Annual Summary
About Our Camp
The inaugural University of Arizona Summer Music Camp took place from June 16–20, 2025, welcoming young musicians from across Southern Arizona. Open to campers completing grades 5 through 8 with at least one year of experience in music, the camp provided immersive instruction, ensemble experiences, and mentorship from university faculty, students, and community musicians.
Campers participated in specialized tracks—Band, Orchestra, or Choir—enhancing their musical skills through rehearsals, sectionals, and performances. The program emphasized musical growth, collaboration, and community engagement, supported by a diverse team of faculty, staff, and student educators.
Enrollment
We welcomed over 130 students to the University of Arizona School of Music for our summer camp. Students came from nine school districts and over 60 different schools in the greater Tucson area.
Enrollment by Grade
Enrollment by Musical Area
Band
66 Students
Choir
7 Students
Orchestra
60 Students
Testimonials
Student Highlight
I really enjoyed how fun the staff made this. Time literally flew by!
Parent Highlight
This was an amazing time. We would love to do it again. My child had nothing but positive feedback.
Student Highlight
My favorite part of camp was seeing my growth with the music throughout.
Faculty Highlight
I enjoyed making connections with the kids, working alongside the music ed faculty, and being able to share it with our community.
Tuition
In an effort to remove financial barriers, we provided need-based scholarships to 30% of campers.
Personnel
The University of Arizona Summer Music Camp provided professional training and experience for 16 undergraduate student and 2 graduate student employees. Additional instructional roles were filled by 5 faculty members, 5 community teachers, and 1 staff member.
Dr. M. Nicole Davis, Co-Director
Assistant Professor of Music, Choral Conducting and Choral Music Education
Dr. Kelsey Nussbaum, Co-Director
Assistant Professor of Music, String Music Education
Director, University of Arizona String Project
We’d like to extend our thanks to the following School of Music personnel for their support and assistance:
- Dr. Lori Wiest, Director
- Carson Scott, Facilities Manager
Future Visions
Based on the community support and student enthusiasm for the Summer Music Camp, we are excited to continue development for the 2026 camp and future growth.
2026 Goals
- Increase total student enrollment to over 150 students with a targeted emphasis on choral area.
- Employ additional undergraduate student workers to support increased enrollment and expand job-training opportunities for music education majors.
- Fund a student or staff camp coordinator to assist in the administrative management of the camp
Continued Growth
In future years, we hope to continue to support Southern Arizona youth by providing additional opportunities through the University of Arizona Summer Music Camp. Possible areas of future growth include:
- Offer additional sessions of camp, providing students the opportunity to enroll for multiple weeks
- Expand the age-range of enrollment to include high school students
- Offer additional musical areas such as: piano, guitar, and/or mariachi