2019 Drum Fantasy Camp (scroll down for pricing!) Registration for the 2019 Drum Fantasy Camp is now open! The camp will take place August 9-13, 2019, at the incredible Vic's Drum Shop in Chicago! Drumming legends Steve Smith and Dennis Chambers are on board and we will add two more instructors. Our world-class band is back, featuring: bassist James Genus (Herbie Hancock/Saturday Night Live), keyboardist Stu Mindeman (Kurt Elling), singer Chrissi Poland (Moby/Sam Moore), and Vinny Valentino (George Benson/Vital Information). Brief History Drum Fantasy Camp was founded in 2007 by camp director Steven Orkin. Orkin manages marketing for artists Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Simon Phillips, Mike Stern, and more. Through the years, Orkin had read countless e-mails from fans asking for lessons and pointers from his clients. He posed this situation to his clients and the camp idea was born. The first Drum Fantasy Camp ran in South Orange, NJ, in 2007 and moved to Cleveland from 2008-2014. In February, 2013, an exciting and successful camp also ran in Ankara, Turkey. The camp moved to Chicago in 2015 and has remained there ever since. Access Cuba with Dave Weckl is scheduled for January 13-18, 2019. Dave and a lucky group of travelers will experience art and music in Havana together. The group will also get to watch Dave rehearse and perform with a world-class group! Click here to learn more! What is Drum Fantasy Camp? Who Attends? Drum Fantasy Camp is a serious learning experience. Our instructors are some of the finest drummers on the planet. You spend a total of six hours with each of them and you leave the camp inspired and filled with new ideas. The envirnoment is fun, friendly, supportive and non-competitive. Drummers of all ages, musical backgrounds, and playing levels attend. In 2018, male and female drummers from 15 countries and all over the United States attended. The age range was from 10 to 67! Some of our attendees are on a path to music school, while others have desk jobs and are gigging drummers in their home towns. And...some are simply looking for the inspiration to pick up the sticks after a long hiatus. All are welcome! We group our attendees based on their playing level - beginner, intermediate, and advanced. There is a great sense of camaraderie at Drum Fantasy Camp. Attendees tend to become good friends - sharing information, cheering each other on at the "Jam Nights," and staying in touch after the experience. The camp feels like a family, with several attendees returning year-after-year. What Is Included? When you register for a full-camp package, you get four days of master classes (six hours per day) and you can attend all three of our Jam Nights! You will perform at one of those jams with our world-class band, and you'll get to hang with your fellow campers and instructors all three nights! We have an opening concert at Martyrs' on August 9 and a closing concert on August 13. You will purchase your tickets directly from them on their Web site. The cost will be $25 per show, but there will be a discount for both shows. We'll let you know when tickets go on sale. Space will be limited, but there will be room for our attendees and their friends/family. If you're staying overnight, we encourage you to stay with the whole group at the Crowne Plaza. At $189 (plus tax), it's a great deal, it's convenient to Vic's Drum Shop, and all your fellow campers and instructors will be there! This is a great way to hang out in the evening and get some extra time with your teachers. Please note: we include four nights in the hotel with our hotel packages (August 9, 10, 11, and 12 with checkout on the 13th). You can add nights by contacting us. Per our agreement with the hotel, overnight packages and extra room nights must be booked by July 17. Basic Schedule August 9 The camp opens at 8:00 p.m. with an all-star concert at Martyrs' in Chicago. Two of our all-star drummers will join our world-class band! August 10, 11, and 12 Classes run from 9:00 a.m. to Noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are approximately 15 to a class and attendees spend the whole day in the class. Classes include a combination of lecturing and playing. In the evening, we will run our famous "Jam Nights," where campers get to sit in with the band! It's like a small private concert each night! The drumming instructors also hang out and perform. August 13 Classes will run on the same schedule, but we'll run a closing concert at Martyrs' at 8:00 p.m. featuring our incredible band and two drumming instructors who did not play on the 9th! 2019 Pricing and Packages       Full Camp Packages       When you register for a full camp package, you get two master classes per day for four days, admission to all three of our Jam Nights, and admission to bonus classes. Overnight accommodations are included in two of the packages. Please note: per our agreement with the hotel, overnight packages and extra room nights must be booked by July 17. Please fill out the registration form to get started!     Full camp without overnight accommodations $1,699 Full camp with hotel room and roommate $2,143 Full camp with private hotel room $2,585   Partial Camp Packages (available later this spring)       There are two partial-camp packages: one full day with one instructor and two full days with two instructors. Neither package includes lodging, but you can add the hotel at our group rate of $189 (plus tax) by e-mailing us here. Please fill out the registration form to get started (and make sure to choose classes and days!)     One Full Day Class with One Instructor TBA Two full days - one instructor per day TBA   Concert Tickets!       Our August 9 and 10 concerts at Martyrs' are open to the public and can be purchased using the links, below. These are all-ages shows, and Martyrs' sells food and beverages. Click here to learn more about the concerts! Tickets will go on sale this spring.       August 9: Drumming All-Stars Concert (8:00 p.m.) features two of our instructors each playing their own sets. Band features Vinny Valentino (guitar), Chrissi Poland (vocals), and more TBA. $25     August 10: Drumming All-Stars Concert (8:00 p.m.) features two of our instructors each playing their own sets. Band features Vinny Valentino (guitar), Chrissi Poland (vocals), and more TBA. $25     Combination Ticket! Specially-priced ticket that includes both shows! $44   Camp Schedule at a Glance       August 9 Location: Martyrs'       8:00 p.m. Opening concert at Martyrs' featruing two instructors!     10:30 p.m. Opening concert ends             August 10, 11, and 12 Location: Vic's Drum Shop             9:00 a.m. Morning session with today's instructor     12:00 p.m. Lunch     1:30 p.m. Afternoon session with today's instructor     4:30 p.m. Open jam/rest time     7:00 p.m. Vic's/Music Garage Jam Night!             August 13 Location: Vic's Drum Shop and Martyrs'             9:00 a.m. Morning session with today's instructor     12:00 p.m. Lunch     1:30 p.m. Afternoon session with today's instructor     4:30 p.m. Camp ends     8:00 p.m. Closing concert at Martyrs' featuring two instructors!               Click here to register!     More Information