuition
Our student tuition is $895 per student and includes instructional fees, room and board and a camp t shirt which will be worn at the final performance. Please refer to the registration materials found on our registration site at Ultracamp for complete details. A $100 down payment is due at the time of registration. The remaining balance can be paid at the time of registration or in equal monthly installments. All Tuition must be paid before arrival at camp.
Commuter Tuition
This option is for campers that want to attend our camps but not stay in our dorms, The $695 tuition covers instructional fees, a camp T-Shirt which will be worn at the final performance, meals, and evening activities. Commuters arrive for their first class by 9AM, and can be picked up any time after evening activities conclude (usually around 8pm).
Check-in / Check-out
Check in begins at 2pm on Sunday of the week your camp begins. All medical, dietary, and consent forms must be completed in UltraCamp before arriving at camp. Additional information will be emailed to you approximately 4 weeks before camp begins.
Scholarships
Each year, the Arts Center raises funds for the scholarship program. If you are interested in applying for an Arts Center scholarship, please visit our website
Additional Information
To request disability accommodations, or other special requests, please contact the Arts Center at least two weeks in advance of camp. More information about camp and all of the opportunities available at the Shell Lake Arts Center can be found on our website.
Participants are admitted without regard to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. The Shell Lake Arts Center is an inclusive organization, and we accept all artists and musicians.