Piano Camp
Gilmore Piano Camp 2026
Since its creation in 1998, Gilmore Piano Camp has welcomed hundreds of young pianists to its natural outdoor setting at Sherman Lake for fun and study. The camp provides classical piano training, a wide range of music-related electives, and many traditional camp activities. Treasured as the Midwest’s only piano-specific summer music camp, Gilmore Piano Camp is recommended for students that wish to develop their musicianship in a week-long intensive, and have had at least 1 year of piano lessons.
Registration
Gilmore Piano Camp at Sherman Lake YMCA will take place June 21-26, 2026.
Returning campers can register starting in mid-October.
New campers can begin the process starting November 1, 2025.
- Register online with Sherman Lake YMCA.
- Submit a placement audition video. Video submission instructions will be emailed to you after registering with Sherman Lake YMCA.
- Complete the Gilmore Piano Camp Information Form, which will be emailed to you after registering with Sherman Lake YMCA.
Read below to learn about scholarships and financial aid.
Registration Dates and Pricing
Sherman Lake YMCA is offering a voluntary TIERED PRICING structure for 2026.
Your choice is completely yours and remains confidential. Regardless of which option you choose, your child receives the same camp experience with the same high-quality programming. If additional financial aid is needed, please be sure to read below about Gilmore Scholarships and Sherman Lake Financial Aid.
Tier A – The TRUE cost of camp. This covers the cost of your camper, equitable salaries for our counselors, and the continued growth of new programs at Sherman Lake YMCA.
Tier B – Partially subsidized cost, representing a partial scholarship (approximately 5%) for the camper.
Tier C – A higher subsidy, reflecting a larger scholarship (approximately 10%) for the camper.
Day Camp: June 22-26
Tier A $600
Tier B $570
Tier C $540
Overnight Camp: June 21-26
Tier A $1,015
Tier B $964
Tier C $924
Scholarships
Two scholarship opportunities are available to help make camp more affordable. Families may apply for both scholarships.
The Gilmore’s Piano Camp Scholarships are available to cover up to 50% of the cost of camp, thanks to support from Education for the Arts and the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation. Awards for this scholarship are based on merit. Each applicant will submit a video audition– directions for how to submit your audition are included in the application.
- The scholarship application will be available starting January 15, 2026.
- Apply by May 1, 2026.
- Awards will be announced by May 15, 2026.
Did you miss the application deadline? Don’t worry!
Applications received after May 1 are welcome, and will be considered while funds are still available up until the start of camp.
Gilmore Piano Camp Scholarship
Sherman Lake YMCA Financial Aid is available for campers, and is based on financial need. Learn more about Sherman Lake YMCA Financial Aid here.
Camp Information
Please read the highly informative parent information packets prepared by the Sherman Lake YMCA, which contain:
- camper bus schedules and parent pick-up/drop off info
- medical forms and medication procedures
- what to pack and LOTS more!
Day Camp Parent Pack
Overnight Camp Parent Pack
Click here to take a virtual camp tour.
Overnight Piano Camp (Ages 8-16)
Immerse yourself in music! Enjoy a piano lesson, a practice period, and up to two electives every day. Electives include Composition, Recording Arts, Jazz & Improvisation, and more!
Evenings feature recitals, campfires, and other classic YMCA camp activities. Perform pieces from elective classes at the Thursday Night Throw-down, and prepared pieces from your lessons in a final celebratory recital hosted by campers for their peers, friends, and family.
Day Piano Camp (Ages 7-12)
Come and play! Enjoy daily small group piano lessons along with exploration in music-making. Participate each afternoon in outdoor YMCA classic camp activities including the climbing tower, swimming, archery, and more. Perform in a final celebratory recital Friday at 1:00 PM.
Camp Placement Auditions
All Piano Campers must complete a placement audition. This audition will help us to place campers with an instructor, in appropriate peer groups for activities, and determine scholarship awards. Auditions will be in the form of submitted videos.
- Students are required to perform two contrasting pieces. These songs do not need to be memorized– simply choose pieces about which you feel confident and comfortable.
- If you submitted pieces for consideration for scholarship awards, you do not need to submit a separate placement audition.
- You will receive an email with submission instructions on or before June 1, 2026.
Music Preparation For All Campers
All piano campers are encouraged to prepare two pieces of music that reflect the special Piano Camp theme each year. Please note that the theme is for fun and is open to broad interpretation! If a student doesn’t have pieces that fit the theme, no worries! We will happily accept what they have prepared.
The Theme for this year’s Piano Camp is RHYTHM COUNTS. Campers are encouraged to prepare pieces that have unusual time signatures, syncopation, or other rhythmic features that they find interesting.
Students will get the most out of their camp experience if they have learned the notes, rhythms, and fingerings of their music in advance. At camp, their piano teacher will help them to dig deeper into the musicality of performance and other attributes that high-level instruction aims to address.