Copy this Google Form Teen Music Survey Before starting your own after-school music program, it is helpful to understand what type of music programming is most interesting to your participants. What was popular and trending a month ago (let alone how you learned to play music) may not be what current teens are into. Click on the Google Forms link below to make a copy of our sample “Teen Music Survey” Google Form Template. Feel free to edit your copy and send it to your teen participants to collect valuable feedback on what types of program ideas, workshops, performances, or changes to the program they would like to see.
Click on the link below to make a copy of our sample “Teen Music Survey” Google Form Template:
Thank you to our generous Music Impact Network members who have helped create the following resources for after-school music programs and summer camps. If you would like to share and feature your Summer programs please contact info@musicandyouth.org
DIY Summer Activity Kit
Fun and unique “Do It Yourself” activities including – Naming Instruments, Guitar String Bracelets, Recycled Guit-ART, Drum Head Do-over, Embroidery Headphones, MintySynth, Musical Timeline, Drumstick Design, Make Your Own Cajon, Makey Makey Beats, Build Your Own Ukulele, Press Your Own Vinyl Record, Vibe Lighting Materials needed to run these activities can range from no cost to about $100
Download the DIY Summer Activity Kit
Click the image or link below for more details:
Sample Your Summer
Reclaim your participants’ passion for music by introducing them to the limitless possibilities of sampling and field recording. We’ve curated a list of projects to help your participants reconnect with each other and their surroundings as they recover a sense of creativity. Sample Your Summer takes advantage of the nice weather, the smartphone devices they already have (no additional equipment required), and a world reopening around them… through sound.
Whether your summer music camp is going to be all virtual, in-person, or a bit of both, below are some programs to help engage your participants this summer. Download includes ideas like 4 Virtual Programming Ideas, Virtual Listening Party, Tackling Social Issues in the Music Industry, Rhythm Roulette (Using Splice), and Cover Song Challenge.
To download ALL Virtual Summer Camp Resources – Click below:
Advice on Retaining Summer Participants
So your participants had a great summer experience… now what?!
Does this sound like your typical summer experience? You spent countless hours forming relationships with camp members teaching them to play instruments, record songs, perform on stage and more. The summer ends and you never see those participants again… it’s frustrating! Below are some strategies that have worked for seasoned Youth Development professionals to help retain summer participants in the new school year.
The placement of your Music Program facility is critical to its success and can significantly affect other program areas as well. Below are some practical guidelines to consider to identify the right space for your Music program facility.
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Overall room considerations:
Total Square Footage – Music program facilities vary widely in size, ranging from a minimum of about 600 square feet to more than 1,000 square feet. Many music program spaces feature a large multi-purpose room for general music activities that may include:
Housing and displaying guitars, keyboards, drums, and bass guitars for workshops and lessons
Computer or iPad workstations for participants to make beats and write or produce songs
Lounge atmosphere for participants to hang out (e.g. sofas or high-top tables)
A small stage used for performances such as Open Mic Nights
Some larger spaces often include pre-existing smaller rooms, which can often be repurposed as break-out rooms (or “Studios”). Depending on the day and activity, any of these “Studios” can be used for recording a song, workshops, practice rooms, and/or rehearsal spaces.
Room Shape – The shape of the existing location will impact the overall design of your music program. Rectangular-shaped rooms work well, while more unusually shaped rooms might require more design creativity.
Desirable locations:
Highly visible location – A highly visible Music program is very visually appealing to teen members and will help attract new members. Highly visible rooms also allow for greater communication and supervision between various rooms. Music program staff should be able to stand in the center of the multi-purpose room and easily monitor all rooms.
Teen Center proximity – Music programs often work well when grouped near an existing teen center or near other arts programming such as visual arts, video production, or dance programs.
Dense walled and/or isolated locations – Whether located in a basement, top floor, or separate wing of a building, Music programs often work best when isolated from other program areas. Dense wall construction is ideal. For example:
Cinder block construction
Poured concrete foundation
Brick construction
Avoid placement near “quiet” locations:
Music programming is often loud and can disturb other program areas like academic classes, nap/rest areas, study or homework centers. Avoid placing music program facilities near:
School-age, childcare, or preschool programs
Academic study rooms such as homework help, SAT prep, and libraries
Offices or administrative areas
Avoid these “noisy” situations:
Similarly, Music programming can be disrupted by noise from areas outside their facility, such as:
Under or near basketball gyms – The impact noise of participants running and playing in a gymnasium is very difficult to isolate. While Music programming will rarely disturb gym activities, a bouncing ball can be easily picked up by highly sensitive recording studio microphones or disrupt lessons and rehearsals.
Active/noisy streets – External windows are a challenge to soundproof. High traffic patterns, ambulances, and general city life can disrupt Music activities.
Central heating, air conditioning units, elevators – The motors or background noise of these types of units are problematic, especially when near recording studio facilities.
Room acoustics recommendations for your Music Studio rooms
Room acoustics refers to the sound properties within a particular room. You want to control the amount of echo or reverberation by absorbing or diffusing the sound within a room, primarily through using soft materials and irregular wall surfaces. If you have ever dined at a crowded restaurant with all hard surfaces, you can relate to the issue of not having effective room acoustics!
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A common misconception about the properties of sound is that acoustical materials (like “egg crate” foam”) will also provide soundproofing characteristics, but generally, they do not. Room acoustic treatments only affect the sound properties within a space, not how sound is transmitted to and from a space. You’ve likely experienced this when a car with a loud stereo system passes by. While the treble frequencies are absorbed by the car’s interior fabrics, the thump of the bass frequencies can continue to be heard as the car drives down the street. Bass frequencies carry more energy and have longer wavelengths making them trickier to absorb.
Consider these acoustical treatments for your Studio/s and multipurpose room/s:
Prefabricated vocal booths (such as www.whisperroom.com) will have pre-installed acoustical treatments.
Use acoustical treatments such as absorption panels (fireproof foam-like sound-absorbing materials) on walls and/or ceiling. These types of products are widely available by searching for “acoustical treatment”
Avoid rooms where all the walls are parallel to one another. If building a space, create one wall that is on an angle, which helps block the way the sound travels. If your room already exists, consider placing irregularly shaped objects, such as bookcases, which will change the way the sound travels.
Install carpeting or use area rugs, which will help absorb sound.
Add soft furnishings, such as couches, upholstered chairs, and wall hangings.
If you have exterior windows, installing draperies will help absorb sounds.
Note: smaller rooms have more echo and reverb than larger rooms and may require greater attention.
Give your participants access to instruments while at home
Covid-19 has been disruptive to many after school programs and many participants can’t afford to have instruments at home. Give your participants access to instruments and production equipment to help them continue to make music at home. The types of instruments have been specifically selected for at home use and can help music program staff implement virtual lessons and projects.
NOTE: Any featured products are based on the experience and opinions of Network members and Music & Youth. We do not receive any financial benefit from the vendors to promote their products. We just thought they were helpful and you might like ’em.
Example Requirements – Below are some examples that other organizations have used – Customize the requirements to meet your needs:
Permissions – Parent Permission and registration materials (see sample below)
Participation – Participation in virtual workshops and performances and 150-word essay answering – “What are the musical goals you hope to accomplish?”
Equipment – Participants and parents assume responsibility of caring for instruments and damage (other than general wear and tear) and Prompt return at Loan Due Return Date
