With quarantine still in place, the kids are staying at home and their remote-working parents are right alongside them. So needless to say, the prospect of a summer camp is pretty much out of the question for most folks, and many summer programs have been suspended or cancelled for safety reasons. But for one group of innovators, a little pandemic wasn’t about to get in the way of their yearly ritual.
Enter Austin neo-classical outfit Mother Falcon, who for nine years has led one-to-two week summer camps with an emphasis on musical performance and creative collaboration under the handle Mother Falcon Music Lab. Each year the staff of musicians and artists seems to get stronger and stronger, offering activities like podcasting, screen printing, animation, and more on top of their camp-wide curriculum. And with COVID-19 proving an obvious obstacle, the decision to continue camp was made months ago, thus launching the inaugural Virtual Summer.
And get this! It’s not just for kids this time around! This multi-media educational experience is available for both youth and adults, where the only requirement to enroll in these unique courses is internet access. The new digital format has allowed MFML’s set of Artist Instructors to construct their dream courses, ones that have finally grown legs after spending years in the aether, including Creating Sound Worlds, Music Marketing, Protest(ing) Like An Artist, Decolonizing the Industry, and more. MFML still offers the classics like Entry Improvisation and Musical Theory for all ages, but the Virtual Summer format allows participants to lean into these explorations in ways the in-person camp never had capacity for. The bottom line is always being creative with the skills you have, now with more options that cater to beginners and tapping into advanced mentorships for intermediaries, essentially granting public access to what Mother Falcon’s community provides amongst itself year-round.
You can sign up for as many or as few courses as you want, with a “full schedule” option available (with breaks) and access to a need-based discount system. On top of the roster of highly-experienced professional creatives, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth with the “Chill Room”, giving a safe space to talk or play games with Social Worker/Multi-Instrumentalist Mr. Michael!
Mother Falcon Music Lab Program Director Clara Brill shares, “It’s been inspiring, especially under the circumstances, to have our community come together and collaborate to bring these new ideas to life. We’re really looking forward to sharing what we’ve put together!” Enrollment is open as of tonight, so sign up while you still can, and remember:
–Jack Anderson
