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Music Camp at Mississippi College Attracts Talented Kids


Mississippi College's 2016 Music Camp comes to a close July 1. Faculty and campers are pictured in the lobby of the Aven Fine Arts Building on June 30.

Staffers at Christian radio station STAR 93.5 offered valuable production insights to 49 kids at Mississippi College’s 2016 summer music camp.

Children from Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Alabama and Louisiana enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at the station on the Clinton campus.

Their tour of studios in the basement of Aven Hall represented the newest wrinkle in the MC Department of Music-sponsored camp. Activities wrap up with student performances on Friday evening (July 1) at Williams Recital Hall in the Aven Fine Arts Building.

Dozens of students learned the MC-based radio station features contemporary Christian artists like the David Crowder Band, daily Bible scriptures, and the “Let’s Talk Clinton” show with Mayor Phil Fisher. Weather and traffic reports, Gateway Rescue Mission radiothons, and a blitz of fun contests are part of the STAR 93.5 lineup, too.

STAR 93.5 general manager Doug Amacker joined the Department of Music faculty for the first time to help teach the classes.

The children also learned how to sharpen their skills on the piano, step up their skills on other instruments and improve their singing thanks to gifted Mississippi College educators.

Campers gave “A” ratings to their professors and the entire experience at the five-day overnight camp. Their day begins with breakfast at 7 a.m. and goes non-stop into the evening hours.

“I like performing new music with people and making new friends,” says Jonathan Dacus, 13, a student at Clinton Junior High. He’s pretty familiar with the Clinton campus. His parents, Edward and Viola Dacus, both serve on the music faculty at the Baptist-affiliated university.

The learning experience hit all the right notes for a number of Clintonians like Laura Nabholz, daughter of Mark Nabholz, director of the MC Singers, and Kathryn Knupp, whose father, Robert Knupp, serves as camp director. Gabi Jones, daughter of MC history instructor Missy Jones, attended the overnight camp here for several years and was delighted to return.

Chances look good that many of the music campers will be back at MC’s 2017 music camp.

“I love it,” said Landon Maughon, 13, a Clinton resident who is home-schooled. “I like the musical composition part of it.”

Raymond Huang, 12, a St Andrews Episcopal School student from Madison, gave the diverse lineup of activities a thumbs up. “I really liked the radio production.”

As June turns to July, the campers came here immensely blessed with talent, Knupp said. Some children traveled to Mississippi College’s camp from performing arts schools in New Orleans, Louisiana and Alabama.