Kinderchor Camp is from SUNDAY, June 7 through THURSDAY, June 11, 2026.  

Please visit our Kinderchor Tour page for additional information and registration.

Course Description:  This full-day workshop focuses on what a full-time church musician does, the requirements and education needed to do the job,  the unusual things a church musician might have to do and learn, and what kind of tasks they could be required to do in their own parish, depending on the location of the job and the size of the church.  

Age Requirements: Grades 5 through 12 (incoming 5th graders and graduated seniors are also welcome!); no experience required for this workshop.  Whether you want to be a church musician or not, this workshop will be very interesting for all who participate in worship! 

CLINICIAN: Mr. Nathan Pennington, from Immanuel Lutheran Church,  Washington, MO. Graduated with a Degree in Parish Music from Concordia University Nebraska; He is a skilled organist and pianist, in both classical and jazz, and works with the Immanuel Lutheran School choir as well as his parish choir. He was a member of the A Cappella Choir and the Vocal Jazz Choir at Concordia University Nebraska.  In 2023, he won the student organ composition contest organized by the Lincoln Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Course Description:  This half-day workshop is from 9:30am to noon.  In this workshop, we will play music games and instruments, including Boomwhackers, desk bells, and rhythm instruments to help us internalize beat, rhythm, and melody. Participants should be prepared to have fun learning, singing, and being physically active. Weather permitting, we may go outside for playground games.

Grades 1 through 5 (incoming 1st graders through outgoing 5th graders); no prior musical experience necessary! 

CLINICIAN:  Mrs. Cindy Calafaty is a CMC piano and organ instructor. She taught grade school music for over 40 years and has many years experience as a church musician, working with people of all ages.  She loves teaching organ and getting students excited about music–and especially church music.

Course Description:  This is a full-day workshop that will include some activities to improve musicianship, some ensemble playing and some demonstrations of concert pieces.  This workshop is meant to motivate students who are already playing the violin and send them home with new practice strategies, new repertoire and a desire to play in an ensemble. 

Age Requirements: Grades 4-10; min. 1 semester min. of violin or cello lessons. Please submit a video audition of a piece you have either performed or are working on, as well as a 1-2 octave scale (G, D, A or E) to Strings Camp Audition Video.  State your name and the name of the piece on the video. 

CLINICIANS: Ms. Sarah Nienhiser (violin) received her Bachelor of Music from Park University in Parkville, MO, and her Master of Music from the University of Georgia.  She is currently working on her doctorate in Violin Performance, and has a full studio of violin students in Georgia. She is originally from Kansas City.  

Mrs. Rebecca Sowell (violin)  has her Master of Music from the University of Louisville and has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra member for years.  Originally from Iowa, she currently teaches violin and beginning strings class at CMC.  You can read more about her experience on the CMC website under the “instructors” tab.

Course Description:  This full-day workshop is for students with piano experience and it will focus on playing 4-hand piano, 6-hand piano! Come experience how fun it is to sit at a keyboard with two or three people at a time, all playing fun music, using the whole keyboard!   

Age Requirements:  Grades 4-12. AUDITION REQUIRED. Intermediate to advanced pianists must submit a recording of a recital piece they are working on or have performed, and a short recommendation from their piano instructor verifying their level and their practice habits. Upload the video to:  Piano Camp Audition Video.  Include the title of your piece, your name and your age.  Students will be expected to arrive prepared with music that will be sent to them in advance.  The day will include some practice time and some coaching.  We will also learn about some of the 4 and 6-hand music that composers have written and that is regularly performed. Additionally, students will be introduced to some famous 4-hand piano duos–both from history and current pianists.  

CLINICIANS: Dr. Jerrode Marsh, DMA. Dr. Marsh performed extensively in Europe for nearly two decades as a solo and collaborative pianist and conductor before coming to the US to teach at Saint Paul Lutheran High School. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Concordia Music Conservatory and holds a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Mrs. Renee Dugan, B.A Music. Mrs. Dugan has taught private piano lessons in the Portland, Oregon metro area for over 30 years, before moving to Redmond, Oregon, where she currently maintains a private piano studio and hosts performance groups for local community members.  She also accompanies a regional community choir.  While in the Portland area she served as a church pianist and was an accompanist for soloists and choirs.  She is an active member of the Music Teacher’s National Association and her students have participated in OMTA events.