The Total Guitarist Camp

July 27- August 1, 2008
For guitar students entering grades 8-12 with some guitar experience.*

Daily Class Hours: 8:30 am - 3:20 pm

Commuter Fee: $279 (includes instruction and camp t-shirt)
Resident Fee: $549 (includes instruction, room and board, t-shirt, counselor supervision and evening activity transportation) The cost of evening activities will vary depending on the camper's choice. It is recommended that students bring $20-$30 in cash with them to camp.

If you have played guitar for at least a year, and you want to become a great player, this Guitar Camp is for you! You will become familiar with many musical styles including jazz, classical, latin and rock. PLUS, you will learn from some of the best players and teachers in the Midwest. Register early, as this camp has been known to fill to capacity!

Nick Utrie is the camp's director. With a degree in Guitar performance with an emphasis in Jazz, Nick has a long list of gigs and connections in the ‘guitar world’. Nick will shape this camp's format and will sign on experienced guitar educators and performers, as well as regionally known guest artists, who will work with you throughout the week. This new format will inspire any student of the guitar to take their own playing to the next level.

*The focus of this camp is for acoustic and electric guitar. Bass Guitarists should attend Jazz on the Bay Camp in June.

Guitar Faculty

Nick Utrie, your new camp director, has a degree in Guitar Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from UW-Stevens Point. Nick has been performing and promoting music in Green Bay since ’93 in mostly jazz and improvised projects. He is President of local non-profit organization - The Center for Artistic Collaboration and Performance which promotes creative music through public performance and in area schools. You can check out his website at www.greenbaymusic.com. Nick has performed at Valley Fair Live Shows, in local groups: Art of Duo (jazz), with James Kocian (pop) and his current group, Jet Set Radio - a fusion group that explores world music in an improvisational context. He has also recorded with Jeff Eckles on bass.

Christopher Olson teaches at McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, MN. He leads courses in music theory, ear training, improvisation, and guitar, as well as directing ensembles and teaching individual guitar lessons. He has been on the faculty since 1996. Chris earned a master’s degree in jazz studies/performance from the University of North Texas in 1995. He holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in jazz studies and music education/choral emphasis. He has been the guitar professor at UW-Stevens Point, the Wausau Conservatory of Music, and Inver Hills Community College, where he also taught music history and directed a jazz ensemble. In addition, he taught courses in jazz history and improvisation, while directing a jazz band at UW-Marathon County. Because of a busy schedule, Chris recently had to leave MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, where he taught guitar lessons and jazz and rock combos. Chris has performed with such artists as Bob Mintzer, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Ira Sullivan, and Bobby Vinton. He has performed with dozens of artists locally, and has been featured as a solo performer or guest artist at events such as the UWSP Jazz Festival and the Minnesota Jazz Guitarathon. Chris is featured on the CD In the Meantime by the quartet, Maintime, released this Spring. During the summer, Chris works at the Shell Lake Arts Center in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. This is the oldest running jazz camp in the world. Chris teaches during the jazz ensemble camp, jazz combo camp, and the guitar camp, which he organized and initiated in 2006. He also teaches jazz and rock camps in Minnesota, including the McNally Smith Summer Jazz Workshop. Recently, Chris had four articles published in Guitarist, the newsletter of the Minnesota Guitar Society, and has published a collection of original pieces, Contemporary Etudes for Acoustic Guitar (Really Good Music, LLC). Chris also gave a guitar seminar at MacPhail in January of 2006 and was a clinician at the UWSP Jazz Festival in February of 2006. An honors graduate at both the graduate and undergraduate level, Chris is a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators and The Twin Cities Jazz and Guitar Societies. He is serving as guitar reference on the resource team for the Minnesota chapter of IAJE. For more info, go to: www.knowtheneck.com

Dale Anderson's almost forty years of playing includes the 60's Piper's Sons, recording 'Past Present Future' in 1967 and Christian-Rock group, Hosanna, 1972-76, with 1974's album, 'In the Morning'. He then went on to concert promotion with Bread/Harvest Productions, Green Bay, Madison, and Oshkosh, 1978-83, opening up for such talents as Terry Talbot and Phil Keaggy; lead guitarist for The Bar Bazaldua Band, 1992-93; and ten years of soloing, playing around the Midwest and beyond. Check him out at www.myspace.com/thedeltajets www.myspace.com/thedeltajets.

Mike Tahlier grew up in Green Bay, WI. He recently graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Professional Music with an emphasis in Music Education from Berklee College of Music. Mike has studied guitar for over 13 years concentrating on improvisation, music theory, and playing styles from jazz, funk, to rock and blues. Recently Mike has moved to Chicago, Il. where he will continue his education for a Masters Degree in Music Education. During his time in Boston, he had the great pleasure of playing and studying with Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, Jon Damian, Jon Finn and others. Through this learning experience he has developed a wide range of teaching styles and has worked hard to become the best player and innovator he can be. His ambitions are very simple; to teach in the College level and to play regularly with great musicians that appreciate the art of improvisation and communication among other players.

Victoria Vox, armed with a degree in Songwriting from the Berklee College of music, Victoria Vox has been a full time touring troubadour since May 2003, performing 150+ shows a year. She founded her own record label, OBUS Music in 2004 and has self released 6 albums, incorporating her songs on both guitar and the ukulele. Her award winning songs have been heard on NPR and A&E.

Special Features

Evening concerts and jam sessions: Students have the opportunity to play with faculty and special guests.
Final Concert: The week ends with a free public concert at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 1, in University Theatre, Theatre Hall Building.
More FEATURES on their way...stay tuned to this site!

Schedule

All auditions will be held on Sunday afternoon, July 27, from 1-4 p.m. in the Studio Arts Building. Auditions will be administered by the Guitar Camp faculty and will include sight-reading, a short theory test, and a short prepared solo.

Daily Schedule: M-F

8:30-9:30 a.m.—Theory 1 (Harmony/Rhythm, Chords, application to style)
9:30-10:30 a.m.— Small Group 1
10:30-11:30— Theory 2 (Melodies, scales and application to style)
11:30-12:30 LUNCH
12:30 –1:15 p.m.— Guitar Café: Faculty/Guest Demonstrations
1:30-2:30 p.m— Masterclass—Breakouts
2:30-3:30 p.m.—Small Groups/reh/jam

Please note: Students will bring all needed playing equipment to camp, including electric guitars with amps.

Eligibility

Students entering grades 8–12 in the fall are eligible to apply. All registrants must be recommended by a parent or guardian and a school music director or private teacher. Their signatures must appear on the application form in order for the student to be considered. Signatures are not required for online registrations. Please note: at least one year of guitar experience is required. See you at camp!