IT could be a young athlete overcoming adversity to win a kickboxing tournament, or a monkey chasing some kids with a stick of dynamite.
The range of creative options is wide at Ultimate Glee Camp, a program in which kids choose a song, record it, and shoot a video for it.
"It's totally just for fun and the experience," says Jim Kwan, owner of Creativ Music Centre in North Vancouver, which runs the camp. He notes there is no experience necessary, no auditioning, and you don't even really have to be a good singer.
A pianist, singer and composer, Kwan was trying to find something different to offer clients when he put together an "ultimate" glee camp for Spring Break last year. The program was a success, so he expanded it to include summer sessions.
"It's ultimate because they're doing everything right from scratch; right from choosing their songs, to working out their parts, to recording the parts in the studio, and then storyboarding their music video and shooting it," explains Kwan.
He says this camp is more similar to how the cast of the popular TV show Glee record their songs in a recording studio first then shoot the show.
"As opposed to doing more of a musical theatre program where you learn some stuff and practise it and then you perform it, this is actually more emulating what they would see on the show," says Kwan.
For one week, kids ages nine-12 meet in groups of eight for two-hour sessions either in the morning or the afternoon, to work on their recording and video. Participants can register as singles, pairs or groups of up to eight friends.
"It's a little bit of a different angle than just getting together to sing or perform," says Kwan.
Weather permitting, the music video is shot outdoors and also in the centre's multimedia room, which has a green screen (used to digitally produce different backgrounds). On the last day of camp, parents are invited to watch the finished product, and Kwan says many are surprised by what they see.
"Generally they don't know what to expect," he says.
Videos that have been produced in previous camp sessions include Journey's Don't Stop Believing, which featured an inspirational tale of a young kickboxer fighting back from defeat to win a tournament. A video for the song Just the Way You Are, by Bruno Mars, was an homage to moms who continue to love their kids unconditionally despite the kids misbehaving, eating too much junk food and not doing their homework. And the lyrics for Taio Cruz's song Dynamite were taken literally by one group, who produced a video featuring a monkey chasing the camp kids around with a stick of dynamite.
"It's been great," says Kwan, noting the range of choices for songs and videos.
Each participant receives an audio CD of their group's recording, as well as a DVD of their video.
Ultimate Glee Camp is $150 per child. Sessions start July 30 and will run every week throughout August. For more information visit the website at www.creativ.ca.
