By LAUREL SANDERS/Grace Lutheran Church
STATE COLLEGE — Michael Burkhardt, founder and artistic director of the Hearts, Hands and Voices Worship and Fine Arts Programfor children in Southeast Michigan, will lead and implement his arts camp from Monday, June 24, through Thursday, June 27 at Grace Lutheran Church, 205 S. Garner St., State College.
The one-week residency will begin with Burkhardt offering a free organ recital called “Singing the Psalms of Life: A Festival of Hymns” on Friday, June 21, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The recital is hosted by Grace Lutheran Church in their sanctuary and is sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, State College Chapter. The camp that follows is sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church with assistance from a Thrivent Action Grant.
The Hearts, Hands and Voices camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The four-day event culminates in students re-convening with their families on the last day at 6:30 p.m. for a closing worship service from 7 to 8 p.m., led entirely by the campers, supervised by Burkhardt and assisted by the educators who are implementing his curriculum.
Children who will be in second through eighth this fall will participate in sessions led by Burkhardt and a team of local professional music teachers, with content geared toward each age group. Elementary and middle school children throughout the Centre Region are invited. Attendees will create, ring, drum, sing and have fun as they explore music and art, using the rich poetry and diverse expressions of humanity in the biblical book of Psalms as their foundation. Interactions with the Psalms and diverse art forms will encourage students to explore their humanity, discover new tools for expressing themselves through music and art and develop self-confidence. Prior music-making experience is welcome, but not required.
Burkhardt serves on the music faculty at Eastern Michigan University and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts in Ohio. He is known nationally for his innovative music curriculum for children and numerous compositions for children’s choirs, handbells and organ. Burkhardt has performed and led seminars at national and regional events for the American Guild of Organists, the Hymn Society, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts and the American Choral Directors Association.
Since 2003 he has made nine performance-teaching tours to South Korea and Singapore. His work is published by Morningstar Music Publishers, Choristers Guild, Concordia Publishing House, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, GIA Music Publishers and AGEHR.
Tuition for Hearts, Hands and Voices is $175 per camper, including $50 non-refundable registration. Campers are encouraged to register by Wednesday, May 15. Families with two or more children receive a $15 discount for each subsequent child after the first. Tuition assistance is available upon request.
For details and to register, visit the news section of Grace Lutheran’s website at glcpa.org/grace-music-camp, where you will also find information about the organ recital. For further information or to request tuition assistance, contact Laurel Sanders, director of music and arts ministries for Grace Lutheran Church, at arts@glcpa.org or call the church office at 814-238-2478.
