100% to all of the above!
Gigging! YES! Mine plays in a full band (rock), acoustic duo and solo (he sings), and with his school/outside jazz ensembles.
You explained WHY summer camp really well. Yes, getting to know schools and professors but also for audition experience. Mine actually had a “trial audition” with the professor who eventually won him over by auditioning at summer camp. He was SO nervous this first time and it make his actual audition a breeze.
Music theory, improv, etc…eat up everything you can! My son’s were built into his magnet program (the teachers there also taught at Yale, Wesleyan, Hartt etc)
FUN! Important as well.
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