Since 1972, The Walden Schools Young Musicians Program has provided an unparalleled summer experience for musically inclined students. Part school, part camp, and part festival, the program offers rigorous, innovative daily instruction. Students hone their musical and creative skills within an intellectual, artistic community whose purpose is to explore music as a language, with a goal of improvising and composing original works. Concerts and residencies bring artists of the highest caliber to work closely with each student, stimulating creativity and musical expression.
Waldens Young Musicians Program provides thorough and creative theoretical training for young musicians ages 9 to 18. The school is deliberately small, and a student to faculty ratio of 4 to 1 ensures that coursework is geared to the individual student, beginner through advanced, and that a creative and supportive musical community is formed and nurtured. During the five-week program, students attend classes in music history, analysis, computer musicianship, jazz and other topics to complement their thorough training in Waldens core curriculum of musicianship and composition. At weekly composers forums, student improvisations and compositions are performed by faculty, students, and visiting artists and a guest moderator leads discussion about the pieces. The Walden School Concert Series features performances by world-class artists and ensembles that interact closely with students. All students and faculty participate in The Walden School Chorus which meets daily and performs a concert at the end of the session. Dances, swim trips, weekly mountain hikes, and open mic nights balance this rigorous musical training and are integral to the Walden experience. Please visit our website for application materials and more information.