Students, alumni work and train as professionals during summer music program in New York

Eleven Liberty University School of Music students and alumni traveled to upstate New York this summer to bring music and worship to campers as part of the Adirondack Performing Arts Festival (APAF), a nine-week professional performance and training program. They joined a group of 37 young musicians, including instrumentalists and vocalists, to lead worship and perform concerts, chamber music, and weekly recitals for over 8,000 campers at CAMP-of-the-WOODS, a Christian resort for families in Speculator, N.Y.

In addition to 15 performances each week, APAF musicians receive training from and network with professionals in the music industry. The program allows them to engage with multiple styles of music, from classical, pop, and jazz, to contemporary worship. Participants must apply to the program, where they earn a weekly stipend (housing and meals are provided).

Dr. Zachary Bruno, professor of music and director of orchestras at Liberty, and his wife, Katy, served as program directors. This was their first year leading the program.

“While musical excellence is important in this program, spiritual growth, transformation in Christ, and discipleship are essential, with daily sermons, weekly small group Bible studies, and opportunities for ‘iron sharpening iron’ among the musicians,” Bruno said. “In the summer of 2010, when I was finishing my graduate studies, I was hired as one of the musicians for APAF. Now, 14 years later, my wife, Katy, and I are delighted to serve as directors for this remarkable music ministry.”

APAF hosts special guest artists throughout the summer who come for one week at a time to perform alongside the musicians and provide instruction. This year, two School of Music faculty — Professor Giovanni Perez and Professor Daryl Duff — were guest artists.

From July 16-21, Perez taught masterclasses in the APAF program and led a Q&A for students to ask questions about life in the music industry as a professional and as a Christian. He also performed in two concerts and arranged the orchestra and vocals for one of the worship songs.

“Everything was at a high level, and we were spoiled that all these great musicians who love the Lord were there. It was really fun to work with,” Perez said, noting that APAF is a great way for students to foster professional connections. “By being surrounded by a group of musicians from all over the country, you create networks with them. And in this industry, networking is super important. You also play at a high level, which means the students can record pieces for auditions for other programs. There are so many layers for students to benefit from.”

Perez said the program did not feel like work but was “a little moment in heaven.”

Joseph Burgos (’23) earned his B.M. in Woodwind Performance last year, and this summer marked his second time performing with APAF.

“We play jazz music, classical, worship. … We all have to be really flexible in our skill sets,” Burgos said. “It’s an environment that’s pretty unique, because most other places that you would work you really only do one thing the entire time. I would say this really prepares you for anything that you would need to do in the real world, and just having that flexibility and being able to do everything well.”

Burgos, who is now finishing a master’s degree in clarinet performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, hopes that the current Liberty students who participated in the program will be able to take what they learned and teach their fellow classmates.

“It’s been really cool seeing Liberty students who are still in school get to work over the summer as a professional musician and then come back to the school environment,” he said. “Bringing that back to the learning environment can help everybody kind of reevaluate their standards and just grow in new ways. I’m excited to see how it impacts things at Liberty.”