Beyond the embers of the campfire: The ways of music at a residential summer children's camp

Nearly 11 million children and adults attend over 12,000 summer camps in the United States each year. Singing and other forms of music making are an important part of the camp experience. Unlike schools, camps usually encourage music making in a variety of contexts. In spite of its significance, the music of summer camps has rarely received scholarly attention. The authors review music making at Camp Killooleet, their family's residential summer camp for the past 56 years, and consider some 130 LP records made at other summer camps by Alma Mater records. We describe how children are exposed to music and how some aspects of their experience have changed while others have remained very much the same over the decades. We also describe methods we have used to create a vibrant musical experience for all campers. In order to understand and encourage the rich musical life of children, researchers must include consideration of how music is made and experienced at summer camps.