Sponsorship

As a Sponsor of Vivace String Camp you provide the opportunity for one week of educational enrichment in the art of music performance, through individual and group instruction, socialization activities and student interaction with artist teacher/performers. Our sponsorship packages are listed below. If you are considering contributing to Vivace String Camp and have questions please contact Camp Director, Martha Thomas, at 716-834-0798 or vivacestringcamp@mac.com.

During the camp week, campers attend two daily performances—an afternoon segment called Special Events, which is either an interactive workshop or a performance, and an evening Concert. VSC selects a variety of performers who will both educate and inspire our campers.

Special Events

Special Events is a 45 minute session every afternoon; each afternoon is devoted to a particular aspect of musicianship. With a singular focus, Special Events provides campers with the opportunity to ask questions, interact with the guest artist, and learn about their areas of expertise. Special Events take place in the Recital Hall at Houghton College’s Greatbatch School of Music. Previous themes for Special Events have included:

• Greg Docenko—How to take care of a stringed instrument
  
• Nuts and Bolts String Quartet—Communication in Chamber Music
  
• Matthew Pendrak—Keeping the Beat
  
• Kathy Miranda—Alexander Technique
  
• Adrienne Elisha- The Processes of Composition
  

There are no printed programs for this event. Sponsorship is announced from the stage at the time of the performance, and reflected in all printed camp material where sponsorship is listed. Cost per Special Events segment is $200.

Evening concerts are designed to demonstrate the seasoned skill of live performance. Evening Concerts are public performances by professional musicians, and require appropriate etiquette, listening skills and responses from campers. Each concert is approximately 45 minutes in length and features VSC artist/teacher faculty members, each of whom perform in at least one Evening Concert during the camp week. The opening Evening Concert features a young artist from an area conservatory, close in age to our campers and exceptionally skilled on his or her instrument. Previous guest soloists for this Opening Evening Concert have been:

• Violinist Elena Urioste, a sophomore at The Curtis Institute
  
• Cellist James Kim, a sophomore at The Eastman School of Music
  
• Double Bassist Benjamin Crofut, freshman at the Eastman School of Music

Student Scholarship (Tuition Assistance) is applied towards those campers who cannot afford to attend VSC without financial aid. Tuition Assistance is a partial Scholarship of $100 per camper, covering one fifth of the cost for the week of camp or a day at camp. This day includes: 3 meals, an orchestra rehearsal, a chamber music coaching, a technique/sectional class, 45 minutes of Yoga, Ear Training and Sight Singing, Recreation, Special Events, and Evening Concert, as well as their room and board costs. Campers receiving a Student Scholarship are assigned to assist the camp in areas such as registration, stage crew for concerts, organizing of the talent show, and helping in the camp office when appropriate and possible. Campers who receive a Student Scholarship are expected to write a thank you and a brief summary of what they gained through their camp experience. This correspondence will be forwarded to the benefactor. Student Scholarship Sponsorship would be reflected in all printed camp material where sponsorship is listed.

Talent Show

The annual VSC Talent Show is a very popular event. It takes place in the Greatbatch Recital Hall on Thursday evenings at 7:30. By this time in the week, campers have had a chance to really get to know each other. This event is bound to make us laugh or make us groan. Each act in the Talent Show is auditioned for content and for length. We encourage campers to be both funny and creative in their choosing. We learn something about laughing at ourselves (especially when the faculty get into the acts) and about sharing the many other talents we have. This is an event that is cherished, and looked forward to each year with great anticipation. During the Talent Show, a sponsor’s information will be displayed on an easel on the stage. Sponsorship for the Talent Show will also be reflected in all printed camp material where sponsorship is listed. Underwriting for the Talent Show is $300.

T-Shirt

T-Shirts are a uniquely shared part of the camp experience. Every camper, staff member and counselor gets one. T-shirts are a part of camp that can keep both staff and campers linked all year long for the year they attended. T-Shirts also introduce us to others, whether it’s standing in line at the grocery store, or out for an afternoon walk. It’s a wonderful topic for conversation and encourages campers to remember what they gained from their experiences. There is also a healthy sense of accomplishment when they wear it in their home communities. Sponsorship for T-Shirts is $1000.

Movie Night Snacks accompany the annual Wednesday night movie. Movie Night is a wonderful opportunity for campers and counselors to relax and share time as a large group without instruments. It’s also a time to re-charge at the midpoint of the camp week. Sponsorship is $300.

The study of music performance involves teaching many aspects of music, rhythm being an important one. The acquisition of a collection of diverse, well made percussion instruments will allow the VSC staff to offer classes that teach the skills of simple and complex rhythms, ensemble, dynamics, improvisation and creativity. This collection of percussion instruments would take the name of the donor or business and be listed in all VSC printed materials. Sponsorship for a collection of percussion instruments is $350.

Archery is still in the dream stage for VSC. However, it is an aspect of a string player’s well-roundedness that we hope someday to be able to provide for all campers. Here is some back story: The bow and arrow were here long before the bowed instruments appeared. The discovery of the first stone arrowheads in Africa indicates that the bow and arrow were invented there, as early as 50,000 BC. The violin emerged in northern Italy in the early 16th century. The first makers of violins borrowed from three types of contemporary instruments: the rebec, in use since the 10th century (itself derived from the Arabic rebab), the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da braccio.  Modern violin bows are recurved like modern archery bows for greater elasticity. The founders of the Archery Project referenced below discovered a striking similarity between violinists and archers in terms of coordination, posture, use of certain muscle groups, and the need for precision and concentration. A violinist who shoots a bow and arrow for the first time, the Keshet Eilon staff discovered, will achieve much better results than someone who isn't a violinist. The connection between the two disciplines continues to prove itself consistently. Heading this project is violin master Amnon Weinstein, together with professional archery coaches. The project is implemented with the cooperation of the Hapoel Archery Club of Givatayim, which organizes training at the Mastercourse on a volunteer basis. AMO is a worldwide group of manufacturers, dealers and archery media who support this distinctive program." The Archery project at Keshet Eilon is an integral to the Mastercourse and is a unique innovation pioneered there, which has gained recognition internationally in the music world. The Archery Sponsor’s name would appear on equipment, and would also be reflected in all camp material where sponsorship is listed. Sponsorship for Archery would be $1,000.

Undefined giving in any amount is deeply appreciated and is reflected in all camp material where sponsorship is listed, unless otherwise specified by the giver. If you are considering contributing to Vivace String Camp, and have questions, please contact Camp Director, Martha Thomas, at 716-834-0798 or email at vivacestringcamp@mac.com.