For over 20 years now I have been holding summer camps in my studio. Matter of fact, I hold camps in my studio twice a year (December and May/June) because I find them so beneficial. If you ever toyed with the idea of running a summer camp, I would highly encourage you to give it a try. There are SO many things we can do with our students during this time that we just don’t have time during their weekly lessons. That is a benefit in itself and I haven’t even shared my top 3 yet!

1. Retain summer income (or make more!). There is usually a stigma that comes along with the occupation of a teacher. It usually follows teachers around even if they are a private teacher. And this is that we make our income 9 months of the year and struggle to make ends meet the other 3 months. This does not have to be the case. Holding summer camps has allowed me to retain my summer income and occasionally (when I feel that I want to put in the extra time), I can even make more. How? Simply put, summer camp. All my students participate and all my inquiries get invited to participate, where they have first dibs on my waiting list if they do.

2. Teach Less. Okay let’s face it. Teachers and students get burned out. We ALL need a break. This is okay! I promise, it really is. Breaks are healthy. They help prevent burnout. I have never had my students back slide because they took time off during the summer. Now I do have things in place that helps prevent that from happening (search for Fall Kickoff and Practice Prop Project on my blog). But if there are still some students that didn’t even touch the piano during our break I just don’t stress about it. I found that break or not, those first couple weeks back to school is an adjustment period for students so we just pick up where we left off with a bit of review the first couple weeks and then move forward. Holding summer camp allows all of us a chance to enjoy other things and feel renewed, refreshed and excited for the new school year. 

3. Lasting Friendships. This one is my favorite because a lot of my students stay with me for a while. So I get to see these friendships that they are making at camp blossom over the years. I teach two 15-year-old boys that have been with me since they were about 8 years old. They are best buds. If it wasn’t for our group lessons and camps throughout the year, they wouldn’t have developed the friendship they have let alone even know each other. They don’t attend the same school, church and such. They only know each other through piano group activities. Now if that isn’t a reason to hold summer camps and group lessons, I don’t know what is.

Can’t you just feel your shoulders getting lighter just thinking about these benefits? If you would like to hear more benefits summer camp can give plus all the ins and outs of running one, check out my new course: Make More Teach Less; A Comprehensive Guide to Running a Music Camp. Click the picture below for more info! Be sure to watch the promo video to see what all is included!