CIMS Summer Music Festival
The Charleston International Music School (CIMS) Summer Festival is a two-week classical music program held in Charleston, South Carolina. Students from around the world come to be coached by CIMS' international faculty in solo and chamber music performance, as well as music theory, choir, and ear training. Students work and perform throughout the two weeks with musicians of different backgrounds and nationalities, many times without speaking a common language. This intensive program fosters global awareness and enthusiasm as young performers learn to communicate with their music. Local students study year-round with CIMS Faculty and perform in masterclasses and studio recitals. Check our events page for upcoming events.
The CIMS Summer Program and Festival is intended for auditioned musicians of all ages and levels, including international students. However, due to the intensive nature of the Program, students must be dedicated and disciplined. Students attend 2 private lessons per week (total of 4 hours) and participate in music theory and ear training classes, as well as choir, masterclasses, and extracurricular seminars. All students are required to participate in chamber music and string ensembles. Each student is assigned to at least one chamber music group which rehearses daily and performs in the CIMS Concert Series. They also join with all students to rehearse and perform with the CIMS Camerata string ensemble. No other activities should be scheduled while attending the CIMS Summer Program and Festival. For information on how to apply see here >>
Little Mozart Music Program Summer Camp
Improvisation Clinic
Improvisation in music is a practice since early times on Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. It is the extemporaneous composition or free performance of a musical passage, conforming to certain stylist norms. Great composers like J. S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt, among others were known especially for their improvisational skills. At CIMS, we believe that students should be introduced to this practice to develop their creativity, listening, and rhythm. For more information see here >>
Little Mozart Music Program
What makes learning music at an early age so important to childhood development? Research shows that learning music at a young age facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in a variety of domains. Practicing or playing music taps into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously, which develops both hemispheres of the brain. Children involved in music experience larger growth of neural activity than children not involved in music. This, in turn, increases a child’s IQ as that child is being musically trained. Development of language skills, which are so important at that stage of development, is accelerated. As a child realizes what he or she has accomplished, both on his or her own and as and a result of playing music with others, it creates a stronger sense of self as well as team discipline. Ultimately, the study of music builds passion and a love for beauty that lasts a lifetime.
For more information see here>>