The music camp allows high school students and soon-to-be college freshmen an opportunity to learn something new about a musical instrument and to perfect their skills.

Around 73 students from 42 different high schools in Michigan and Illinois have enrolled in one of five different areas: tuba and euphonium, saxophone, double reeds (oboe and bassoon), flute and clarinet. Most campers are staying in Carey Hall in the Towers while at the camp.

In one of the room of the Music Building, a pianist accompaniment and Central Michigan University faculty member Dr. Mark Cox was coaching the tuba and euphonium players the keys to success in learning music with an accompaniment.

"Play at the speed you are comfortable with, not the real speed at first," Cox said. "Know your mistakes and know what you need to work on. It's better to make loud mistakes so they can be heard and fixed right away."

Meridian High School sophomore Jim O'Connell plays the tuba. He said accompaniment is different from playing with an ensemble.

"You're used to everyone playing the same part, but it's different with the piano because it isn't the same notes and rhythms," O'Connell said.

Some musicians have a hard time with breathing in the right spots in music. Sandusky High School junior Nicholas Kohn is a euphonium player at the camp who wanted to breathe better during his playing.

"I want to learn how to perfect my breathing technique to become a better euphonium player," Kohn said.

Six CMU faculty members and eleven CMU student staff assistants are helping with master classes, large ensemble rehearsals and performances, public performances, small ensemble rehearsals and performances, reed making classes, private lessons, classical and jazz listening classes and music theory classes throughout the course of the two weeks.

Grandville High School senior Jeffrey Allardyce is a camper who played soprano saxophone for two years at his high school. He started playing soprano because of his music teacher back home.

"I expect to gain a higher level of thinking and become a better player on the spot," Allardyce said. "The music is pretty fast-paced, and you have to keep your wits about you because it is sight-reading."

Armada High School senior Sarah Sheridan is a bass clarinet player who switched to saxophone and is practicing her new instrument at the camp.

"I hope to learn new things about the saxophone that I don't normally get in high school," Sheridan said.

Oboe and bassoon players learned how to make their own double reeds.

Holt High School senior Daisy Simon is an oboe player at her high school who was making some oboe reeds for her second time this week. She made one Sunday night after she arrived on campus around 4 p.m.

"I can see myself doing this in my free time at home," Simon said.

In the bassoon reed making room, Haslett High School sophomore Peter Ecklund said he has been making his own reeds for about a year.

"I like making reeds, even though it's a challenge to make them," Ecklund said. "I want to get better at reed making so I don't have to ask for help from my teacher as much."

After the bassoon and oboe players are finished making the reeds and perfecting the skill of making them, the players will get a chance to use their handmade reeds for the rest of camp.