Luther College's Dorian Summer Camps See Strong Attendance

DECORAH — This year, Luther College's Dorian Summer Music Camps hosted more than 600 middle and high school students throughout June. These campers took part in a variety of music and other programs during their time on Luther's campus. Campers represented a total of 18 states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. "Dorian Summer Music Camps continue to exist 60 years since its inception because of the high standards for musical excellence and community building that the teaching faculty and counseling staff work to create," said Mark Potvin, Dorian camp director, professor of music and conductor of the Cathedral Choir and Norskkor at Luther. "I think these camps are special because the sense of belonging campers experience is almost immediate; that increases their engagement, which catapults their growth as musicians, artists, scholars, and human beings." Dorian programming—with a rich history and robust series of festivals and camps—is unique to Luther. Summer camps are open to all families, and scholarship opportunities are available. Festivals for high school music students include the Dorian Band Festival, Dorian Choral Invitational Festival, Dorian Keyboard Festival, Dorian Orchestra Festival and Dorian Vocal Festival, where participants are nominated by their school music teacher or private teacher. Students have the opportunity to practice and perform in band, orchestra and vocal ensembles during their week at Dorian, as well as try other activities like painting or building a rocket to launch on campus. "I would describe Dorian as a well rounded camp experience. There's something for everybody," said counselor Lily Smith, who graduated from Luther in May. "We have art class, dance class and obviously music classes as well, but yet, we play volleyball, we take them on hikes and walks downtown; it's just for everyone." "I think the one word to describe Dorian Music Camp is 'exciting,'" said Zachary Agustin, who attended the high school camp for the second year and will begin his first semester at Luther in the fall. "I keep coming back because of the friendships that I make and the music that happens in one week is just absolutely stunning. I have not found it anywhere else. Everybody around you wants to be here." It's also not too early to mark your calendars for the next camps. Next year, the Dorian middle school camp will be held from June 15–21, and the high school camp will be held from June 22–28. "It's such a privilege to work alongside current Luther students, colleagues and alumni to help provide this type of experience for middle school and high school students from around the country," Potvin said. "Dorian camps are a hallmark of Luther College, a critical recruiting arm for the institution, and representative of what Luther does best." This year, Luther hosted the Dorian Choral Retreat, open to all adults, on June 28–30, which featured more than 100 attendees. Choral music lovers, including Luther alumni, came to the retreat. Andrew Last, associate professor of music, director of choral activities, and director of Nordic Choir, led the choral retreat. Karin Brunk, who attended the retreat for the first time in June, said the retreat looked interesting and decided to give it a try. She hopes to attend in the future. "The Dorian Choral Retreat experience was exceptional beyond my expectations. Dr. Last was phenomenal. He had the ability to adapt to multiple learning styles to get the best out of everyone," Brunk said. "I have nothing but the best to say about all of the staff, musicians and Dr. Last. The staff's adaptability, friendliness, kindness and professionalism was way above par." Dorian began in 1949 when Luther Professor Weston Noble invited regional school music directors to bring selected band students to campus for a two-day honor band festival. A vocal festival was added in 1950, and the family of Dorian festivals and camps has grown in scope and participation ever since. More than 90,000 students have shared in a Dorian musical experience since the first festival was held. Stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to free newsletters for exclusive insights, local trends and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.