Choose Your Minor
Blue Lake offers the following 28 minors for Central
Camp students. Camp Bernstein students select
from 6 choices listed on the application. Please
specify your choice for a Minor on your application.
Acceptance in Minors is awarded on a first-come,
first-served basis, and enrollment is limited. Fees
for minors range from $25 - $85 for Central Camp,
and $40 for Camp Bernstein. Central camp students
who are not enrolled in a Minor use that time for
individual practice or rest time. All Bernstein students
are required to take a Minor.
Select from the list of minors below to jump to a course description.
1. Team Sports
Campers participating in the Team Sports minor
will have the opportunity to participate in a variety
of team-oriented sports such as basketball, flag
football, soccer, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee.
Additional group activities include non-traditional
team-building exercises and games aimed at
fostering cooperation, team-building, sportsmanship,
and friendly competition, all while having great fun
and a few laughs. Daily activities will vary throughout
the session and team placement will be based upon
enrollment. (Back to Top)
2. Campfire Guitar
Through ten casual sessions, students will have fun
learning, writing, and exchanging “chord” style songs
associated with the tradition of American camping.
These songs are best enjoyed while hanging out on
a starry summer night with friends around a warm
campfire. All levels of ability welcome, and campers
must bring their own guitar. (Back to Top)
3. Take a Hike
This nature study Minor allows students to
experience the natural resources of the beautiful
Manistee National Forest. Through ten classes,
students will learn about the variety of plants and
animals that make Blue Lake their home, as well
as what they can do to help preserve our natural
wonders. Blue Lake’s nature trails, platted by
the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, provide
students with a perfect outdoor classroom for
extensive exploration. (Back to Top)
4. Try A New Instrument
Students will receive group and individual instruction
on a new instrument in one of three areas: Woodwind
(flute, clarinet, and alto saxophone), Brass (trumpet,
F horn, trombone), and String (violin and cello).
Students will have an opportunity to work with all
instruments within the selected area. Open only to
campers majoring in Instrumental Music Programs
(Band, Orchestra, Jazz, Piano, Harp). Support for
these classes is provided by Meyer Music Company,
school music specialists located in Grand Rapids,
Holland, and Muskegon. Visit www.meyer-music.com for more information. (Back to Top)
5. Conducting
Through group instruction and practice with scores
and recordings, students will learn to conduct
basic beat patterns, preparations and cutoffs, cues,
fermati, tempo changes, and dynamics. Other
activities will include observation of staff or festival
ensemble rehearsals. Ability to read treble and
bass clefs recommended. This minor is open only to
students majoring in music programs. (Back to Top)
6. Music Theory
Through ten classes, the Music Theory Minor
introduces beginning and intermediate students
to the fundamentals of music theory. An initial
placement test will assist instructors in assessing
students’ individual abilities. Piano majors receive
theory as a part of their instructional day and are
therefore not eligible for this minor.
(Back to Top)
7. Music Composition
The objective of this course is to expose students to
the basic principles of music composition. They will
receive guidance in the composition of original music
as well as exploration of historical compositional
methods. Ability to read treble and bass clefs and
basic knowledge of music theory is required. This minor is not available for Composition majors. (Back to Top)
8. History of Music
Through ten classes, the music appreciation Minor
will provide students with a brief survey of various
musical styles throughout history including Medieval,
Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
Twentieth-Century, and Jazz music. Students will
focus on recorded examples and be exposed to
relevant historical background influencing the
specific styles. (Back to Top)
9. All That Jazz
The Jazz History Minor, designed for both musicians
and non-musicians, will include an overview of the
history of jazz and its many styles including the roots
of jazz (African music, blues, ragtime), traditional
New Orleans jazz, swing/big band, bebop, cool jazz,
hard bop, free jazz, fusion, and other contemporary
trends. Students will focus on recorded musical
examples to study the musicians, performance
practices, and musical elements that define jazz. (Back to Top)
10. Jazz Band
The Jazz Band Minor provides students an
opportunity to experience traditional big band
music. This ensemble emphasizes the development
of rhythmic and articulation concepts unique to
Jazz, as well as the fundamentals of improvisation.
Enrollment is limited to instrumentation requirements
for a standard big-band (alto, tenor, and bari saxes,
trumpets, trombones, piano, bass, and drums), and
students should have at least two years of musical
experience. Jazz percussionists are required to bring
their own snare drum & stand, sticks, and brushes.
This 10-day course will culminate with a short
performance for other campers. This minor is not
available for Jazz majors.(Back to Top)
11. Fiddling
Open to all string majors of all ability levels, a variety
of alternative styles in string performance practice
will be explored. Students will be exposed to basic
concepts involved in performing jazz, American
folk music, blues, and other styles from around the
world. This 10-day course will culminate with a short
performance for other campers.(Back to Top)
12. Piano (beginner)
The Beginning Piano Minor offers group classes for
the student who has had no previous experience
with the keyboard. Ten classes are divided into group
instruction and individual practice time. (Back to Top)
13. Piano (intermediate - advanced)
The Intermediate-Advanced Piano Minor offers
students who are currently studying piano at
home ten sessions, including two master classes,
four private lessons, supervised practice, and an
opportunity to perform for other piano minor students
on the final Saturday of the session. Students should
have at least two years of private study prior to camp,
and must bring a piece of classical music ready to
play for their teacher at the first meeting. Students
should also plan to bring other current repertoire to
camp. This minor is not available for Piano majors. (Back to Top)
14. Art
The Art Minor offers students of all ability levels a wide variety of class choices. Students focus on their creativity at their own pace, and one piece of their artwork will be shown at the Final Sunday Art Show. Select your area of concentration on your Camp Application. Drawing focuses on the fundamentals with pencil, charcoal, and colored pencils. Painting instruction includes watercolor and acrylic basics in daily lessons. Ceramics - Hand building explores clay pinch, slab, and coil constructions. Fiber Arts offers a variety of techniques to create 2D and 3D art using fibers intermixed with various other materials. Sculpture experiments with subtractive, additive, and assemblage sculpture techniques. Printmaking explores prints using the techniques of linoleum cuts, mono-prints, reduction printing, and etching. (Back to Top)
15. Camp Crafts
The new Camp Crafts Minor provides students
the opportunity to create traditional camp crafts
that have been part of the camping experience
for generations. Activities include projects such
as braiding, beading, painting, tie-dying, working
with natural materials, and other projects, allowing
campers to use their individual creativity while
making cool stuff at camp! (Back to Top)
16. Contemporary Dance
The Contemporary Dance Minor is structured in two
levels to offer beginning students an introduction
to basic dance technique while providing more
advanced dancers a challenging experience. Classes
focus on conditioning, technique, and a variety of
dance styles including classical ballet, contemporary,
and other dance genres. Contemporary Dance Minors
will have the opportunity to perform at an informal
showing for fellow campers at the conclusion of
the session. Please specify on your application:
Contemporary Dance I (no prior dance experience)
or Contemporary Dance II (at least 2 years dance
experience recommended). This Minor is not
available for Dance majors. (Back to Top)
17. Acting
The Acting Minor offers ten sessions in a workshop
format that includes instruction in basic acting skills
such as voice production, movement, improvisation
and scene work. This basic course is aimed at
students with minimal to moderate experience and
will culminate with a short performance for other
campers. This minor is not available for Theater
majors. (Back to Top)
18. Shakespeare
The Shakespeare Minor offers students an
opportunity to hone their approach to Shakespearean
text through focused scene work under the guidance
of a professional Shakespearean teaching-artist.
This 10-day course will culminate with a short
performance for other campers. (Back to Top)
19. Musical Theater
The Musical Theater Minor offers more experienced
students an opportunity to refine their abilities as
actors, singers, and dancers through focused song
study under the guidance of a professional teachingartist.
This 10-day course will culminate with a short
performance for other campers. (Back to Top)
20. Harp
Open to beginning harpists, the Harp Minor teaches
students basic technique in a small ensemble format.
Lever harps are provided. Students must be
able to read the Grand Staff (treble and bass clefs).
This 10-day course will culminate with a short
performance for others on the last Saturday of the session. This minor is
not available to Harp majors. (Back to Top)
21. Intro to Opera
Taught by the professional Opera faculty, the Intro to
Opera Minor provides students with an overview of
this unique and timeless genre that combines the art
forms of Music, Theater, Art, and Dance. Students
will study and analyze through viewing and listening
to legendary performances of some of the more
famous operas. Discussions will include topics such
as stories and plots, character study, text and libretto,
orchestration, composers and singers, as well as the
technical elements of staging, lighting, costumes,
and sets. (Back to Top)
22. Choir
Through ten full ensemble rehearsals, the Choir
Minor will introduce standard choral literature
which may include the following styles: traditional,
(sacred and secular), swing, and Broadway show
tunes. Instruction in vocal production, diction and
interpretation, sight-singing, and musicianship will be emphasized. This course is for students
with minimum to moderate vocal experience and
is not available to choir majors. This 10-day course
will culminate with a short performance for other
campers. This minor is not available to Choir majors.(Back to Top)
23. Vocal Jazz
The Vocal Jazz Minor provides choir and jazz students
an opportunity to further develop their musical skills
by exploring concepts unique to vocal jazz. Students
will study vocal jazz repertoire, jazz styles, vocal
improvisation, and other rhythmic and articulation
concepts. This course will culminate with a short
performance for other campers. The Vocal Jazz minor
is open only to Choir and Jazz Majors. (Back to Top)
24. Radio Broadcasting
Learn about radio at Blue Lake’s Public Radio Station.
Taught by professional broadcasters at WBLV, this
course will introduce students to radio programming,
music selection, broadcast equipment, producing
and editing programs, and remote recording.
Using equipment in one of the broadcast studios,
participants will record their own voices. (Back to Top)
25. Yoga
The new Yoga Minor introduces students to the
benefits of creating balance in the body along with
awareness of how the mind and body work together.
Young artists will have fun learning yoga poses,
postures, and relaxation techniques while developing
both strength and flexibility. The yoga minor is taught
by our outstanding dance faculty and held in the
dance studios. (Back to Top)
26. Health and Fitness
The Health and Fitness Minor introduces young
artists to basic concepts of self-maintenance that
support a healthful lifestyle and enhance their focus in
their chosen arts discipline. Students will learn the
fundamentals of conditioning through techniques
such as Pilates and core conditioning exercises
which promote personal strength, concentration and
body awareness. Discussions will address topics
such as healthful diet, time management, exercise and
how it all ties together to help young artists excel. (Back to Top)
27. World Music
Through ten classes, the World Music Minor will
provide students with a brief survey of various
musical styles of indigenous music and song from
around the world, including non-Western classical,
folk, and tribal music. Students will focus on recorded
examples and be exposed to relevant background
influencing the specific styles. (Back to Top)
28. Creative Writing
The Creative Writing Minor introduces students to
techniques for sharpening their short fiction and
poetry writing skills. Students will work on short,
fun writing assignments in a writing workshop
format, receiving feedback on their writing from the
instructor as well as their classmates. At the end
of the session, all campers will publish one of their
writing pieces in a class magazine that they may take
home. (Back to Top)
