Be an Astronaut with Declan McKenna
Learn to play Declan McKenna's as-yet-unreleased song "Be an Astronaut" from his upcoming album Zeros in this camp with counselor Ayla Tesler-Mabe. Students must apply to be considered for one of the camp ensemble's 25 spots. In the two week camp session, the campers will learn, rehearse, and then record a complete performance of the new work which will be premiered to McKenna himself, as well as potentially released more widely.
Apply to the camp for free. The camp will also be free for the selected campers.
Apply now by enrolling from this page, then completing the application form on the camp page. We are looking for guitarists, bassists, percussionists, vocalists, pianists, and other instruments as well. Campers should have intermediate to advanced proficiency with their instrument. The application deadline is Sunday, July 26, at midnight UTC / 8 pm EDT / 5 pm PDT. We will notify all applicants of the outcome Monday, July 27.
Camp Schedule
This camp starts Wednesday, July 29, and will meet five times on the following schedule:
July 29, 31, August 3, 5, and 7 at 1 pm EDT | 10 am PDT | 17:00 UTC
Each camp day campers will meet for two 45-minute sessions with their counselor Ayla and fellow campers with a 10-minute break between parts.
Skill Level
Campers should be intermediate to advanced players of their instrument.
How It Works
Campers will be selected through an application process. Enroll on this page to start. The application process is free, and the camp will be free for selected students as well. Students can connect to the online platform using a tablet or computer with reliable internet. This camp is capped at 25 students.
Signed up already? Click here.
Declan McKenna
Declan McKenna is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He initially gained recognition for winning the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. McKenna self-released the song "Brazil", a protest song criticising FIFA and the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, as his debut single in December 2014. The song reached number one on Sirius XM Radio's Alt Nation Alt 18 Countdown for 23 January 2016 and held that spot for three weeks. The song also reached number 16 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart. He released his debut studio album, What Do You Think About the Car?, on 21 July 2017. McKenna is due to release his second studio album, Zeros, in August 2020.
Ayla Tesler-Mabe
Born in 2001, Ayla has been deeply passionate about music since even before she played any instruments or wrote songs. Having grown up in a family where the music of the Gipsy Kings, Buena Vista Social Club, and the Beatles were always playing, she began singing at an early age. Ayla started her musical journey at age 8 with the cello, picked up the bass at 10, and then delved into the world of electric guitar at 12, never once showing signs of turning back.
– Visit Ayla Tesler-Mabe's profile on Lessonface.
Students Say
This was my first time learning a song this way, and Ayla made it so easy for all of us! She was really nice and it felt more like a rehearsal with a big group of friends. Totally enjoyed it!
Not only was this an exceptionally exciting experience, but Ayla's exceptionally enthusiastic, altruistic and amicable nature made it that much more worthwhile. The content and overall initiative of the camp was amazingly cool and it was such a pleasure and privilege to be part of it all.
Ayla was incredibly kind to all of us, she is very talented and an amazing teacher with a lot of musical knowledge, we couldn't have a better teacher. Thank you for the beautiful experience.
About Lessonface, PBC
Since 2013, Lessonface has connected more than 10,000 students with over 1000 great teachers for live music & language lessons online, delivering on our mission to help students achieve their goals while treating teachers equitably.
We are thrilled to be hosting this online camp, the first of its kind, and hope it will help students and our community explore the possibilities of online musical collaboration.
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