Salt Bay Chamberfest Musicians Partner with DRA for Free “Young Composers Showcase” Concert!

DRA’s Music and Nature camper Isabel Petersen works directly with musicians before the final performance last year.

A “Young Composers Showcase” concert will be held on Friday, August 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Damariscotta River Association’s Round Top Farm Darrows Barn, 3 Round Top Lane, Damariscotta. The event is brought to the community by DRA and Salt Bay Chamberfest, who have collaborated for this, the culminating concert of the fourth annual Music & Nature Camp at the DRA. The camp concludes with this performance of nine new works of nature-inspired music composed by children.

Will Healy, teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers Program and the internationally renowned Salt Bay Chamberfest musicians are working together with DRA to create a unique music and nature experience for children ages nine to twelve. DRA and Salt Bay Chamberfest expressed their enthusiasm in welcoming this year Hannah Miller, a local musician and music teacher as an additional staff member specifically for this program. Miller hopes to integrate the concepts from this unique program into her teaching.

Healy and Miller work with DRA’s Education Director Sarah Gladu to blend the curriculum Jon Deak has used successfully for over 15 years in the Very Young Composers project of the New York Philharmonic with the popular Camp Mummichog curriculum, which Gladu developed and has directed since 2006. They introduce different musical instruments and beginning concepts of musical composition.

Gladu teaches natural history and ecology through diverse hands-on activities at the DRA Great Salt Bay Farm property including a visit to Hog Island for a day, and a kayak adventure on Great Salt Bay. Together, the educators of the Music & Nature Camp help the children to express the connections between nature and music. By the end of the session, each camper will have composed an original piece of music.

Children of all ages and their parents are welcome to attend the concert. Support for the Music & Nature Camp has been provided by the Davis Family Foundation, AEW Capital Management an anonymous donor. The “Young Composers Showcase” is sponsored by DRA.

Salt Bay Chamberfest, now in its twenty-first season, is a two-week chamber music festival of contemporary and classic works and education and community engagement programs held each August at the Darrows Barn at DRA’s Round Top Farm in Damariscotta. This year’s Festival, Games of Pairs, takes place from August 4 to 14. More information is available at www.saltbaychamberfest.org.