As the weather warms up, Matt Glick prepares to help run musical summer camps at the School of Rock in Deptford.
As the school’s owner, general manager and one of four teachers, Glick has various programs in store, from Rock 101 to Classic Rock Rewind camps. A standout this year is a weeklong songwriting camp in July.
“The only requirement to join our songwriting camp is a bit of proficiency on an instrument, and some rudimentary knowledge of music basics,” Glick said. “If there is a student who loves the idea of songwriting but has no experience, then we recommend that they start lessons with us before summer comes around so that we can get them up to speed.”
The camp is open to students who are 7 to 18 years old and who will analyze six decades worth of music to learn chord progression and arrangements before creating their own tune. At the end of the camp, they will perform their original work live.
While the camp mainly attracts current music students at the School of Rock, Glick encourages all children with musical experience to join.
“Our summer camps have a healthy dose of new and returning students,” he explained. “This means that it won’t feel like an exclusionary to newcomers, but it won’t be super awkward for everyone, since a few kids are our regular students, who already see School of Rock as a sort of second home.
“We are welcoming to everyone and newcomers will feel comfortable quickly.”
Glick claims the name School of Rock is misleading, since all kinds of genres are taught and appreciated.
“It’s definitely not all heavy rock-and-roll music,” he said. “We teach Michael Jackson, we teach Blondie, we teach Fleetwood Mac, we teach Madonna, we teach The Beatles – and the list goes on. Students and songwriters of all backgrounds are welcome.”
The cost of the camp is $395 for a week of instruction from Glick and other music teachers. The owner is a product of the noted Berklee College of Music in Boston has more than 20 years of experience in music and of 10 of those teaching it. He instructs guitar, bass, keyboard and voice students.
The School of Rock songwriting camp will be held from Monday, July 11, through Friday, July 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The school is located at 1575 Almonesson Road.
For more information on the camp and how to enroll, visit schoolofrock.com/music-camps/deptford/songwriting-camp-july-11-2022.
