Blaine Harbor Music Festival is gearing up for its 25th annual summer festival and camp, which runs this year from Sunday, July 12, through Saturday, July 18.
It originally began in 2000 as Blaine Jazz Festival, later being called Drayton Harbor Music Festival, but some may be surprised to find that the festival’s roots are in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Former Blaine City Councilman Bruce Wolf and his wife Sandy had assisted in a two-week music camp in Alaska, started through the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Both native Washingtonians, they returned to Whatcom County after retiring and Sandy started the Pacific Arts Association, the nonprofit that puts on the festival. The festival grew to what it is today with help in the early days from Ted DeCorso, George and Crystal Mills, Greta Matassa and others.
A large part of the festival is the camp for students ages 12-20 that gives them an opportunity to learn from renowned and decorated musical artists from all over the country such as Matassa, Grep Hopkins and Camille Bloom.
BHMF Director of Marketing and Communications Brenna Schlagenhauf described camp as “the heart of the festival.”
Campers can choose different classes to attend during the week within the four programs of study, which are instrumental jazz, vocal jazz, pop/rock performance/songwriting and concert band/orchestral instruments.
At the end of the week, students have a chance to share what they’ve learned all week at the Friday night student showcase and Saturday’s street fair, where there will be additional student performances.
Glenn Tuski, previous board member and longtime volunteer with the festival, said that students will learn almost a year’s worth of instruction in the week they spend at camp, and instructors and volunteers provide plenty of support along the way.
“It’s a very warm, loving, happy environment, and that sets our camp apart,” Tuski said. “I think that’s really great for the kids.”
Artistic Director Nick Biello, a saxophonist, composer and college professor, lives in New York and makes the trek out to Blaine each year for the festival. He has served as the artistic director for the past few years, but was an instructor at the camp for years before that.
Biello said the opportunity that students have to watch their instructors — professional musicians — perform helps them build the confidence to take the stage themselves at the end of the week.
“What we’re really lucky to have on our faculty is, sort of, these unicorns that are all brilliant performers, but they’re just so lovely and generous with their heart and their spirit when it comes to how they deal with the students,” Biello said. “They give so much of themselves to the kids, and it’s very precious and it’s exceedingly rare.”
As part of the festival, concerts are hosted twice daily from July 13 through July 17 at noon and 7 p.m., which are non-ticketed with the exception of the Thursday event at 7 p.m. All noon concerts are held at G Street Plaza, as well as the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 7 p.m. concerts.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated concert event is the Big Band Swing Dance, hosted at Semiahmoo Resort, 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway on Thursday, July 16. At a price of $75, it is the only ticketed event of the week and acts as a fundraiser.
Greg Hopkins will direct the band, which will play traditional 1930s and 40s swing music. Dinner starts at 6 p.m., and attendees are invited to the dance floor at 7 p.m.
Friday night’s 7 p.m. concert is the student showcase with a 25th anniversary ceremony held at Blaine Performing Arts Center, 1 Borderite Way.
The festival send-off will be Saturday, featuring street fair with student performances at G and H street plazas starting at 11 a.m.
Camp tuition is $600, with options to pay for private lessons, boarding or lunch for commuter students. Registration is open through July 11 or until all spots are filled.
To register for camp, view the full concert schedule or find more information on the festival, visit blaineharbormusicfestival.org.
As for the next 25 years, organizers hope to extend the festival’s reach.
“What we’re really hoping for in the next 25 years is to play an even bigger part in bringing life and music to Blaine and the surrounding communities,” board President DeeDee Marshall said.
