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Summer Music Intensives in Downtown McKinney Making music together is one of the greatest creative joys. Dedicated young musicians share this experience with professional musicians during the Summer Music Intensives, July 25-31, in downtown McKinney. This full-day, one-week program is designed to give middle and high school music students an opportunity to explore orchestra, chamber music, improvisation, music history, theory and a variety of musical genres in small groups under the mentorship of exceptional performers. The week of intense work is held in the HUB (Youth Center, FUMC, 102 W. Lamar) and culminates in a concert performed by students and faculty on stage at the Church Street Auditorium. The Summer Music Intensives is offered by the Arts and Music Guild, with generous support from the McKinney Arts Commission, the McDermott Foundation and the Prothro Foundation.
Director Jason Lim performing with a studentfaculty ensemble Large ensemble in theory class The director of the camp, Jason Lim, has gained a reputation as the creative director and conductor of the award-winning Odysseus Chamber Orchestra of North Texas. Mr. Lim also worked for ten years with the Abilene Summer Music Festival, building it into a reputable summer camp. When he took the reins of the Summer Music Intensives in McKinney, Mr. Lim saw the potential in its emphasis on improvisation, theory, different musical genres and the small student-teacher ratio. Last summer, he added a strong classical element to the world music blend, and raised the expectations for the final performance. The student response was very positive.
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Members of Student Chamber Ensemble Motivated by the excitement and inquisitive nature of the young musicians, Mr. Lim has invited professional musicians to create a curriculum this summer, which can be customized to meet each student’s interests. Special emphasis will be on Intermediate and Advanced Orchestra (conducted by Mr. Lim). Classes also will be offered in Celtic fiddle, folk, music theory, music history, and an ensemble that blends guitar, electric bass and strings. Students may choose to be part of a chamber music ensemble, or have private lessons designed to help the students with All-Region and All-State orchestra music.
Mr. Lim summarizes the value of the Summer Music Intensives by emphasizing the creative esprit de corps that develops during the week. “Any opportunity for a student to spend a week with like-minded students to work on a skill or a craft gives a lesson in collaboration. And participation is not limited to young students; adult students and professionals are invited to attend as well. The faculty collectively works to provide diverse experiences for our future generation of musicians as well as fostering pride in their own professional work.”
