Tag Archive

Blind Musicians

Ring in the Season with the EHC Alumni Holiday Concert on December 10

12/09/2021 LightHouse Staff

For the second year in a row friends and supporters of Enchanted Hills Camp wish to show their appreciation for the LightHouse community by hosting a free virtual EHC Alumni holiday concert. Musicians who have attended camp sessions, music camp or been a camp counselor or volunteer will join LightHouse and EHC staffers to celebrate the spirit of EHC past, present and future.

Camp Director Tony Fletcher says, “Our virtual concert was so well-received last year that the performers wanted to return. These concerts are important for people who want to share their work and it’s the musicians’ way of saying thank you for donating on Giving Tuesday.”

Says Rachel Grider, who is blind, about EHC, “I worked as a counselor during the summer of 2013. It was an unforgettable experience to work with so many fantastic colleagues and campers. I saw firsthand the difference camp made in the lives of campers as they participated in activities and formed friendships. It is a pleasure for me to help camp by performing in this concert.”

Other featured EHC alumni performers include Derek and Shane Dittmar (shanedittmar.com), Marina Sandoval-Lintz (marianasandovaldiaz.com) and Masceo Williams (masceo.net).

When: Friday, December 10 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Pacific
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp Facebook page, no Facebook account is necessary to view the live-streamed concert

We can’t wait to share holiday music with you on the 10^th!

LightHouse News

Our Blind Music Academy is Going on Tour in August and You’re Invited

07/12/2017 LightHouse Staff

In its fourth year, LightHouse’s summer Music Academy continues to grow and expand, literally. Each year, Music Academy culminates with a performance by blind students from all over the world. This time around the group will take the stage at Enchanted Hills’ brand new Redwood Grove Theater, which was completed this summer and features redwood benches made at camp by blind woodworker George Wurtzel. The students will also hit the road to perform at our headquarters in San Francisco.

Experience the power of Music Academy by joining us at one of these free concerts:

Saturday, August 12 at 4:00 p.m. – Enchanted Hills Camp, with dinner following. 3410 Mt Veeder Rd, Napa, CA 94558. Suggested donation $20: RSVP here.
Tuesday, August 15 at 5:30 p.m. – LightHouse for the Blind Headquarters, 1155 Market Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco 94103. Suggested donation $20: To RSVP visit the link.

About Music Academy

Enchanted Hills Camp has paired up with Bill McCann, founder and president of Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology to craft a Music Academy for blind musicians ages 16 to 24 years old who are serious about music or might be thinking of entering the profession. Bill McCann pioneered this specialized music academy model both in Canada and the United States. The academy introduces students to using non-visual techniques to compose music, read the works of others, learn performance skills and gain the capacity to compete for and win employment in the music field.

With its specialized emphasis, our talent pool and ambition continues to grow. This year we’re excited to host students from all over the world, who will spend a week focused on not only becoming better performers but achieving fluency in braille music and other accessible forms of musical notation.

Musicians ages 18 and over who are participating in the Music Academy are invited to stay on for the extended section of our Music Academy program. The extended program starts August 13 and ends August 16 and will be held in San Francisco at LightHouse for the Blind. We will shuttle those qualifying participants to LightHouse for the Blind from the Enchanted Hills Camp. We will also provide a shuttle service to the SFO airport at the end of the program on August 16.

We still have openings in this year’s Music Academy! If you have questions about the session please contact Taccarra Burrell at ehc@lighthouse-sf.org or 451-694-7310.

A special thank you to our Music Academy Sponsors:

LightHouse News

In February – Enchanted Hills Will Offer Music Camp for Adults

10/28/2016 LightHouse Staff

Photo: Students perform on guitar and bass at this summer’s Music Academy concert at the LightHouse Building

By popular demand we’ve added a music camp for adults. Join us in February at Enchanted Hills Retreat for our first session of Music Camp for Adults.

Who: Blind and visually impaired musicians 21 years of age and up
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind
When: Thursday, February 16 through Sunday, February 19, 2017
Cost: $300.00 plus $40.00 for transportation

This session is for musicians ages 21 years and up who are blind or have low vision. Participants should already know how to play or sing and have, at minimum, intermediate musical skills (basic chords, scales, tuning, basic instrument maintenance and general musical knowledge) in their instrument(s). Instruments can include, but are not limited to guitar, ukulele, percussion, voice, and other acoustic instruments.

The session will be by headed by Enchanted Hills Camp Enrichment Area Leader Masceo Williams and will focus less on music literacy and more on performance and “jamming” skills. Jamming, that is, improvising while playing, helps bring together a community of musicians to learn from, share, and appreciate each other’s skills. For those that are new to performing or would like to build their comfort level in performing, this camp is for you. The session will also include a songwriting workshop.

Masceo Williams is an accomplished blind musician with over 20 years of live performance experience and has taught and mentored students during Enchanted Hills summer camp sessions and Music Academy. You can learn more about him and hear his music at http://www.masceo.net.

In addition to the Music Camp students will enjoy the beauty of Enchanted Hills in winter, including gatherings around the fireplace; warm, comfortable accommodations and delicious home cooked meals prepared by our talented kitchen staff. Weather permitting, participants will have the opportunity to perform in our Redwood Grove Amphitheater.

For questions and registration, please contact Taccarra Burrell at TBurrell@LightHouse-sf.org or call 415-694-7310.