The sound of a 12-bar blues jam filled the performance space of 1014 S. Michigan as children and volunteers prepared for the first day of Blues Camp International this summer.
The attendees of the camp, aged from 12 to 18, began the day with a “Musicians Pledge,” positively affirming their own statuses as young musicians before they were divided into the ensembles that they will be working with for the one-week camp, which started Monday, July 6, and runs through Friday, July 10.
Founded in 2010 by Columbia College adjunct faculty Fernando Jones, Blues Camp International uses the blues to teach young musicians more than scales and songs. Through weeklong ensemble rehearsals, performances and community activities, the camp aims to build confidence, teamwork and an appreciation for one of America’s foundational musical traditions.
“The expectation is, of course, for kids to learn and appreciate the blues,” said Jones, who teaches Blues Ensemble in the School of Audio and Music. “But more so, the expectation is for the kids to have an opportunity to be kids.”
Campers go to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Roller Skating and Bowling Center in the Auburn Park neighborhood, for example.
The college has hosted the camp every year since its inception in 2010. Throughout the years, the camp has been able to establish partnerships with colleges throughout the country, including Governors State University and The Arts Based School located in North Carolina.
Jaden Allen, an 18-year-old graduate of Hillcrest High School, is beginning his fifth year with the camp. Allen said he got into music, specifically the blues, during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to hone his craft ever since.
“When I first got here, I was quiet, I was nonchalant, I didn’t talk to anybody. But after experiencing blues camp and being around other creatives like me, I’m very outspoken. Not only has it helped me and my personality, it’s helped me with my music.”
Parents of children in the camp, as well as community members who grew up in the camp, serve as volunteers, making sure everything runs smoothly.
Lesha Roundtree, a parent of a child in the blues ensemble, traveled from West Palm Beach, Florida, to attend this year’s camp. The family had participated in the Palm Beach branch of the camp during the winter, and this was their first year traveling to Chicago for the summer camp.
“I hope he gains a deeper understanding of the blues,” Roundtree said of her son. “Being in a different city has already broadened his horizons.”
Gary Yerkins, an emeritus music professor at Columbia, co-founded Blues Camp International during his time at Columbia and continues to oversee the camp to help students hone their music and social skills.
“Certainly they’re here to have fun,” Yerkins said. “As musicians ourselves, we recognize how important music and playing music with other people was in our personal and particularly our social development.”
Yerkins added, “We’re trying to pass on the value of that.”
The weeklong camp will culminate in a final concert on Friday, July 10, showcasing what each ensemble put together during their week of practice. The concert will take place at 1014 S. Michigan. Tickets are $10.
Copy edited by Antonio Chaves
