“Great summer music camps are very difficult to find. I am so grateful to the Conservatory for tirelessly putting together their summer camp every year. My son has attended the last two years and is eager to join again this year. The camp is well structured, with the perfect balance of work and play. Last year my son had so much fun that he forgot to eat his lunch one day! I highly recommend this camp to anyone looking for a quality program for their young musicians. ”
Since 2004 the Santa Monica Music Camp has been a parent "go-to" for kids during their school breaks. It's a local and safe educational environment for kids to develop musical skills and increase their love and appreciation for music. Here are some of the things people have said on Google places and Yelp.
“I thought that music camp was great. All the teachers were so nice and helpful. The last two years that I have gone, I really liked it. I think my parents even thought about starting my little brother on an instrument just so he could go! ”
“Our daughter has attended this camp the last two summers and we’ve been very happy with it. In addition to learning music theory, gaining ensemble experience, and getting to run around outside on a playground during breaks, one of the most unusual, innovative things about this camp is that the kids get to watch movies and then play the music from those films! And it runs a full day, from 9-3. It’s a great value. ”
“We enrolled our son in the camp and were so impressed by his teachers. The other children in the camp were incredibly nice and welcoming to our son. And, the quality of all the teaching was great. We’re definitely coming back. ”
“My son has been going to Santa Monica Music Camp for the last two years. He has done many other camps over the years and now only wants to go to this camp. I’m elated because for me it is super easy and he’s having fun, meeting great kids who are also interested in music and learning. And as a bonus, his cello skills improve by leaps and bounds. I credit this camp to his high achievement in music and also his love of music. As you can tell I highly recommend it. ”
“The Santa Monica Conservatory of Music is a haven for sonic and harmonic exploration. My kid loves the people and the place. She has attended their music camps and has taken lessons with wonderful teachers. Trumpet, guitar, and now flute... they’ve got it covered. My highest recommendation!”
“My daughter plodded through her 4th grade mandatory music lessons with little enthusiasm, and resisted practicing. Because friends were enrolling in the Santa Monica Music Camp, she agreed to try it for a week. After the first day, she did not want to return, because she thought it was too hard. On the second day, she fell in love with it, and begged to return for additional sessions. I can honestly say that the SM music camp was the turning point in my budding musician’s enthusiasm for the violin, and for music in general. She came home and practiced without prompting, and even attempted to play pieces that the higher levels performed in their end of the week “concert”. She has since taken regular weekly lessons from a Conservatory teacher, who has instilled in my daughter both the confidence and the skill to succeed. She is an exceptional instructor with a clear passion for music and for teaching. My daughter’s enthusiasm and drive to excel has continued to grow this past year. Our experience with Music Camp and the SM Conservatory has truly been a game changer for my child... We are very thankful, and are looking forward to summer camp again this year. ”
“My kids went to the music camp this summer and though they had just enjoyed a very popular day camp in Topanga for a month they immediately declared that music camp was better. So, we signed them up for the remaining weeks and intend to register for all of next summer too. Camp was a very happy and fun experience for them. The kids learn and practice a new piece each week and perform it for the parents each Friday afternoon. The performances and obvious improvement and accomplishment over the week are simply incredible. There’s a great sense of camaraderie among the counselors and the kids. And it’s not only music theory, group practice and performance, including choir, but also plenty of outdoor playtime, movie time, snack time, etc. Also, it’s a full day, 9-3, which is terrific for everyone. The kids are encouraged to try different instruments, including choir, each week, to get a well-rounded music experience, so there’s a sense of curiosity and a can-do attitude that’s really fun. We’re very happy at the Conservatory, and I’m certain the kids will continue with lessons and summer music camp for years and years. Kudos to the whole team at the Conservatory.”
“Santa Monica Music Camp is amazing. My two daughters enjoy it every summer and during spring break too. They return excited and happy, smiling when reminiscing about the day and excited to practice their new pieces. They learn so much there, and they seem to just absorb the information, taking in everything the counselors teach them.The counselors couldn’t be more welcoming or likable. They infuse the camp with a real sense of fun and community. The folks at the front desk are also terrific. The camp activities are great. In addition to hours of fun learning and practice, in preparation for a Friday afternoon concert for parents, they also do theory class of various levels, depending on the camper’s experience. My kids have learned so much about theory!As of this summer, music camp offers weekly electives like jazz band, songwriting, sports, and arts & crafts. They eat lunch and play at Memorial Park around the corner. Also, the Conservatory provides snacks for the kids during break and the camp location and hours are very convenient. It’s a pleasure to pick up the kids at the end of the camp day, because at pick-up time they’re relaxing on the couches, being serenaded by their teachers on piano, or flute, or guitar, etc.This camp is wonderful, and if you have a child who is even remotely interested in music (no prior experience is required), my kids and I highly recommend it.
”
My son absolutely loved the Summer Music Camp. He responded well to the camp’s relaxed nature. Playing Cello was suddenly a fun pastime. In fact, for the first time ever, he wanted to play cello more than he wanted to play soccer!!! He will definitely attend this summer as well. My son is also now taking private lessons at the Conservatory! I highly recommend this Conservatory and the Summer Camp! - Elisabeth
My daughter attended Santa Monica Music Conservatory Camp for the first-time last summer. We started with just a couple of weeks at the beginning of the summer and she loved the camp so much that we signed her up for the whole summer. My daughter plays cello and she learned a great deal and enjoyed stretching her skills. She also made wonderful friends and had overall amazing experience. Music camp was very special for her, which is really a tribute to the Director and his talented staff. My daughter, who is currently in 6th grade, is already excited for camp this summer — a great compliment from a middle school aged child! - Barbara
My daughter attended the Santa Monica Music Camp last summer and the summer before. She really enjoyed her time there. Her violin playing definitely improved a lot with the number of hours they play every day, but more importantly, she ended up more enthusiastic about her instrument. She wants to attend again this summer for a couple of weeks before her school auditions for advanced orchestra at the beginning of the school year. - ShirleyMy daughter loves her lessons. Also, she loves the summer camp. She has already asked me to sign up for camp this year. - Waka
My daughter first came to this wonderful summer music camp, and has since continued to study violin privately at Santa Monica Conservatory of Music. After a year of struggling to find a private violin teacher our search finally ended. My daughter has dramatically improved, but more importantly, she really enjoys her lessons. AND she practices more than ever before! Her teacher is extremely dedicated, and when my daughter needed to replace her broken chin rest, she offered to meet us at the violin store on her only day off, to make sure my daughter got the right one. I highly recommend the Conservatory. They have created a nurturing, inspirational environment for conservatory quality instruction, right here in West Los Angeles. - Aalia
My daughters (5 and 8) have loved their two weeks of camp this summer. They were playing the piano and violin, their respective instruments of choice, by the end of day one and each performed at the weekly Friday concert! They have both asked to sign up for the rest of summer as well! We came to this camp as it was highly recommended by school friends and we’ve been very impressed. Highly recommended for camp and ongoing lessons. – Jim
My daughter has already previously attended two sessions of Music Camp and excelled in piano... her friends and she all took violin this time, and I am BLOWN AWAY after the first day of camp this summer, that she taught ME how to play. I always thought the violin looked so intimidating, but now I feel like I could even try it myself! The people who run this place are SO lovely and the kids just seem to love it! You can't beat the price either. Worth every penny! She says next time she wants to try voice lessons and the time after that, she wants to try the flute... I thought she would keep doing piano, but all this exposure is so amazing and awesome. I am supremely grateful to Santa Monica Music Camp... What a wonderful operation. - Liz
I tell everyone about this little gem of a school. My twin 6-year-old boys had an amazing week of camp here this summer. At the end of the week the boys played two songs during the camp's recital. It was truly amazing! The space is modern and new and they take the kids outside to the park for lunch and a recess. I can't recommend it highly enough, especially because they both liked going to camp, and they are very picky camp-goers. Matthew on guitar is a gifted teacher. We also had him in an after-school class at our school. He can really get the kids to play.It was such a successful camp experience we signed up for another week! - Robyn
I’m so impressed with this place. A great, inspiring atmosphere for the kids to learn and enjoy music! My daughter loved the weeks summer camp she did there, and impressively, was able to even play a slam piece in front of an audience by the end of the week. I would definitely recommend this place for all ages of children wanting to learn an instrument! – Vina
We just completed one week of summer camp as a way to see if my 6-year-old daughter, who showed an interest in violin, would want to continue learning how to play. With 3 of the 6 hours of camp devoted to playing an instrument I felt it was a sure-fire way to gauge her interest. Every day this week when I went to pick her up, she was beaming. Her favorite parts of the day included interacting with music by drawing what comes to mind when a particular song is played, categorizing types of music, playing with her teacher and listening to the other talented teachers perform a mini concert at the close of each day. I appreciated how her teacher greeted my daughter everyday helping her to feel comfortable in what could have been an intimidating situation. I also appreciate the small class size for each instrument (about 5 violinists), which meant my daughter would get the right amount of teacher attention. All this to say, we are happily signing up for another week and I feel confident that we've stumbled upon the best music camp and music conservatory in Santa Monica! – Lizzy
My Daughter has been to summer music camp here 3 years in a row, for piano and violin. She is excited to return every summer and makes definite progress on her playing. Staff is engaged and knowledgeable and there are many instrumental specialties. The studio is a great environment and we have been really happy with the experience. Cannot recommend enough. – Erin
My daughter has been taking private guitar lessons since the spring, and attended two weeks of camp this summer. I can easily say each experience has been fantastic. The conservatory is a lovely creative space where kids can learn and grow into their musical abilities. Without pretension, they teach kids how to read and write the classics and new standards. We are so glad to have found Music Camp and the Santa Monica Conservatory. – Colette
My 7-year-old son, Max, did a summer camp program with the Conservatory and had an amazing experience. It was such a supportive, creative environment and the teachers and staff were great. Max now takes private guitar lessons at the Conservatory and his love of music is blossoming. We love Camp and the Conservatory! – Ann
We discovered the Conservatory this past summer at their summer music camp. My daughter fell in love and we decided to switch teachers. It was the best decision we ever made. She gets tons of attention and has even joined the little orchestra. She's 4 and is getting great playing experience. Her playing has improved leaps and bounds. We could not be happier with her playing and will not go anywhere else. We highly recommend it. – Leanna
If your child has a talent for music, then this is definitely the place to challenge them and give them the opportunity to perform and feel the achievement of playing beautiful music taught by enthusiastic teachers. My son is a trumpet player going into Middle School this fall and this is our second year attending Santa Monica Music Camp. I was so proud of him when he played his solo leading off the ensemble during their Friday performance last week. He really nailed it and his teacher was elated with the tone of his playing. My son was all smiles and the sense of joy and accomplishment beaming from his face was wonderful. If you are looking for a truly constructive application of your child's time over summer break that takes up a good portion of the day, this is it! I can't recommend them enough. – David
This is a fantastic camp. They have figured out how to accommodate the needs of older kids who need more advanced instruction. After just a week of music camp you'll be amazed at how much the kids improve in playing their instruments and music theory. My kids love the teachers and have bonded with and made some very special friends at the conservatory over the past couple years. This place is a gem for the local community. – Ilana
I highly recommend this music camp. It offers high quality music instruction in a fun and relaxed environment. My 12-year-old boys attended this summer and had a fantastic time. In fact, they asked me each week if they could go back the following week, all the way up to the beginning of school in mid-August. Every Friday afternoon, all the kids performed in a music recital which parents, friends and others could attend. It was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to perform in front of an audience, and for those in the audience to witness how much progress their kids had made, which in our case was significant. It was a perfect summer for our family! – Julie
Our almost 11-year-old daughter and our family really liked this camp. She had been trying many instruments and the staff here not only gave her the highest quality technical training but also had the patience to help her work through this issue. The end of the week concert is a very nice addition and is the beautiful and acoustically well designed space. Our daughter will definitely come back even though we don't leave in Santa Monica. – Riva
My 7-year-old daughter, who has had only a few piano lessons previously, attended summer camp here and really enjoyed herself. She was skipping when I picked her up after camp, and she was happy to show me what she learned to play on the piano. We will be going back for another week. - Bruce