The RCA’s Jazz Camp returned this summer (July 15 – 19) for another week of unforgettable musical exploration. Led by Craig Thomson alongside Joe Auty and Bob Rogers, students learned how to develop their musical creativity by improvising over several styles of music including the blues, R&B/soul/funk, and popular jazz standards. Our three instructors coached each student, helping to refine their technique with each instrument. Their hard work was the lead-up to their performance in our Mary Irwin Theatre, where friends and family gathered to see the group's final concert. We were honoured to host these talented students as they honed their skills and created lifelong memories together through the art of jazz. The camp was open to anyone ages 13 and up, resulting in an intergenerational group of talent. We spoke to camp participants of all ages to hear more about their experience in our 2024 Summer Jazz Camp. 

Pat Taylor describes herself as a 79-year-old grandma that loves music, golf, her family, and, of course, music. This was her third year participating in a music camp, and chose RCA Summer Jazz Camp in an effort to learn more and continue her musical journey. 

"When you're my age,” says Pat, “you can always play music and you can play it until you're older than I am, so I'm happy to be here. I'm inspired by the talent from the young people and certainly inspired by the teachers - I knew they knew a lot, but they know a lot.” 

“I have no bad things to say about it other than I would like to see even more adults here. I thank the instructors for the wonderful week and the kids for being kids.” 

Ken McClelland is a member of the Beyond Brass band who joined us from Kamloops, British Columbia. Having known our instructors previously, Ken was excited to get the chance to work with them in a learning environment. 

“It was more than I had hoped that it would be. I have played with all three of the instructors, and I knew that they were very high-quality music teachers and performers. It was a real treat to get to be with them for five straight days and learn lots of stuff.” 

“I’d like to thank the instructors, and I thank the Rotary Centre of the Arts for putting on programs like this. It's very important to keep that musical education coming along. I love seeing the youth here and seeing them learn how to play and just pick up their skills. It was a totally positive experience for me, and I appreciate the opportunity.” 

We saw tremendous development from our youth participants, who for some, got to experience their first Jazz Camp with us. Elliott, Adam, and James gave us their thoughts on their music-filled week. 

“My favorite part,” says Elliott, “was how the instructors were so kind and super funny. They would give you great tips and it was just great to get together with people at a similar level and just have fun and create music.” 

“I enjoyed that I learned a lot over the week” says Adam.  

“My favorite part about the camp,” says James, “was how the instructors took their time and really explained things deeply so we could all understand the basic theory of jazz.” 

Most music camps see anyone from beginners who have very limited experience with an instrument, to professional musicians who are looking for a refresh on some of the basics. Jazz camps like this one have a rich history across the world, from the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Camp to the New York Hot Jazz Camp. We are proud to provide our community the opportunity to play jazz alongside some of the best music teachers in BC.  

Thank you to all our Jazz Camp students for their enthusiasm and participation in this year’s RCA Summer Jazz Camp. This was a rare opportunity for both the young and young at heart to play and learn jazz in an encouraging space. We love seeing the musical talent of our community and beyond. See you for our next installment of RCA Jazz Camp! 

Jazz Camp was sponsored by Yamaha and Wentworth Music.