1 Music Summer Camp

Don’t let Monmouth, Oregon’s small size fool you. It is the home to one of the most prestigious music summer camps in the nation. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is held every year on the campus of WesternOregonUniversity, bringing together musicians of all ages and skills. While the concentration is on jazz education, there are many different workshops ranging from learning specific instruments to even MIDI creation!

Participants benefit from the personal attention of many accomplished musicians. Gordon Lee, a well-known composer and jazz pianist is one of the many camp staff. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is focused on being both educational and extremely fun. Guest artists perform and interact with the camp participants, giving them insights into the musical world. The combination of group and individual study creates a unique and instructive environment.

All of the workshops and practice lead up to the final day of the music summer camp, when all of the participants play in several simultaneous concerts. The town of Monmouth is small and community oriented, surrounded by the lush WillametteValley. People are encouraged to come and enjoy final concert, to see exactly how much the participants have learned. The supportive and relaxed atmosphere is what makes this music summer camp one of the most successful jazz camps in the North West.

Despite its remote location and small size, Monmouth, Oregon has great significance in the musical world. It is the home to one of the most prestigious music summer camps in the nation. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is held every year on the campus of WesternOregonUniversity, bringing together musicians of all ages and skills. While the concentration is on jazz education, there are many different workshops ranging from learning specific instruments to even MIDI creation! Guest artists perform and work together with the camp participants, giving them insights into the musical world. The mixture of group and individual study creates a unique and instructive environment.

The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is focused on being both educational and extremely fun. Participants benefit from the personal attention of many accomplished musicians. Gordon Lee, a well-known composer and jazz pianist is one of the many camp staff.

All of the workshops and practice lead up to the final day of the music summer camp, when all of the participants participate in several simultaneous concerts. Monmouth is small and community oriented, surrounded by the lush WillametteValley. People are encouraged to come and enjoy the music, to see exactly how much the participants have learned. The supportive and relaxed atmosphere is what makes this music summer camp one of the most successful jazz camps in the North West.

Ever heard of Monmouth, Oregon? Probably not, because it’s one of the smaller towns in the WillametteValley. But despite its size, it is the home to one of the most prestigious music summer camps in the nation. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp occurs every year on the campus of WesternOregonUniversity, bringing musicians of all ages and skills together. While the attention is on jazz education, there are lots of diverse workshops ranging from learning particular instruments to even MIDI creation! Guest artists perform and work together with the camp participants, giving them insights into the musical world. The combination of group and individual study creates a unique and informative atmosphere.

All of the workshops and practice lead up to the final day of the music summer camp, when all of the participants participate in several simultaneous concerts. Monmouth is small and community oriented, surrounded by the lush WillametteValley. People are encouraged to come and enjoy the music, to see exactly how much the participants have learned. For the residents, it is one of the most anticipated events of the summer. The helpful and relaxed atmosphere is what makes this music summer camp thrive.

You’ve probably never heard of Monmouth, Oregon, a small town tucked away in the WillametteValley. But don’t let its size fool you, it is the home to one of the most prominent music summer camps in the nation. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp occurs every year on the campus of WesternOregonUniversity, bringing musicians of all ages and skills together. While most of the focus is on jazz education, there are lots of various workshops ranging from learning certain instruments to even MIDI construction! Performing and working with the camp participants are several guest musicians, who are happy to give them insights into the musical world. All of the staff are both talented educators and working musicians.

The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is dedicated to being both educational and tremendously fun. Participants benefit from the personal attention of many accomplished musicians. Gordon Lee, a well-known composer and jazz pianist is one of the many camp staff. The combination of group and individual study creates an exceptional and informative atmosphere.

All of the workshops and practice lead up to the final day of the music summer camp, when all of the participants participate in several simultaneous concerts. Monmouth is small and community oriented, surrounded by the lush WillametteValley. People are encouraged to come and enjoy the music, to see exactly how much the participants have learned. For the residents, it is one of the most anticipated events of the summer. The helpful and relaxed atmosphere is what makes this music summer camp thrive.

2 Portland Jazz festival

3 Mel Brown Jazz Camp

Imagine a perfect August night in the beautiful Pacific Northwest state of Oregon: cloudless, verdant, with warm air wafting through the valley oak trees. On this night, at the WesternOregonUniversity campus in Monmouth, Oregon, the stage is set and the anticipation is high.

On comes the announcer’s voice: "Welcome faculty, parents, friends and community members. We are proud to welcome you to our annual, highly anticipated Jazz festival—an evening led by Jazz legend Mel Brown. You’ll be listening to the participants of this year’s jazz camp. Feel free to wander! There is more than one event happening at a time, so you should try to see everything our camp participants have learned. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is dedicated to introducing its students to the world of jazz, and this jazz festival is the product of that hard work. Standing to my right is Gordon Lee, a renowned composer and jazz pianist. Let’s have a round of applause for him! Not only is he the workshop director of this music camp, he has also spent the last six days teaching our participants.

“So sit back, relax, and enjoy this year’s jazz festival.” As the boom of the announcer’s voice fades, the notes of the first number begin. And so the audience sinks into the music of another successful Monmouth Jazz Festival.

Despite the anticipation that summer vacation conjures up, inevitably kids find themselves at a loss for things to do. If they’re13 -15 years old and they love music, and then think about sending them to the stunning northwest to attend the jazz camp on the WesternOregonUniversity campus. But why would young teens want to study jazz anyhow?

Music is an enormous part of today’s culture. From American Idol to iTunes, songs are accessible and affordable. Music binds people together, whether its in attending a concert with friends, leaving online reviews about a new album, or putting together a playlist of one’s favorite hits. Teens can participate in this culture by learning an instrument, or just studying the theory of jazz. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp may be exactly what they need to enter this culture.

The following list of activities will help your teens take full advantage of our summer jazz camp and help ignite their imagination to make their summer memorable.Our enthusiastic students study a mixture of jazz concepts, instrumentation, and performance techniques.

The best way to discover what all of this is about is for your teen to experience our jazz camp themselves. We hope to see you in Monmouth, Oregon, August 3-9. Listed below are of some of the wonderful comments heard last summer from the high school participants in WesternOregonUniversity’s Mel Brown Jazz Camp. Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it.

“It was challenging but not strenuous.”

“Every member of the faculty was a top-notch player and a willing effective, teacher. I never had difficulty asking for help, and I almost got something out of what they had to say.”

“The best part was jam time, because that was when you really got to connect, learn & enjoy music with other participants in a very individualized way.”

“Every time I come to this camp, I am reentered into the jazz world, into which have precious few other outlets. My playing, my style, my perfection of jazz and its place in my life, everything improved, and everything was once again exposed to the sun. I look forward [to next year] immensely.”

As much as your teens will tell you they can’t wait for summer, the words “I’m bored,” inevitably cross their lips. If you have children ages 13 -15 years old and they love jazz music, then consider sending them to the beautiful northwest to attend the Mel Brown Jazz Camp on the WesternOregonUniversity campus. But you might ask, why would young teens want to study jazz anyhow?

Music is a huge part of today’s culture. From American Idol to iTunes, songs are just a mouse click away. Music creates bonds between people, whether its in attending a concert with friends, leaving online reviews about a new album, or putting together a playlist of one’s favorite hits. By learning a form of music, teens can become apart of that music culture.

The following list of activities will help your teens take full advantage of our summer jazz camp and help spark their creativity to make the summer all that it should be!(List schedule of jazz camp activities here). Take a moment to review the list and see which activities best suit your teen. Our enthusiastic students study various jazz concepts, instrumentation, and performance techniques.

The best way to find out what all of the excitement is about is for your teen to experience our jazz camp themselves. We hope to see you in Monmouth, Oregon, August 3-9. Listed below are of some of the wonderful comments heard last summer from the high school participants in WesternOregonUniversity’s Mel Brown Jazz Camp. Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it.

“It was challenging but not strenuous.”

“Every member of the faculty was a top-notch player and a willing effective, teacher. I never had difficulty asking for help, and I almost got something out of what they had to say.”

“The best part was jam time, because that was when you really got to connect, learn & enjoy music with other participants in a very individualized way.”

4 Jazz Education

The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is dedicated to educating the participants in both the practice and appreciation of jazz. Held every year in Monmouth, Oregon, it takes place on the WesternOregonUniversity campus. Mel Brown himself is known as the “Gentleman of Jazz,” a musician and educator. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp adheres to his tradition of how one should learn jazz — hard work and good teachers. Jazz education

Participants of the summer camp work in small and large ensembles, attend workshops on all aspects of music, and learn from some of the best jazz musicians in Oregon. The schedule is energizing and tremendously rewarding. The staff stays on campus, integrating themselves with participants. The participants can spend their free hours talking with them, beginning a jam session or simply socializing. Everyone attending is there for the same purpose: jazz education.

The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is committed to following in its namesake’s footsteps. The music summer camp is focused on its most important aspect: its students. Every participant is offered a unique experience, consisting of both formal and informal practice. By the time the camp is over, each student will walk away with a greater understanding of the theory and practice of jazz.

Nestled in the town of Monmouth, Oregon, the Mel Brown Jazz Camp is dedicated to educating the participants in both the practice and appreciation of jazz. Held every year, it takes place on the WesternOregonUniversity campus. Mel Brown himself is known as the “Gentleman of Jazz,” a musician and educator. The Mel Brown Jazz Camp adheres to his tradition of how one should learn jazz — practice and good teachers.

The Mel Brown Jazz Camp is committed to following in its namesake’s footsteps. Participants of the summer camp work in small and large ensembles, attend workshops on all aspects of music, and learn from some of the finest jazz musicians in Oregon. The schedule is rigorous and tremendously satisfying. The music summer camp is focused on its most vital feature: its students. Every participant is offered a exceptional experience — to study and appreciate jazz.

The staff stays on campus, integrating themselves with participants. The participants can use their free hours chatting with them, beginning a jam session or simply mingling. Every teacher is not only adept at passing on their skills, but they are also working musicians themselves. Everyone attending is there for the same purpose: jazz education. But the most important aspect of the camp is its students. They are the reason that the Mel Brown Jazz Camp exists, and none of the faculty ever forget that. Every participant is offered a unique experience, consisting of both formal and informal practice. By the time the camp is over, each student will leave with a greater understanding of the theory and practice of jazz.