About Jumpstart
Summer music camp in Colorado || Ages 10-15 || Beginner and intermediate players on violin, viola, cello, or guitar
This residential summer camp is for beginners and intermediate players on violin, viola, cello, or guitar. Our experienced educators help prepare young musicians for success in middle and high school programs with a solid, rudimentary foundation.
Learn from expert teachers through private lessons and group classes in an environment that encourages fun through music. Students are guided to practice effectively; even parents are advised on how to help set up an ideal practice environment for their child at home.
New in summer 2023: beginner and intermediate students are welcome to register.
Augment your musical adventure and expand your knowledge this summer by signing up for Música Mariachi, a beginner Mariachi camp, in addition to Jumpstart. You will receive a $100 discount.
Students who register for this program through one of our partner organizations may be eligible for a full scholarship.
Partner Organizations
- Latino Cultural Arts Center
- El Sistema Colorado
- Upbeat Colorado
- Birdseed Collective
- Boulder Valley School District (Liaison: Diane Brenton)
More Info
Tuition and Fees
Tuition (includes lodging and meals):
$1,365*
Come back to Rocky Ridge for our beginner Mariachi program (Aug 1 – Aug 6, 2023) and receive a $100 discount!
Application Fee:
Registration for this program will open on October 15, 2022. Please note that the Registration Fee will increase as time goes on according to the following schedule:
- Registrations submitted on February 15 or before: $25
- Submissions between February 16 and March 15: $50
- Submissions between March 16 and April 15: $65
- Submissions between April 16 and May 15: $75
- Registrations submitted on May 16 or later: $85
Optional Fees:
Bedding and bath linens: $85 (includes twin fitted and flat sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket, and a bath towel).
*IMPORTANT NOTE: We accept the following forms of payment:
- Check (no extra fees)
- Please make checks out to Rocky Ridge Music and mail to 1128 Pine St., Boulder CO. 80302.
- An ACH Bank Transfer will incur a processing fee of 1% (not more than $10).
- Credit or Debit cards payments will incur a processing fee of 2.9% + $0.25.
Audition Requirements & Deadlines
No audition is required for this program.
Registration Information
Registration for this program will open on October 15, 2022.
Please note that the Registration Fee will increase as time goes on according to the following schedule:
Registrations submitted on February 15 or before: $25
Submissions between February 16 and March 15: $50
Submissions between March 16 and April 15: $65
Submissions between April 16 and May 15: $75
Registrations submitted on May 16 or later: $85
Please call our office at 303-449-1106 or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any questions.
Location and Address
This summer residential music camp takes place at our Estes Park campus:
465 Longs Peak Rd
Estes Park, CO 80517
Rocky Ridge Music is located near the base of Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park. It is just off of Highway 7, about 4 miles south of Estes Park and 6 miles north of Allenspark.
From Highway 7, turn west onto Longs Peak Road, which is at mile marker 9. There is a sign there that says, “Longs Peak Area.” Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right.
Driving from Denver:
From Denver, take I-25 North. Exit onto Highway 66 West. At Lyons, take Highway 7 to Allenspark (left). Total drive time from DIA to RRMC is about 1 1⁄ hours.
Driving from Northern Colorado:
Driving west on Highway 34, you’ll drive through the Big Thompson Canyon and into Estes Park. At the big intersection, take Highway 7 South.
Daily Schedule
Here is a link to the daily schedule. Please understand that this schedule is subject to change.
Student and Family Handbook
Coming soon!
COVID-19 Policies
Please see this page for more information.
Location and Transportation
Rocky Ridge Music is located near the base of Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park. It is just off of Highway 7, about 4 miles south of Estes Park and 6 miles north of Allenspark.
Driving from Denver: From Denver, take I-25 North. Exit onto Highway 66 West until you get to Lyons. See below for further instructions.
Driving from Boulder: Take Highway 36 North until you get to Lyons. See below for further instructions.
At Lyons, take Highway 7 to Allenspark (left). From Highway 7, turn west onto Longs Peak Road, which is at mile marker 9. There is a sign there that says, “Longs Peak Area.” Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right. Total drive time from Denver International Airport to RRM is about 1.5 hours.
Driving from Northern Colorado: Driving west on Highway 34, you’ll drive through the Big Thompson Canyon and into Estes Park. At the big intersection, take Highway 7 South. At the sign that says “Longs Peak Area,” you will turn right onto Longs Peak Rd. Drive about 1/3 mile to our entrance on the right.
The Estes Park Shuttle is available from Denver International Airport to RRM. Students should contact the shuttle directly at 970-586-5151 or visit their website www.estesparkshuttle.com for current information and to make a reservation.
Jumpstart FAQ
Will my child have a counselor during this program?
Yes! Counselors are selected from our College Intensive program. Counselors supervise, reside with, and mentor up to eight students during this program.
When should I arrive for this program?
For youth programs, registration will take place until noon. We will provide lunch and parents are asked to stay for a brief orientation from 1pm-2pm.
Please call our office (303-449-1106) or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any questions or concerns.
Where will I live on campus?
Our residential cabins are dorm-style with bunk beds; youth program students will reside with their counselor and 3-6 roommates. Bathhouses with showers are just a short walk away.
Check out our campus building gallery using the button below to see what our residential cabins look like.
Will I receive music in advance?
You may receive music in advance, especially if you are an intermediate student. It is more likely, however, that any music that might be needed will be distributed during the first or second day of the program.
You do not need to be able to read music to be a student in this program!
Do I need to bring bedding?
Rocky Ridge can provide you with bedding and towels for a $85 fee. Please indicate your interest in this option on your registration form. Otherwise, you are free to bring your own bedding or sleeping bag and towels.
Do you screen your teachers before they work one-on-one with my child?
All of our teachers are professionally background-checked.
Do I need to provide immunization records?
What should my child(ren) bring to camp?
How many campers attend Jumpstart?
Is this camp tech-free?
No, this camp is not tech-free mainly because our faculty and staff do not want to rid students of useful tools during their stay on campus. For example, our faculty will encourage students who have smart phones to use a metronome app to aid in their solo practice of their instrument. Students also enjoy using their phones to take photos of the beautiful campus and their friends.
With that being said, our counselors are all trained to make sure their assigned students are not using their devices inappropriately.
Are your staff CPR/AED certified?
Yes! Counselors, work-study students, and our kitchen staff will all be CPR/AED certified.
Do you have a nurse on campus?
Yes! There will be a qualified residential nurse on duty 24 hours a day during this program. Students and their families meet with the nurse upon arrival and all students and counselors will know where the nurse’s station and cabin is on campus.
Sign Up
How to Register
Please fill out the form using the button below.
Deadlines
Registration for this program will open on October 15, 2022. Please note that the Registration Fee will increase as time goes on according to the following schedule:
- Registrations submitted on February 15 or before: $25
- Submissions between February 16 and March 15: $50
- Submissions between March 16 and April 15: $65
- Submissions between April 16 and May 15: $75
- Registrations submitted on May 16 or later: $85
Please call our office at 303-449-1106 or email rrmc@rockyridge.org with any questions.
Photo Gallery
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Faculty
William Hinkie
Master of Music in Viola Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music
DMA from the University of Minnesota
Dr. William Hinkie is a professional violinist and violist who teaches and performs in the Denver Metropolitan area. He has played with the Boulder Philharmonic, the Fort Collins Symphony, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Colorado Ballet orchestra and was assistant principal viola of the Aspen Festival Orchestra. In addition to this, Dr. Hinkie was a four-time fellowship recipient to the Aspen Music School where he was a teaching assistant to the team teaching studio of Heidi Castleman, Ellen Rose, and Victoria Chiang. He also served as the principal violist of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra for 9 seasons. He received his Bachelor Degree in Music Education and Violin Performance from Louisiana State University, a Master of Music in Viola Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota. Prior to moving to Colorado in 2007, Dr. Hinkie taught in the public schools in the states of Ohio, Tennessee, Minnesota and Texas. He has also coached chamber music at the Perlman Music program where he worked with world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman. Here in Colorado Dr. Hinkie has served as the string education specialist at the University of Northern Colorado. In addition to this he has also been the orchestra director at Arvada West High School and has served as the music director of the Commerce City Youth Orchestra. During the summers, he has been an artist faculty member at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Northern Michigan where he has taught violin, viola, cello and chamber music.
He currently maintains a large studio of private violin, viola and cello students in the Denver Metro and is also on the music faculty of the APEX homeschool enrichment program in Longmont, Colorado.
Rebecca McKee
MM in Viola Performance, Pennsylvania State University
Rebecca McKee, a native of Springfield, Missouri, received a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and a Master of Music in Viola Performance from the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Her principal teachers include Raymond Page and William Lincer. Rebecca has been a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s viola section since 1989.
Rebecca also performs with The Marelle and The Southwest string quartets as well as True Concord.
She is an active advocate for early childhood music education in Tucson and a registered Suzuki violin/viola instructor with a large private studio. She is also a Music Together teacher — an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program. She has worked with the Tucson Unified School District as a Music Integration Specialist and Orchestra director.
Rebecca is married and is the proud mom of a Rocky Ridge alumni. She also has two cats. Her hobbies include walking/ hiking and knitting.
Mary Beth Tyndall
Mary Beth Tyndall has a large, private cello studio in Tucson, Arizona. Her students range in age from 4 to 74 years of age. From the youngest Suzuki families to the mature beginners they are held together by their love for music, the amazing voice of the cello and the sense of community she tries to foster in her studio.
Recently retired from a 38-year career in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Mary Beth still is an active member of the Southwest String Quartet, teaches each summer at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado, and regularly coaches for local youth and community orchestras. She is co-chair of the annual Tucson Cello Congress at the University of Arizona, and in 2016 she was named Outstanding Studio Teacher by the Arizona Chapter of the American String Teachers Association.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and cello performance from Ball State University and a master’s degree in cello performance from the University of Arizona. She began her Suzuki teacher training in 1983 with Yvonne Tait in Tucson and completed the series at many summer institutes.
Her students have performed solos with local orchestras and a few have gone on to conservatory level study and national awards. She feels privileged to work with wonderful individuals and families and to help them express themselves and grow emotionally and intellectually.
Keith Barnhart
Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory in 2015 with an emphasis in Historical Performance.
DMA from University of Colorado in 2018.
Keith Barnhart’s musical exposure at an early age was a mixture of mid-century rock, classical symphonic hits and whatever his brothers bought through the Columbia House CD club in the early 90’s. He began teaching himself rock guitar at age 13 and fell in love with classical/finger-style guitar in high school.
One of Keith’s passions is performing on early plucked instruments including the lute, Baroque guitar and theorbo. He has played with the Boulder Bach Festival, Pro Musica Colorado, CCU School of Music, Seicento, CU Early Music Ensemble, Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, Happy Hour Chamber Concerts and UNC’s Ursa Consort. He has had the pleasure of playing basso continuo for opera productions with the University of Colorado Boulder, the San Francisco Conservatory, The American Bach Soloists Academy, the Amherst Early Music Academy and the University of Northern Colorado.
Believing in music’s healing potential, Keith works as a Certified Music Practitioner. He was trained through the Music for Healing and Transition program. He plays customized, live therapeutic music at the bedside to create a healing environment for hospitals, hospice and nursing care patients.
As an educator, Keith teaches in public schools as a Teaching Artist with the Non-profit organization Lead Guitar. He also teaches ukulele at El Sistema Colorado and guitar and mandolin at Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp
Keith received his Bachelors in Classical Guitar Performance in 2006 from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. While there he studied with Ricardo Iznaola and Jonathan Leathwood. He received his Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory in 2015 with an emphasis in Historical Performance, studying under Richard Savino and Marc Teicholz. Keith graduated in 2018 from the University of Colorado with a Doctorate of Musical Arts. While at CU, he studied 10-string guitar with Nicolò Spera and researched and performed the music of Albert Harris.
He currently lives in Westminster, Colorado with his wife Meghan and daughter Sonia.
Jamie Wolf
Emphasis: Choral Music Education Primary Instrument: Voice
2019-2020 Global Leaders Program, Executive Graduate Certificate
Emphasis: Social Entrepreneurship, Cultural Agency, Policy Leadership, Teaching Artistry, and Organizational Management Fieldwork: Panguipulli, Chile
Academic Curating Institutions: McGill, Harvard, Duke, NYU, Georgetown, Longy
Honors: Awarded the 2020 Hildegard Behrens Global Humanitarian Entrepreneur Prize
Evanston, IL