Camps/Festivals/Workshops

Camps/Festivals/Workshops

Mars Hill University Honor Band

The Mars Hill University Honor Band is an invitational event comprised of the best high school musicians from across the region for a weekend of music making and community. In addition to the concert band experience, students have the opportunity to:

  • Interact with MHU music education students
  • Pull-out sectionals and lessons with MHU faculty
  • Masterclasses
  • Selected senior students will be eligible for consideration for MHU music admission and scholarships.

The 2024 Mars Hill University Honor Band is scheduled as follows:
When: January 26th and 27th, 2024
Where: Mars Hill University’s Moore Fine Arts Building

The Honor Band Schedule:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26

4:30 PM Registration/Check-in                  MOORE FINE ARTS BUILDING
5:30 – 9:00 PM Rehearsal                            AUDITORIUM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27

8:30 – 10:00 AM Rehearsal begins           AUDITORIUM
10:00 – 11:00 AM Sectionals                      TBD
11:00AM – 12:15 PM Rehearsal                AUDITORIUM
12:15 – 1:15 PM Lunch                                PITTMAN DINING HALL
1:15 – 3:00 PM Rehearsal                           AUDITORIUM
3:00 – 4:00 PM Break
4:00 – 4:30 PM Warm-up                           AUDITORIUM
4:30 PM Concert                                          AUDITORIUM

Honor Band FAQ

$50 for selected students.

Grade 9-12 are eligible for honor band.

No. Students are responsible for their own housing and transportation – accompanied by their parent/guardian, chaperone, or band director.

Yes! Students will have the opportunity to have sectionals with MHU faculty. Interested and eligible students will be considered for scholarship and admission offers.

No. This event is designed to be flexible in terms of student supervision. Directors are welcome to attend and hang out, but not required. Students do need some sort of supervision (and transportation), however, whether that be parents/guardian, school-designated chaperone, etc.

No. Only directors can nominate students. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the nomination process or criteria. We want the event to be worthwhile, fun, educational, and a high-level artistic experience for all participants. We seek nominations of high achieving students that will positively contribute to this honors event.

We will provide a list of activities, local attractions, and lodging/meals options and rates once the band is selected. Much more information to come!

Honor Band Registration

Be A Mars Hill Musician! (BAMM)

BAMM campus visit days are specifically geared to prospective students, giving them an opportunity to see firsthand what it would be like to perform with us at Mars Hill. Whether your interest is in a major or minor in music, singing or playing in an ensemble, or you just need to figure that out, a BAMM day can help you do just that. Our next BAMM day will be scheduled in the Spring of 2024.

Register for BAMM

To receive additional information, contact musicrecruits@mhu.edu.

The schedule for BAMM days is as follows:
9–9:30 a.m. Check in
10–10:45 a.m. Theory/Aural Skills/Piano Workshop
11–11:45 a.m. Admissions/Financial Aid
12–12:30 p.m. Jazz Band
12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30–2:30 p.m. Campus Tour
2:30–4 p.m. Individual Lessons
4–4:15 p.m. Organ Demonstration
4:15–5 p.m. University Choir
5:15–6 p.m. Wind Symphony

 

J. Elwood Roberts/MHU Choral Festival

The J. Elwood Roberts – Mars Hill University Choral Festival was established in 1949 by the late J. Elwood Roberts to improve choral music in the high schools of western North Carolina. While in the beginning the “clinic” was comprised of about fifteen schools in the closely surrounding area, this annual event has grown into one of the premiere choral festivals in the southeast. Each year over 800 students from approximately 100 high schools audition for the Festival Choir (from which about 350 make the choir).

These students (and their teachers) attend the two-day event under the tutelage of some of the most recognized names in choral music. The festival is typically held in February.

For more information contact choralfestival@mhu.edu.

Summer Music Camp

The Mars Hill University Summer Music Camp is a great learning opportunity for middle and high school students (grades 7-12). The MHU Summer Music Camp provides students the opportunity to learn under music faculty from Mars Hill University, regional public schools, and from across the southeast. The camp is a regular fixture for the summer session at Mars Hill University and has positively influenced many young musicians in the university’s storied history.

Dates for the MHU Summer Music Camp:
June 15–21, 2024

Projected cost for the summer music camp is:
$500 (resident student staying on campus)
$400 (commuter student)

For more information, contact Dr. J.T. Womack, Director of Bands.

Sign up for Summer Music Camp