NJ Youngsters Gather for a Summertime Music Intensive

Young musicians from all over South Jersey have gathered in Camden for an intensive two-week music camp, run by a one of the few professional training orchestras in the United States.

(Sound of rehearsal music)

KYW's Karin Phillips reports that dozens of students, high school age and younger, were practicing as an orchestra today while others took classes in strings or jazz, or worked with a trombone ensemble.

Symphony in C (formerly the Haddonfield Symphony) is holding its annual intensive two-week camp, leading up to a free public concert this Saturday afternoon at 2pm at the Gordon Theatre, on the campus of Rutgers-Camden.

Camp director Paul Bryan (conducting ensemble in photo) says the kids learn a lot -- and a lot more than music:

"On an individual level, their own expectations about themselves change while they're here.  I think one of the things that I try to get across is that we only end up getting better when we expect better things out of what we do individually."

Ten-year-old Melony has been attending the camp since she was six.  What does she do here?

"Learn new notes and play new songs."

This is the first year for 11-year-old Andrew, from Mount Laurel:

"There's different music and it's challenging."

And does he like being challenged?

"Yeah."

(Photo by KYW's Karin Phillips)