Camden Branch Summer Camp Takes a Bow

The Camden School of Musical Arts Branch featured the final performance of its annual Summer Music Theater Camp a few weeks ago, and the video is really worth a look. Students at the Camp wrote and performed their own show incorporating songs from the Disney songbook.



For three hours every day for a month, these students ran vocal exercises, learned dance moves and performance techniques, and eventually put together a wide-ranging show featuring songs new and old. They even wrote a few commercials for Campbells Soup, whose foundation provided principal funding for the camp.



More videos from their performance and the rest of Settlement Music School's summer camps can be found on Settlement's YouTube Channel.

If you're interested in learning more about the Camden Branch of Settlement Music School, a Back to School Open House will be held on the first day of classes, September 20, from 4pm-7pm. Prospective students and parents can talk to faculty about instruments, participate in a Children's Music Workshop or dance class, and listen and sing along with with the Gleeksman-Kohn Children’s Choir. If you're already planning to attend, bring a friend, or share the event on Facebook.

As Summer Winds Down, So Does Summer Camp

Just before the School shut down for Summer Break, a few of the Summer Camps had their final performances. In fact, a few of the camps finished up on the same day. We had folks running all over the place trying to snap cool pictures and take some video we could share.

At the Kardon-Northeast Branch, Jen Halas, one of our branch board members, managed to get some great video of a few of the performances.

We've been posting a lot of videos from the Summer programs at Settlement, and hope you take the time to peruse the Settlement YouTube channel. If you follow us on Twitter, we'll send you updates each time we add video.

Here's another one:


You can find more video from Summer Guitar Camp on our YouTube channel.

Pillars, Pianos and Patios

Just before the school closes for the summer break, we've got pictures fresh from the camera of our facilities manager, Bob Giannone. The builders have finished the brick facade, windows are being installed, and a front entrance is taking shape.As we've noted before, this front entrance is actually at the rear of the building, if you're looking at the structure from Davisville road.

From street side of the building, we've just finished the support columns for the walk-in gate that sits to the left of the branch. There will be a wrought iron fence that wraps the property, with a drive-in gate just to the left of these pillars.
With the outside of the building coming rapidly together, planning for the interior of building has become a priority. Before the branch opens, we'll be introducing 34 pianos and a harpsichord to the space. Heading up this endeavor is Art Jones, our piano technician. Yesterday, he and Jenkintown Branch Director Marsha Hogan visited the Willow Grove site to get a jump on piano planning.Here, they're viewing the layout of the second and third floor studios to figure out what goes where.

The School's summer break starts today and ends August 16. But while the School may be closed for a week, work on the Willow Grove Branch will continue unabated. For more photos, including the beginnings of the recital hall patio and cranes delivering drywall to the third floor, check out the School's Facebook page.

Skylight Serenade

With its new brick facade, the Willow Grove Branch not only looks a lot more like a building, it's actually kind of pretty. Not that raw construction doesn't look good, per se, but you can see now the promise of the architectural drawings we've been looking at for a while. Just try to see past all the dirt and construction equipment, and there's a quite attractive building underneath.

And if that wasn't enough, take a look at what's just been installed on the roof of the building:
Not the HVAC unit. The skylight in front of it. There you go. Not to discount the beauty of a properly installed heating and air conditioning system, but the skylight probably has it beat in terms of pure aesthetics. Here it is from another angle:

And the view from the dance studio? Pretty spectacular, especially on a day as beautiful as the one on which this picture was taken. The skylight is centered right above the dance studio floor.

More pictures of the construction can be found on our Facebook page, including some shots of the acid wash used on the brick facade, and a closer look at that HVAC unit.