The Surry Arts Council hosted its annual Surry Strings Camp at the Historic Earle Theatre from July 11 to July 14. This camp is one of the many weekly artistic youth summer camps provided by the Arts Council from the beginning of June through the end of July.
Young musicians from as far away as Asheville attended the week-long camp. The camp consisted of youth with varying skill levels from beginners who had never before touched an instrument to those who had experience with several instruments.
Award-winning musician and teacher Jim Vipperman introduced the participants to the basics of playing the fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He also taught them about Surry County music. All instruments were provided for the duration of the camp to give each child a hands-on music experience.
At the close of the camp, each child was encouraged to continue learning through the free Traditional Arts Programs (TAPS) held every Thursday in the Historic Earle Theatre starting at 4:30 p.m. traditional dance, 5:30 p.m. for fiddle instruction, and 6:15 p.m. for guitar, banjo, and mandolin lessons. These free classes and the Surry String Camp are funded in part by a TAPS grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the local ABC Board.
For additional information on Surry Strings Camp or Traditional Arts Programs, visit www.surryarts.org or call the Surry Arts Council office at 336-786-7998.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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