Jam Camp Programs

Community Music Network Jam Camp Rocks the Mountains

The 4th Annual Community Music & Arts Network Summer Jam Camp came to a close on Friday, August 17th with a two-hour concert given by twenty-two Catskill Mountain teens at SEVA, the School for Environmental and Vocational Arts in South Kortright.

Director and program developer, Pamela West-Finkle, began the event with a brief talk on the importance of the community music movement that began in countries like the UK and Australia, but is making its way in rural areas across America, providing all access music making to those living in economically challenged and geographically isolated areas.

She also thanked the O’Connor Foundation for their generous support of the camp, Performance Plus of Stamford for their fiscal sponsorship, the SEVA Foundation and their community for hosting this year’s camp, and area businesses for providing scholarship donations. A total of six full and one partial scholarships were provided to area youth, ages 10 to 16. Business’ who provided support were The Community Music & Arts Network, Artisan Tile & Stone Company, Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties, Mark Birman of Tennis Everyone in Fleischmanns, Boyle Excavating, Stamford Farmers Cooperative, Ably Insurance, and TP’s Café in Stamford. Additional equipment for the camp was provided by Music Square of Oneonta, Bruce Kenyon’s Wired Heifer House Studios, Matt Woodin, and Theodore Finkle.

The band Off Limits started the show, performing original alternative rock that they had written and recorded during the camp. Ed Newman of South Kortright Central School performed lead vocals and lead/rhythm guitar and was joined by three Stamford Central School students, Kevin Prior, also on lead vocals and guitar, KC Rockwell on bass, and Dominick Parker on drums. This was the 2nd year at the Jam Camp for all members of the band. Jefferson Piasek was their counselor/band mentor.

Next, Splice took the stage performing “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” by AC/DC, “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, as well as an instrumental original written by guitarist/bassist Bobby Williams from South Kortright Central School, with arrangement help from counselor in training, Matthew Keating, a 2012 graduate of Stamford Central School. Also performing with Splice was Destiny Ray Falconio from Unatego Central School, who sang lead vocals and played the drums, Dakota Key from Charlotte Valley Central School on lead and rhythm guitar, and counselors AJ Pizcz on bass and Julian Nottage on drums.

Light Purple was the third band to perform. The band rocked out on “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin, “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, and “Blue Letter” by Fleetwood Mac. The band featured two students from Roxbury Central School, Larissa Shultis on lead vocals and bass, and guitarist and drummer, Cass Kadow. Toby Harmon from Milford Central School played rhythm guitar and bass, and Lauren Whritner from South Kortright Central School played keyboards, bass, and sang the band’s original, “The Marsupial Song,” written by John Hultenius of Delaware Academy during week one of the camp.  Matthew Curran, Julian Nottage, and Sean Degan were the rotating band counselors for this group.

The final group consisted of a Glee-style vocal group called Vocally Inclined, under the direction of Pamela West-Finkle. Bill Wither’s “Lean on Me” featured vocalists Sam Breckenridge of the Woodstock Sudbury School and Anthony Ortiz from Stamford Central School. Poeu Breckenridge, also of the Woodstock Sudbury School, sang lead on Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts,” followed by the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” featuring Jessica Alexander of Stamford Central School and Addison Harmon from Milford Central School, with Cora Van Kingsley of Sidney Schools on a trumpet part arranged by counselor in training and South Kortright Central School graduate Caleb Howland.

Next, ten year old Addison Harmon belted out Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” complete with three part harmony backup singers and choreography. Jessica Alexander and Emma Sanzone, both from Stamford Central School, wrote and performed the group’s original song called “So Over You,” which showcased Sam Breckenridge on piano, Anthony Ortiz on piccolo, Cora Van Kingsley on trumpet, and Poeu Breckenridge on cello. Ortiz, Harmon, and Sanzone also sang the Glee version of Heart’s “Alone,” and the group finished their set with a sing-a-long on the Beatle’s “Let it Be.”

The two-week day camp consisted of band formation, daily rehearsals, instruction on songwriting and arranging, master classes with guitarist Mike Herman and percussionists Marcel Smith and Theodore Finkle, and lessons on both a primary and a secondary instrument.

Parents and family members who attended the final performance were amazed at how much was accomplished in just ten days. Gerri Rideout of the Coffee Pot in Hobart explained, “From a parent’s perspective, I have to say that our jaws just dropped to the floor. To see what our kids were capable of achieving musically in that two weeks was astonishing.”

The Community Music & Arts Network provides year-round all-ages, all-access music programming and is based out of the Hobart Activity Center, with additional early childhood and preschool music classes in Oneonta. For more information, contact Pamela West-Finkle at 607-652-2330, email FunMusic4Kids@aol.com, or visit www.communitymusicnetwork.com.

Group Photo:

Back Row, L-R: KC Rockwell, Sam Breckenridge, Dominick Parker, CIT Matt Keating, counselor Jefferson Piazek, counselor AJ Pizcz, counselor Julian Nottage, Larissa Schultis, Cass Kadow, Poeu Breckenridge, Bobby Williams, Ed Newman, Kevin Prior. Front Row, L-R: Khadyja Jalloh, Addison Harmon, Cora Van Kingsley, Anthony Ortiz, Jessica Alexander, Destiny Ray Falconio, Emma Sanzone, Lauren Whritner, Dakota Key, Toby Harmon. Not pictured: Isabelle Sears Surface, John Hultenius, counselor in training Caleb Howland, counselor Sean Degan, director Pamela West-Finkle.