Your Kid's First Song
Starts Here.
One week. A beat-up acoustic. A counselor who knows every campfire song. Kids 5–13 go home strumming something they wrote themselves.
first G chord! 🎵
tiny fingers ✨
campfire jam 🔥
Just earned
My First Song cert!
Flip Through the Summer
Real moments from real campers. This is what a week at Strum looks like.
Maya, age 9 — "I can't stop smiling"
"I dropped Theo off not knowing if he'd last the week. He came home asking for a guitar for his birthday."
Renata Okafor
Mom of Theo, age 8 · Chicago, IL
Counselor Dani + Priya, age 7
Thursday night campfire 🔥
Picksley says: tune up, sing loud!
Certificate Friday — the best day 🏅
"As a music teacher I was skeptical. These kids learned more in five days than some of my students learn in a month."
James Whitfield
Guitar teacher · Portland, OR
The cabin that started it all
Luca & Sofia, ages 10 & 8
"We sent the gift certificate instead of another toy. Grandma cried watching the video of him playing at the end of camp."
Diane & Harold Nguyen
Grandparents gifting camp · Seattle, WA
"You Are My Sunshine" — day 1
Every camper leaves with a song they wrote.
Morning circle — 8am sharp
"Our homeschool co-op sends four kids every July. It fills their whole music curriculum for the year."
Amara Osei
Homeschool co-op organizer · Austin, TX
Zara, age 11 — original song!
Your kid's photo could be in next summer's scrapbook.
Find Their Week
Six sessions across June and July. Each group is grouped by age so the counselor pace matches every camper.
Little Strummers
Ages 5–7
Ukulele-sized guitars, simple open chords, and songs with four words. Big feelings, tiny fingers.
Camp Jammers
Ages 8–10
Full acoustic, three chords, and a song they write themselves by Thursday.
Trail Blazers
Ages 11–13
Barre chords, chord progressions, and the basics of reading tabs. They leave sounding real.
2026 Session Calendar
400+
Campers since 2019
98%
Families re-enroll
5:1
Camper-to-counselor
5
Days to a first song
A cabin. A chord. A week that sticks.
Strum started in 2019 when head counselor Dani Morales noticed that kids given a guitar and zero pressure would play for hours. No recital anxiety. No grades. Just a song and a campfire.
We keep groups small — never more than 10 kids per counselor — so every camper gets real hands-on time. By Friday afternoon, every single camper performs one song they've learned or written. Every time, without exception, someone cries happy tears.
Located in
Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
The People Holding the Guitars
Dani Morales
Head Counselor
7 years at Strum
"I keep a beat-up Martin in the cabin at all times. We start every morning with something familiar."
Marcus Webb
Song-Writing Lead
4 years at Strum
"The moment a kid realizes they made something — that's the whole job right there."
Priya Nair
Little Strummers Lead
3 years at Strum
"Five-year-olds can absolutely play guitar. You just have to meet them where they are."
One week. One song. A memory that lasts.
Sessions fill up fast — especially Filling Fast ones. Lock in your week before it's gone.
What's included
Guitar provided (no need to bring one)
Lunch + afternoon snacks daily
"My First Song" certificate & video
Songbook of everything they learned
Picksley sticker pack (they love it)
🎁 Give the Gift of Music
Gift a Week of Camp
Print a beautiful gift certificate for grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone who wants to give something real.
How old is your camper?
Each group is paced differently so every kid thrives.