Registration is open for pre-college online summer programs at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Students can choose from instrument-specific camps, career-related courses, and even a coding class. The deadline to apply for most courses is June 1 (check individual pages). Get to know each course below.

Piano Seminar: Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier

Join former NPR “From the Top” host Christopher O’Riley for a guided immersion in Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier” and learn how to incorporate that experience into all music. This course provides tools to take the notes off the page and expand your range of interpretive and imaginative skills with a new awareness and perspective of the inherent freedoms within notational parameters. Through looking at the score in a new way, participants and auditors will discern with new eyes and listen with newly attuned ears, developing tools of interpretive depth and ingenuity. This eight-week seminar culminates in an online performance of Book 1 of “The Well-Tempered Clavier” by participants and Mr. O’Riley.

Careers in Music: Strategies for Success

It’s never too early to start learning about navigating careers in music and entrepreneurship. Learn the ins and outs of the music business from Daniel Wood, a nonprofit executive director, and musician. Topics include branding/marketing your music, performance videos, and funding your dreams.

Introduction to Improvisation

Learn how to improvise on your instrument and discover your unlocked potential for creativity through jazz, contemporary classical, and baroque styles of improvisation. In this very hands-on course, you will learn how to bring your improvisations to life by discovering your inner voice.

Introduction to Music Composition

Explore your inner composer in this introductory course. Apply the principles of harmony to create beautiful chord progressions, compose amazing melodies and sticky rhythms to play on your computer, at the piano, or on your preferred music instrument.

Guitar Skills

Take your guitar skills to the next level in this fun and intensive guitar class. Explore a wide variety of musical styles including pop, rock, jazz, country, Latin, classical, flamenco, folk, and your favorite artists through listening and direct application on the guitar. With guided practice, students will develop a solid fingerstyle technique, expand chord vocabulary, learn to better read guitar music, deepen the understanding of TAB and chord symbols, as well as develop the ability to accompany oneself and others while learning lots of songs, strum patterns, and enjoyable pieces.

Harp Camp

Enrich your harp learning over the summer with SFCM’s Virtual Harp Camp for students aged 12-19. Hone your musical skills and connect with other young harpists from the comfort of your own home. During this five-day program, each harpist gets to play in one solo recital, one master class, and two private lessons. Harpists receive daily instruction in harp history, eurhythmics, listening, and special workshops like arranging your favorite harp piece, improvisation, managing performance nerves, and more.

Programming and Coding for Composers

Get into coding to create sound and music! Learn to generate and present your musical ideas through your computer or using your preferred digital audio workstation. Participants will be introduced to Computer-Assisted Composition using different object-oriented visual environments (OpenMusic, PWGL, and AC Toolbox), and create algorithms to compose melodies, rhythms, harmonic progressions, and interesting sounds.

Learn more and apply to pre-college summer programs.