Teen's Summer Jazzed Up

This summer, Squamish teen Emily Hails had the unique opportunity to participate in the Comox Youth Music Camp, a well-known music camp in Comox, B.C., thanks to the efforts of the Squamish Rotary Club. Hails, 15, was one of 50 students from B.C. who attended the intense two-week jazz music camp from June 30 to July 12. Hails can thank the Squamish Rotary Club for her incredible experience. The camp cost $1,500, including lodging. It was an amount that she said "would have taken years of saving." "I thought, 'How many chores am I going to have to do to pay this off?'" said Hails, whose jobs consist of babysitting and walking the neighbour's dog. The Rotary Club covered the entire cost of the camp at the request of one of Hails' music teachers, who had recommended the camp to the young talent. "All we had to pay for was the ferry over and the gas," said Hails. While the days of the camp were long, beginning at 7 a.m. and ending with practice or a concert until 10 p.m., Hails didn't complain. "I soaked it up like a sponge," she said. "It was the opportunity of a lifetime, to learn, practice and play jazz music alongside professionals." The camp was organized and run by professional jazz musicians who focussed on developing ear training and improvisation skills with the students, along with theory and the history of music. "(The camp) was excellently well run," said Hails. "There's so much more to music than playing. "I learned that if you really want to do something you're going to have to put up your hand and ask." Hails was one of the only students who attended the camp and didn't come from a background of private music lessons. "Most of the kids there were well-educated on the knowledge of jazz and theory, having taken private lessons for years," she said. Hails taught herself two of the three instruments that she plays: the alto sax and the bass guitar. She also plays the piano, which she learned from her mother. "My mom and dad do say it's amazing that I can pick up something for five minutes and later play a tune," she admitted. Hails receives roughly nine hours a week in practice and instruction of her instruments at Don Ross Secondary.