Senior Bulldogs Jackson Munter and Bella Schmid serve at summer music camp: "A very rewarding experience"

by Hope Nelson

Seward, NE (07/30/2024) — Concordia seniors Jackson Munter and Bella Schmid, both music education majors, got to use their musical gifts to serve others this summer. Both volunteered at Mount Olive Lutheran Church's summer band camp, a week-long creative experience hosted in Rockford, Ill., each year. The camp takes place through one of Mount Olive's unique ministries, the Christian Arts Institute, which also offers private music lessons and art classes year-round. Schmid's father, John ('93), serves as the director of the institute.

"I've always been a part of this camp in one way or another over the years," Schmid said. "I have always just played in the band and helped in whatever way I could as a counselor, but three years ago, my dad asked me if I could conduct a piece, and I've continued to do so...and last year, I brought my friends, Bekah Guilford ('23) and Jackson Munter from Concordia to help and learn from the two main conductors."

Munter, on the other hand, comes from Ithaca, Neb., and hasn't grown up attending the event. Nevertheless, helping out at the Christian Arts Camp was an "amazing opportunity" for him.

"I have been fortunate enough to be asked to participate in the band camp twice," he said. "The camp is a great experience for counselors and students alike. I felt that all of us learned, had fun and worked together in a Christ-centered environment." His favorite part, he said, was getting to work one-on-one with the young students, watching them have fun while also growing in their musical abilities.

Christian Arts Camp took place each morning for a week earlier this summer. Once the campers arrived each day, counselors like Jackson and Bella would lead them in a short devotional, followed by a rehearsal time. Then, students would break off into smaller groups of instrument-specific sectionals, followed by games like kickball or four-square, then finish off the day with another large-group rehearsal.

"There were four different directors," said Munter, "that each conducted their own pieces. It was entirely up to the conductor to teach the music and work with the students to help learn the music." On Friday evening, after the last day of camp, the campers presented these pieces in concert, an event "well-attended by family, community and church members."

Schmid reflects on the camp as a time that has continuously sparked her creativity and love for music: "It's where I've continued to play my instrument, especially when summer is the hardest time to practice. It's helped me become a better musician and is helping me learn how to become a better teacher."

Both Schmid and Munter are also future music educators who also look back on their time at Concordia fondly. "My choice to pursue music education came about because of my love of [making] music and sharing music," said Munter. "I also know that I like working with students and leading musical groups."

About Concordia, he said that "[it] has given me many different opportunities to be involved with great musical groups, learn from very experienced professors and even lead some groups on my own."

Schmid agreed. "Concordia's music department is currently giving me the opportunity to work and learn skills that I wouldn't be able to unless I was in the field already," she said. This summer, in addition to having helped at Christian Arts Camp, she's learning how to clean and repair band instruments that Concordia owns - something, she says, that's normally done only by people who work in repair shops.

Concordia's director of instrumental music, Professor Robert Cody, says that the Concordia music program is just as thankful for Jackson and Bella as they are for it! "[Concordia] music," he said, "is so proud of and thankful for Jackson and Bella. They both embody our values, tenaciously hard working and strikingly humble, and all to the glory of God...They may never know the impact they had over the week they were [at Christian Arts Camp], but it will be lasting!"

Leaning into their own musical and educational talents, Schmid and Munter were able to bring not only the joy of music, but also God's love and grace to the next generation of musicians - and perhaps music educators! -- at Christian Arts Camp this summer. "It's a very rewarding experience," said Schmid, "because even if frustrations occur when notes don't come out correctly or there is a difficult passage in the music, the students are able to relax and have fun."

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