Lifelong Arts
Blue Lake’s Summer Camp sessions for the young at heart offer adult musicians of all abilities the opportunity to learn, grow, perform, and meet others with similar interests.
Overview
Adult camp sessions consist of specialty minicamps in a variety of areas of interest. The daily schedule includes rehearsals and instruction in a non-competitive environment, meals with faculty and participants, performance outlets, admittance at evening arts activities, and access to an unlimited variety of recreational activities in the West Michigan area. Camaraderie among members grows through sharing ideas and skills, music and moments. Musicians are accepted at whatever their proficiency level may be and are encouraged to grow. Each minicamp provides a small performance at the conclusion of the session.
Director
Gail Brechting is in her twenty-ninth year as the conductor of the award-winning West Michigan Concert WINDS. Under her direction, the WINDS received the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Silver Scroll Award, America’s most prestigious community concert band award. She has organized five international tours with the WINDS. She has had the privilege of conducting the WINDS in Chicago’s Symphony Hall, as well as the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Before becoming conductor, Mrs. Brechting was principal trombone with the WINDS and performed with many area music ensembles including the Traverse City Symphony, the Lansing Concert Band, The Lake Effect Brass, and the West Shore Symphony. In addition she is a much sought after soprano vocal soloist in West Michigan.
She has been the guest conductor with the Acadia Winds in Louisiana, Hot Springs Community Band in Arkansas, was the featured conductor with the Louisiana Middle School Honors Band and the Three Rivers Honors Band of Ohio and served as guest clinician and conductor with the Winter Park High School in Florida. She is the 2019 & 2022 recipient of the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award, through Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Mrs. Brechting is the Past President of the Association of Concert Bands, an international organization serving adult community bands, serving two previous terms on their board of directors. She is the Lifelong Arts Program Director with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, serving since 2019. She is a member of the National Band Association, the College Band Directors Association, an Emeritus member of Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, P.E.O. and the Women Band Directors Association. She is the first woman selected by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to serve on the Sudler Silver Scroll Award selection committee, and was recently named the chair. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree from Western Michigan University. Mrs. Brechting is a past music faculty member of Muskegon Community College. She retired in 2019, after a 40-year public school music education career, 34 of those with the Reeths-Puffer Schools in Muskegon, MI. In her spare time, she trains to compete as a US Masters swimmer, loves to play golf and travel.
Mrs. Brechting lives in Spring Lake with her engineer/pianist husband Frank. Their daughter Annelise, is a Physician Assistant in Greenville, SC.
