Rock and Roll Summer Camp tuning up for 15th season

Now entering its 15th year, Mr. Hetfield’s Rock and Roll Summer Camp begins Monday, July 21, and continues through Friday, Aug. 1. This year’s camp returns to Rehoboth Elementary School in Rehoboth. The cost of the camp is $400.

The camp runs in the morning Monday through Friday for two weeks. Performances will take place in Lewes and on the Rusty Rudder deck in Dewey Beach Friday, Aug. 1.

The camp is open to aspiring rock and roll musicians ages 9 to 16. Rehoboth Elementary School music teacher Walt Hetfield runs the unique camp. Hetfield has been a faculty member at Rehoboth Elementary School for the past 21 years.

The camp is open to instrumentalists and vocalists. The primary goal is to take students who have been taking private or school band lessons on various instruments (particularly guitars) and get them into an ensemble-playing situation. Hetfield's Rock and Roll Summer Camp is a place for the students to meet and play with other young musicians.

There is no formal audition; campers need to have rudimentary knowledge of their instrument. Interested guitarists should know basic chords (i.e. G, C, D, E, A major and minor) and a scale pattern or two. Drummers should have some familiarity with a drum set, etc. Keyboard players should be at least graduated to level two in piano lessons. Saxes, trumpets and other instruments are welcome. Students who want to sing are also encouraged to sign up.

Several former campers have actually moved on to professional careers in the music business. For many of these former campers, the camp was their first experience playing in front of an audience.

Activities will include recording sessions at MSA studios, live performances at a local nightclub and The Rusty Rudder, clinics and visits to music dealers.

Many families arrange their vacations to coincide with the camp. Camp families have been known to board fellow campers on occasion.

To contact Hetfield, download an application or see a schedule, go to misterhetfield.com or rockandrollsummercamp.com To contact Hetfield you can write to Walt Hetfield, Camp Director,

116 S. Spinnaker Lane, Milton, DE 19968, or call 302-245-1670. His email address is wlh59@live.com