Virtual Summer Cello Boot Camp

For Grades 6–12 & college students. Minimum 4 and maximum 10 students per session.

Younger students (age: 6-10) and beginners are welcome for the masterclasses on Friday (August 7th and August 14th) from 1:30–3:30 pm.

Violinists, please see our sister boot camp offered by Petia Radneva-Manlova.

Dates

Session 1: August 3–7 (Mon–Fri)
Session 2: August 10–14 (Mon–Fri)

Camp mission

To improve the student’s cello technique, discover new practice methodology, and have the opportunity to perform for a group. We will utilize online technology to create a fantastic mixture of both group and individual instruction, plus performance opportunities that benefit each student individually.

Hours

Full Day: 9:45 am – 4:00 pm
Half Day: 9:45 am – 1:00 pm

Tuition

Full Day: $400 per week ($750 for 2 weeks)

Half Day: $250 per week ($450 for 2 weeks)

Friday Master Class: $30 (included in Full Day package)

 

Cello Boot Camp Daily Schedule (except Friday afternoon)

9:45–10

Call time. Join meeting, do sound check, tune your cello!

10–10:50

Scales and other technical exercises as a group

11–11:50

Individual practice in breakout rooms of your teacher-recommended technical exercises. These may come from me OR from your private teacher.

12–12:50

Individual practice in breakout rooms of your Etudes/Solo pieces

1–1:30

Lunch Break (HALF DAY ENDS HERE)

1:30–3

Individual mini-lessons (time split evenly between students)/Individual practice in breakout rooms (Solo/Orchestral repertoire)

3–4

Studio Class with Ms. Dunseath featuring student performances

 

Friday Afternoon Schedule

1:30–3:30

Master Class with Guest Artist co-hosting

3:30-4

Individual practice in breakout rooms to work on comments from the Master Class

Goals and outcomes

  • organize practice
  • know when to stop and when to keep working on something
  • set short, intermediate, and long-term goals in your practicing
  • learn to identify good and bad habits in your practicing
  • clean up pitch, sound, bow control, shifting, vibrato, coordination, and accuracy
  • learn music quickly and efficiently
  • improve sight-reading skills

Materials needed for camp participation

  • Any solo repertoire assigned by your teacher
  • Practice Journal (spiral notebook is fine)
  • Klengel – Technical Studies for Cello, Volume 1 (available for free on IMSLP) 
  • Sevcik Opus 2 Part 1 School Of Bowing Technique (IMSLP)
  • Alwin Schroeder 170 Foundation Studies for Cello, Volume 1 (IMSLP) 
  • Video Recording device for playback during practice sessions (smartphone, tablet, digital recorder, etc.)
  • Pencils and erasers
  • Music stand

Things to know

Each morning we will all be playing through a designated scale and arpeggios with the students’ microphones muted, and the teacher’s microphone on. It will be like playing with only me: you can hear me but I cannot hear you. I recommend the LOUDEST speaker you have so you can hear me clearly while you play. Alternately, you can use a high-quality pair of headphones. Please set up your boot camp practice space where you have the highest-speed internet connection in your home. I will be trying a new platform that works with ZOOM, called IQOYA, which makes the sound heavenly and the video and audio more in sync.

After designing a daily practice plan for you, I will drop into your virtual practice room throughout the day to help shape your personal choices and practice strategies. I will also guide you through your practice time to make sure your practice schedule is maintained. This motivation will help you become accountable to yourself, thus moving you towards your goals in music. As needed, I will offer my “prescriptions” for any faulty practice technique that I discover as I monitor your practice.* In addition, the daily master classes will cover a myriad of important topics for musicians (listed below in “Goals and Outcomes”).

This program is designed to supplement your private teacher’s efforts and goals for you, thus I recommend keeping your weekly lesson with your teacher during Boot Camp week, if possible.

Individual practice is monitored by the teacher in breakout rooms.

In addition to the regular time I am with you in the breakout rooms, each person will get the equivalent of one sixty-minute private lesson through mini-sessions during the week.

I will be tailoring your individual practice assignments to what you specifically need in your practicing and technique, instead of choosing the same thing for everyone (like in a group class)

The schedule will remain flexible, according to the number students and their needs

I will send out directions regarding IQOYA soon.

For Half Day Students: your time can be used for your private lesson music except for the first hour.

Register for Cello Boot Camp

Please use this form to register. Lauren will contact you to provide further information.

Virtual Lessons & Studio Classes

Although the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic makes in-person lessons inadvisable, Lauren has years of experience teaching virtual lessons on a variety of streaming platforms, including Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime. She also hosts regular studio classes over Zoom so her students can continue to perform for others while live recitals are not possible.