It's music to the Border's ears, enthusiasm for camp 'off the charts'

The Border Music Camp has seen a resurgence in numbers after the COVID-19 pandemic, with 202 students of all ages at the event at The Scots School Albury from July 7 to July 13.

It was supposed to be the camp's 50th anniversary, but two years of COVID-19 restrictions instead see it celebrating 48 years of bringing musically talented students together.

Fenella Collins has travelled from the Mornington Peninsula to be a part of the music camp.

It is the 17-year-old's seventh time at the event on the Border and she has been inspired by her mother to attend.

"I started going when I was nine, my mum also went when she was a kid," she said.

"But she came for a very, very long time and now I'm carrying on the legacy."

The year 11 student also returns each year to meet and play with other people who are passionate about music.

"A lot of the time I find in school settings, although people want to be there and want to hear the music, it's not the same level of passion that Border Music Camp brings," she said.

"It's so different the way that everyone understands each other and there's never any judgement and everyone's willing to learn and listen to each other.

"It's a very different space to anything you would have ever experienced."

Throughout the years she has played percussion, cello and now trombone, and is happy keeping her love for music as a hobby.

Throughout the week, the performers can join in workshops, ensembles, tutorials, electives and concerts.

William Paffen, of Wodonga, has returned to the camp for his third year and has enjoyed reuniting with some like-minded friends.

The 14-year-old first chose the cello as a compulsory requirement for school.

"We had to choose an instrument for school and I was like 'oh, cello looks pretty cool, I want to learn that'," he said.

"Then it just got more advanced and I really started loving it."

The year 9 Catholic College Wodonga student enjoys playing Bach's first Prelude and likes how the camp pushes him to try playing more advanced pieces.

He is looking forward to performing in the concerts later in the week, with years of experience helping his stage fright.

"I have performed quite a few times so it's kind of like a lot less than it used to be," he said.

About 60 staff members from across Australia and the world are teaching the students at the camp and mentoring them to become greater musicians.

The youngest musician at the camp is eight, while the oldest are in their 80s.

The music camp has also attracted students from Thailand, 20 students from Mansfield and three generations of one family all playing together.

Border Music Camp director Alastair McKean once attended the camp himself and said it was a place to make "lifelong friendships".

"My deputy director met his wife at Border camp when they were both students in the 90s and their kids are coming now," he said.

He said the students' enthusiasm has been "off the charts", and it's vital the camp continues to run to bring like-minded people together to play.

Tickets for the concerts on Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, can be purchased at trybooking.com.