S.O.U.L camp brings musical sounds, students to campus

This summer was the fourth year Camp S.O.U.L., which stands for “students obtaining unique musical levels,” brought high-school students to IU in mid-June The camp allows students to learn music and teaches them new vocal or instrumental techniques. It is just one of many camps that allows high school students extended learning experiences. \n“We tie intellect and intuition of being a musician in a discipline setting,” said IU graduate student and founding director of Camp S.O.U.L. Tyron Cooper. \nOn the first day of camp, the 35 students were told they would learn and perform 15 songs during the five days of camp . At the beginning of the week, the goal seemed nearly impossible for students. \n“Most people thought you could never learn 15 songs in such a short time,” said senior Justin White from Merrillville High School in Merrillville, Ind.\nThe students learned to work together and discipline themselves, Cooper said. Each day, the students rehearsed from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. On Friday morning, the students gathered for their final performance. \nLife at camp went far beyond daily rehearsals. Cooper said he would like the students to take away the history and performance practices of black culture. More importantly, Cooper said he wants the students to use the same discipline necessary in order to be successful in this camp and link it directly to academic success. \nWhite traveled to Camp S.O.U.L. alone on a bus because he knew no one else going to the camp.\n“As soon as I stepped off the bus, I was supposed to learn everyone’s name,” White said. \nFor the next five days, campers were trained with all the people they met and became close with one another.\nCooper is hoping Camp S.O.U.L. will build its family and begin a legacy at IU. This year, twin sisters Vinchessica and VinSche Grey, from Gary, continued a family legacy of camp attendance. The girls’ older sister Leontae attended the first-ever Camp S.O.U.L. in 2004. \n“I knew I wanted to be part of this when I saw the great performance my sister Leontae was part of in 2004,” Vinchessica Grey said. \nWithin the camp, three counselors help Cooper. Terrilyn Dennie, an education major at IU who was a Camp S.O.U.L student in 2004 and came back this year to work with Cooper and the 2007 campers. \nThe camp teaches participants about achieving their goals, Dennie said. He said Cooper stressed that, if you do your work, no one can ever stop you from reaching your goals. \n“There’s something about Professor Cooper that nobody else has; he has a constant energy on a constant stream that never fluctuates,” White said.