Camp Life
Your experience at the FSU Summer Music Camps will go far beyond studying notes on a page. It is an opportunity to try new things, gain independence and confidence, and to take advantage of new opportunities that will help you grow as an individual as well as a musician.
The FSU Summer Music Camps is located at the College of Music on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL.
Overnight campers stay at the Southgate Campus Centre. Southgate is an air-conditioned, private dormitory just a five minute walk from the College of Music buildings. Campers are supervised by our resident staff of camp counselors.
Students who wish to attend camp as a day camper must be staying at home or with a Tallahassee relative over the age of 21. Day campers are required to attend all rehearsals, performances, and classes and should plan to attend camp daily from 8:00am-5:00pm and some evenings from 7:00pm-9:30pm if there are required music activities after dinner (this primarily applies to Workshops).
Camp Life Information
Accommodations for Campers
Florida State is committed to providing a quality education to all qualified students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Please contact our office at 850-644-9934 to discuss any questions or accommodations that may need to be made for your camper at least three weeks prior to the start of camp.
Late Arrivals and Early Departures
We know that travel schedules can often be complicated, but we hope that won't prevent you from attending camp. We can arrange for late arrivals and early departures if needed. Please note that we cannot offer pro-rated camp tuition or housing based on a late arrival or early departure. You will be able to tell us the details of your late arrival or early departure on the Housing and Dining Form which is part of the camp forms packets you will have access to after you are registered.
Arriving Late To Camp
A late arrival means that you know in advance that you will be arriving:
- on the same day as camp check-in but AFTER the official camp check-in time
(see your camp description page or handbook if you are not sure what that day and time is). - on a day that is after the official camp check-in day
In these cases, please contact our office to notify us of your expected arrival time. We will give you instructions about where to go on campus based on the time and day you will be arriving.
Leaving Camp Early
An early departure means that you know in advance that the camper will be leaving one or more days prior to the official end date of camp.
In this case, please contact our office to notify us of the expected departure date and time. We will be able to give you instructions about how and where to pick up your camper.
Campers Traveling By Themselves To Camp
Campers may travel to and from camp without a parent. If your camper will be travelling to and/or from camp by themselves or with another family, please keep the following things in mind:
CAMPERS ARRIVING BY CAR
If the camper is driving to camp there is no special parking permit needed. The camper will be able to park in the Southgate Campus Centre parking garage for no charge and will be required to turn in their keys upon check-in. Overnight campers may not use their cars once they have checked into camp.
CAMPERS ARRIVING BY BUS OR PLANE
If the camper is arriving by mass transit it is possible that they will have to arrive before or after designated check-in times. We can coordinate an early or late check-in for these campers - just give us a call to let us know. Visit our Travel Services Page for information about our Shuttle Service
Airline reservations for your flight home should be no earlier than 2 HOURS AFTER THE END OF THE FINAL CONCERT. (i.e. if your concert ends at 4pm, do not schedule a flight any earlier than 6pm). Please consult the performance schedule times to be sure that you are leaving ample time.
Discuss the transport of large instruments with your carrier prior to your trip. Please make sure that your camper has plenty of money for any baggage fees which might occur on the trip home. The camps cannot pay for excess baggage fees.
Campers under the age of 14 traveling alone by plane may be considered an “unaccompanied minor” by the airline. This means that he/she is required to be picked up by a designated individual. The airline may require the name, address & contact information of that person at the time you book the flight.
PREPARING YOUR CAMPER
Please call us and verify that all of the campers forms are complete and the balance of camp fees has been paid in full before they come to camp. This will ensure that the camper has a smooth check-in.
PERMISSION TO LEAVE WITH ANOTHER FAMILY
If someone other than the parent(s) on the camp registration will be signing the camper out from camp, you must fill out a Sign-Out Permission Form.
Attending Multiple Camps
What's better than coming to a camp at FSU? Coming to MANY camps at FSU!
If you are joining us for more than one camp this summer, we wanted you to know that:
- You only need to fill out your supplemental forms once.
- If your camps are consecutive, you have the option to:
1. Check-out from the first camp during regular check-out and spend the night off campus. You would then check in to your next camp during regular camp check-in the next day.
2. Stay overnight in the dorm between the two camps. You will be brought to check-in for the next camp by one of our counselors.
If you select to stay on campus for the night in-between the two camps, you will need to request an extra night of housing.
The cost for an extra night of housing is $50.00/night. This includes the additional night, counselor supervision, and all extra meals.
To secure your extra night, fill out the Extra Housing Request Form and return it to us along with a check made payable to Florida State University. The deadline to request extra housing is two weeks prior to the start of your camp.
We can not guarantee that you will remain in the same dorm room but we will do our best to make this happen if possible.
Taking Summer Classes
Do you need to do coursework for an academic class while at camp?
There is limited access to the internet available to campers who are enrolled in an academic course. Arrangements must be made in advance by contacting the camp office. Students must bring their own computer. Access will be provided on select evenings when the campers schedule permits. You will be able to tell us if you need internet access on the Housing and Dining Form which is part of the camp forms packets you will have access to after you are registered.
Instruments and Instrument Storage
The instrument that you selected during camp registration is the instrument that you must play at camp. If you are not sure which instrument you selected, or if you would like to change your instrument to a different one, please contact our office prior to the start of your camp.
All campers must bring an instrument AND a music stand with them to camp.
Jazz Camps: Drum, Bass, And Guitar Requirements
- Drummers must bring a 4-5 piece kit - snare drum, 1-2 rack toms, floor tom, cymbals (ride, crash and hi-hat), and hardware (hi-hat stand, cymbal stand(s), drum throne, bass drum pedal). Drumsticks and brushes.
- Electric Bass and Electric Guitar players must bring an amp, cables, and an extension cord with them in addition to their instrument.
- Upright Bass players should bring a stool (bar stool height) and if you plan to play with a pick-up (not required) you should also bring an amp, cables, and an extension cord.
Campers do not need their drum kit for the audition (we will provide one for that). Your drum kit can be unloaded by the breezeway at the Housewright Music Building after you complete your placement audition but before you go to the dorm where you will be directed to a secure location to store it.
Lockers
Lockers are available to some campers. Due to limited availability, some students may be asked to share lockers, and some campers including vocalists and those who play small instruments such as flute or clarinet may not receive lockers.
Lockers are located in the Housewright Music Building and have a built-in combination lock. Campers will provided with the locker combination as part of the welcome packet. Campers are responsible for any materials stored in these lockers. The lockers are managed by the College of Music, not the camps, and we cannot control who has the locker before and after you. If you leave anything behind after camp check-out we cannot guarantee that it will be returned.
Oversized Instruments
Campers who play oversized instruments will be provided with a secure room to lock up their instruments rather than a locker. This room will be in either the Housewright or Kuersteiner Music Building. This may apply to tuba, guitar (both electric & acoustic), bass (both upright and electric), drummers at Jazz Ensemble Camp who bring their own drum kit, and other large instruments. Campers who play oversized instruments will be directed to the storage location during check-in.
Money
Most of the items that campers spend money on are snacks, drinks, the occasional pizza delivery, and recreation activities. All of these are payable with cash only.
We encourage parents to make sure that campers have enough money for activities before they leave. It is difficult for parents to get money to campers once they have left campus. The camps are not permitted to cash checks and there are no Western Union locations near campus.
If you are concerned about your child carrying cash (there are no safes in the rooms), you might consider a pre-paid ATM card. These are available at Walmart and most convenience stores or grocery stores. Just make sure that it can be used as a debit and ATM card. There is a SunTrust ATM machine in Southgate where the camper can withdraw cash from the pre-paid card when they need it.
In the event that you need to send money to a camper after they are here, you will need to utilize the Western Union at the Publix on Ocala Road. You will need to work with your camper and counselor to determine a time that they can go to receive the transfer.
The following is a list of common expenditures: T-Shirt: $15, Optional Activities/Field Trips: $7-$15/event, Snacks/Pizza/Other Spending: $50 per week
If you are planning to send mail to a camper while they are at camp, we suggest you do the following:
- Send it before they leave
Our campus mail system slows the process down by as much as four days! We often receive cards and letters for campers long after their camp has ended - especially for campers that are here for our one-week camps. By sending mail the week before your camper leaves, we will be able to hold onto it until their arrival and give it to them during the camp week. Any packages which need to be forwarded after camp has ended will be at the family’s expense.
- Send it to the camp administration office.
We encourage you to send mail to our Administration Office (FSU Summer Music Camps, PO Box 3061180, 122 N. Copeland Street, HMU 204, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1180). Mail that is sent directly to the dorm will be received by Southgate employees - not our camp staff. Sending it to the Camp Administration Office is the only way to ensure that the package will get to the right person.
- Send it via FedEx or UPS: DON'T SHIP VIA US MAIL
If you are sending campers anything of value, we HIGHLY suggest sending it via FedEx or UPS. This is the only way to guarantee that your son or daughter will receive the package. If you use the US Postal Service with a tracking number you will find that once the package leaves the Tallahassee Post Office and enters the campus mail system, the tracking number will no longer work and it will seem like the package has been lost. The Post Office will not be able to help you track it down. Only FedEx and UPS will enable you to track your package all they way through delivery.
- Next Day Service doesn’t really mean next DAY.
Mail and packages are only delivered to the College of Music once per day - usually at about 3pm. Even if you pay for AM delivery, expedited overnight service or priority delivery, it won’t be delivered to our office until the late afternoon. It will then be given to the counselors who will get it to the camper at dinner time. Bottom line - if you send something on a Tuesday via overnight service, don’t expect the camper to get it until Wednesday evening at the earliest.