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The Big Texas Swing School is a 5-day music camp July 14 thru July 18, 2015, created for student ages 12 to 17 (some exceptions may apply) The primary purpose of the camp is to provide an educational setting for young musicians to learn to play in a Western Swing Big Band. Instruments include Fiddle, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Vocalists, Steel Guitar, Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone and Clarinet... other instruments welcome.
If you currently play a musical instrument or sing, know the basics of reading music, and are eager to explore the spirit of improvisation and Western Swing, The Big Texas Swing School is right for you.
Our mission is to promote and continue the Art of Western Swing and to teach young musicians to perform to the best of their ability and to experience the Art of Improvisation.
The Big Texas Swing School Grand Concert is Saturday July 19th. Students will be awarded certificates of participation and an All Star Western Swing Band will be named with outstanding students.
The Big Texas Swing School is under the direction of bandleader, entertainer and educator, Dave Alexander. A University of North Texas graduate, former member of the renowned UNT One-O’Clock Lab Band, and longtime music director for the Dallas Cowboys, Dave Alexander brings a rich combination of experience, education, talent and dedication to the Swing School. The four time Grammy nominee, inductee into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, and 2004 Academy of Western Artists Male Vocalist of the Year has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in country music and is recognized for creating one of the finest Western Swing Big Bands ever assembled. Dave Alexander’s dedication to Western Swing pays tribute to the passions of his grandfather and father and to the originators of this American art form. “My dad played trombone and some trumpet with Johnnie Lee Wills, and sometimes he and the rest of Johnnie Lee’s horn section would go on the road with Bob Wills. “I have been fortunate to have traveled my own musical road and to be enjoying it to this day. I can’t think of a better summer than to be sharing western swing with young musicians as Executive Director of the Big Texas Swing School.”
Staff:
Dave Alexander, Dick Gimble, Valerie Ryals, Teresa Anderson, Mark Gheen, Patrick Bubert, Nathan Phelps, Jon Stutler, and other members of the Big Texas Swing Band.
The Big Texas Swing School curriculum emphasizes the experience of actually playing in a swing band and the magic that happens when expression and improvisation are encouraged. Students will be assigned to a ‘band’ based on ability, with each band not to exceed twelve members including vocalists. Instructors are experienced musicians with the ability to relate to and teach students. In addition to the band sessions, sessions will be dedicated to specific instrumental instruction.
Instructors will be assigned to those sessions according to the instrument(s) they (the instructor) are most accustomed to. Guest artists and speakers, including some of the original Texas Playboys, will provide the evening activities in addition to documentaries, videos, movies, discussions and jam sessions.
The Saturday Awards Concert will be open to the public as an opportunity for students to perform for an audience and to be recognized for their achievement. At the conclusion of the camp, one band will be formed from all the students to be distinguished as the Big Texas All Star Swing Band. The distinctions will be entitled for one year and it is expected that students will list the accomplishment on their resumes.
Standard Student Fees range from $450 to $750 based on awarded scholarships. Fees include meals, lodging, instruction, evening seminars and events, materials, and Awards Concert. The 2015 Scholarship program can reduce the Standard Student fee to $450. Attendance is available only to fulltime participants. The Guardian fee of $125 includes meals, lodging and Awards Concert. A deposit of $50, applied to the fee, is required with submission of registration. Full payment, minus the paid deposit, is due by July 1, 2015. Payment is by check made payable to Dave Alexander Productions. Refunds are only available for medical reasons supported by a doctor’s letter.
Scholarships:
Partial Scholarships are available to select students. Information and scholarship applications are available and ALL students are encouraged to apply.
On-campus lodging is included with registration. Bonner Hall is a two-story facility separated into two floors: one for boys and one for girls. The building accommodates 52 boys and 54 girls, double occupancy (three with a sleeping bag). Furnishings include bunk style beds, 1 desk, 1 chair, 1 dresser, 2 closets, HVAC units, sink area, medicine cabinet, and shelf storage. Roommates will be assigned according to age and gender, with priority given to preferences listed on the registration form. Lodgers must bring their own bedding.
Music enthusiasts who are 12 to 17 years old are encouraged to apply and limited exceptions outside of the age range will also be considered. Registration is subject to acceptance. Students aged 12-14 or younger must be accompanied by a guardian. Guardian registration is a one-time fee, regardless of how many students a guardian represents. (See Guardians Reg.pdf file above for additional information.)
The 110-acre North Central Texas College (NCTC) in Gainesville, TX is the ideal environment for a music adventure. Located about two miles from downtown Gainesville on West California Street (US 51), its proximity to the Interstate 35 corridor allows for easy reach from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and, only eight miles from the Red River, the campus is a mere whistle-distance to southern Oklahoma. In addition to easy access, NCTC features the First State Bank Center for the Performing Arts, a magnificent state-of-the-art domed theater with seating capacity for 360, ample rooms for classes and practice, and the convenience of instrument lockers and a snack bar. Google Map to NCTC
