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St. John’s delights music campers with pitch, rhythm, dynamics and form

St. John’s Episcopal Church has been a Tallahassee landmark for over 125 years. For the past 26 of them, Betsy Calhoun has served as the director of music. Her passion is working with children: “I…

St. John’s Episcopal Church has been a Tallahassee landmark for over 125 years.

For the past 26 of them, Betsy Calhoun has served as the director of music. Her passion is working with children: “I just love how they learn and I love their sound.” Though both the church and Calhoun are well established, this year they introduced something new, a summer music camp for elementary-age children.

“I wanted to offer a high-quality program that wasn’t just for entertainment. I wanted it to be a fun learning experience,” Calhoun said. As part of that experience, campers became familiar with four composers; a variety of instruments; and musical concepts like pitch, rhythm, dynamics and form. They were taught by a team of five camp faculty members, all of whom have either degrees or extensive experience in music and education.

Even at age 15, volunteer counselor Lexie Blount has acquired considerable music experience. “I’ve been in choir for about nine years, which is most of my life, and it’s been one of the most fun things of my life.” Lexie was excited to help with the new camp and she enjoyed “meeting all the kids and seeing what their favorite part of music is.” Camper Spencer Thomas, 6, had no trouble identifying her favorite part. “Last year, I got really into music and I started singing a lot.” She added, “I love music, it’s my talent.” Pearl Hogan, 7, was also happy to share what she enjoys most about music. “If I close my eyes while playing classical music, I can see a bunch of images and it’s really cool. I listen and see what the music brings.”

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