Intro to Electronic Music Camp
Get started composing your own electronic music in this fun camp for high school students.
This one-week camp is designed for high school students who are new to music software applications and music composition. The Introduction to Music Technology offers students a chance to dive into engineering and electronic music composition through experiential learning.
Who is it for?
Our camps are open to rising 9th through 12th graders in high school. The introductory electronic music camp is perfect for students interested in:
- Learning how technology impacts the ways we create, produce and consume music.
- Composing their own electronic music using Garageband and other software and hardware tools.
- Increasing their knowledge of music theory in order to become better songwriters or composers.
What will you learn?
- Camp faculty will work closely with each student to learn concepts and skills related to electronic music production, including songwriting with software applications, music theory and keyboard skills, structuring and using digital instruments and effects, and how to use physical audio equipment as a foundation for creating electronic music.
- In every class, students will work hands-on to develop an understanding of the concepts underlying modern music technology.
- By the end of the camp, they will have composed their own original song or ringtone using music software.
- Students will also be engaged in hour-long seminars offered by media specialists at the D.H. Hill Library or faculty from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on various topics and learning objectives involving music and technology.
Already have a music theory background and can compose your own electronic music using software applications? Check out our Music Production Camp for a deeper dive.
Sample Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30-9 a.m. | Drop off |
| 9-10:15 a.m. | Playing software instruments; making a beat using Garageband |
| 10:15-11:30 a.m. | Keyboard skills and music theory |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1-2 p.m. | Daily project-based learning (e.g. how to make a speaker, sound engineering, etc.) |
| 2-4:30 p.m. | Fundamentals of recording; microphones and mixers |
| 4:30 p.m. | Pick up |
Registration
Registration is open from January 1 through June 1 or until all spaces are filled. A limited number of spaces are available so please register early.
You will need to create a Brickyard account in our Reporter system in order to register for the camp. Visit the Reporter parent account guide for setup instructions.
Cost
$450 per camper (includes lunch, camp t-shirt, instruction, supplies and activities)
What to Bring
Raleigh is typically hot during the month of June (avg. high 89°F). All NC State buildings will have air conditioning for the duration of camp, but some activities and transitioning between sessions will be outdoors.
- Comfortable clothes (shorts and t-shirts) and closed-toe shoes for walking around campus
- Light jacket/sweatshirt for cool indoor spaces
- Rain gear for inclement weather
- Water bottle
- Pens/pencils and notebook
- Backpack
- Media storage device such as a USB thumb drive
Please make sure all of your belongings are marked with your name, address, and school.
The instuctors were very kind and helpful. I enjoyed having an instructor who understood that the important thing with music technology was creating something that was interesting to each individual and not just learning what all of the buttons did.
2019 camp participant
Faculty & Staff
Director of Camps
Camp Clinician
Get to know our guest clinician, Howie Ledford!
Howell “Howie” Ledford is in his seventh year of teaching Music Production at Weaver Academy for Performing & Visual Arts and Advanced Technology in Greensboro, NC. At Weaver, his students have enjoyed success at the national level winning the NAfME Electronic Composition Contest, State winner and national contestant with the National PTSA Reflections Contest, and Youth Arts Award Winner from the Youth Arts Foundation.
Previous to this Mr. Ledford taught Electronic Music at Career Center High School in Winston-Salem, NC. Mr. Ledford has taught band and orchestra in some form for twenty-one years. He serves as a Marching Band Instructor for East Forsyth High School and has been an Associate Conductor for the Wachovia Winds Youth Wind Ensemble. He also has been a clinician at the NC State Summer Music Technology Camp.
Mr. Ledford graduated from Mars Hill College/University in 2001 with a BME and a Minor in Computer Science. Mr. Ledford earned a Master’s Degree in Music from UNC-G in 2010 and is presently the chair of the NCMEA Music Technology Committee.
