Central North Island Youth Camp October 2024

– Rebekkah Shultz

Over four rainy days in the October School Holidays, the CNI Centre held its Triannual Youth Camp. Since 1997, CNI Youth Camp has brought young pipers and drummers together to learn, connect, and grow in a tradition that has become a core activity for the CNI Centre.

Held over an extended middle weekend of the school holidays, the camp provides an ideal opportunity for young musicians to refine their skills, make friends, and learn from experienced tutors. The camp is unique – it’s the only pipe band youth camp outside of the National Summer School – and organisers hope to see continued support to keep the s tradition alive.

This past October, 18 campers joined from as far away as Northland and Wellington, many being regular camp attendees. Among them were 9 pipers, 5 side drummers, and 4 bass and tenor drummers, each bringing their unique energy and talent to the camp. The line up of tutors for this camp included Piers Dover and Isaac Turner for piping, Jamie McEwan and Catrina Berry for side drumming and Rebekkah Schultz for the mid-section. The camp’s structure ensures there’s something for every level, with tutors tailoring their guidance to varying skill levels and what the groups would like to achieve over the course of the camp.

An Excellent Venue for a Camp

Ngamuwahine Lodge, in the Lower Kaimai Ranges (Bay of Plenty), is the perfect place to play bagpipes and drums for hours on end, with enough room for individual and group sessions. While the rainy weather limited outdoor time, the camp still buzzed with energy as everyone made the most of the indoor sessions. When the rain eased, we took the opportunity to play together on instruments, sneak in some drill practice with our aspiring Drum Major Ao and even shoot some hoops.

The Highlights: Music, Fun, and Macaroni and Cheese!

Each day at camp, the young musicians worked to refine their technique, learning exercises and rudiments while they mastered the camp repertoire, which includes well-loved tunes like Highland Cathedral, Green Hills and Fleet from Flotta. A camp favourite, Stone of Destiny, is so catchy tutors are humming it long after playing has ceased for the day!

The pipers had sessions on tuning techniques and exploring tune writing while the drummers enjoyed fun exercises like paradiddles to the Wipeout theme, adding a challenging twist to their learning.

The camp experience isn’t just about the music. Camp Cooks, Nancy and Maartje, did an outstanding job of keeping everyone well fed. Hearty meals like roast lamb, soups, and nightly desserts, kept everyone fuelled and ready for more each day. I had heard great things about the Mac and Cheese (praised by past campers), and it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Beyond meals, the campers enjoyed a variety of activities, including watching the live stream of NZ Young Piper of the Year, a quiz night, and mini band performances allowing them to showcase their skills, get creative and have some fun. The mini bands provided a creative twist as each group performed a skit to act out a camp tune for the audience to guess, as well as playing a couple of camp tunes. We had skits for Stone of Destiny, Highland Cathedral and Green Hills of Tyrol.

The final night brought everyone together for rounds of Mafia where the tutors joined in the fun. There was great narration, friendly accusations, and many laughs.

Camp concludes with a recital for parents and guardians as they arrive to collect some very tired children, followed by the presentation of Camp Cups. This camp, the piping cup was presented to Michael Brown-Hatchard for his leadership and contributions to CNI Camp, marking his final camp as he ages out. The drumming cup was presented to Ao Ha, recognised for his boundless enthusiasm and energy for drumming.

Support Crew Magic

No camp would be complete without a dedicated support team behind the scenes. Maureen and Sharon go above and beyond, ensuring each camper is supported and every aspect of the camp runs smoothly. Every camper and their family truly appreciates the dedication of these individuals, whose efforts ensure a smooth, memorable camp experience.

 

Looking Ahead: A Call for Future Campers

CNI Youth Camp depends on participation to remain sustainable. If you or someone you know is interested in joining, mark your calendars and look forward to your next school holiday activity.

Camps for 2025 are scheduled for:

  • Saturday 12th April – Tuesday 15th April
  • Saturday 5th July – Tuesday 8th July
  • Saturday 27th September – Tuesday 30th September

All camps will be held at Ngamuwahine Lodge, 271 Ngamuwahine Road, Lower Kaimai

For more information or to be notified when registration opens, contact cni.centre22@gmail.com.