Borderland Band Camp 2026
Get ready for the next voyage of our epic summer music program—and the performance opportunity of a lifetime.
Borderland Band Camp is a 4-day summer music program (August 24-27) for middle-school and high-school teens with a BIG goal—to share the stage with professional musicians for two live performances, culminating in a spot on the Homespun Stage at Borderland Music + Arts Festival.
There’s nothing more tantalizing to a musician than a chance at a big stage—and the Homespun Stage at Borderland Music + Arts Festival is pretty dang big. This is a serious opportunity for young musicians to spread their wings.
Sounds too good to be true? Just check out some of our kids onstage at the 10-second mark in their 2024 official recap video!
In partnership with Jenn Brazill of the Borderland Music Festival, Jason Hall of Sportsmen’s Buffalo, and Jeff Miers of the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation, Buffalo Music Club is hosting the third season of our summer music camp. As usual, we’re not offering your average music camp, but something much more ambitious and far-reaching.
About the Borderland Band Camp
Through participation in the camp, our teaching artists aim to help students become better and more well-rounded musicians. But on a deeper level, we hope to instill in them a “big picture” view of what a career in music is actually like in real life—the discipline, the decisions, and the nuts and bolts of everything BEYOND the art. To that end, our camp activities will be focused on giving our participants the skills they need to put together a killer set for the final Borderland Festival performance—both on and off the stage.
When is Borderland Band Camp 2026?
- BAND CAMP: The camp is currently slated for August 24–27 from Noon–4:00 p.m. (Monday–Thursday of the last week of August).
- DRESS REHEARSAL PERFORMANCE: The “dress rehearsal” performance at The Cave will be on an evening between September 7–17 (final date determined during or shortly after the camp).
- BORDERLAND PERFORMANCE: The Borderland Music + Arts Festival will take place September 18–20, with the Borderland Band Camp performance most likely happening on Sunday, September 20. Date and time will be solidified as soon as possible.
Where will the Camp be held?
- All camp activities will take place at the Sportsmen’s Complex in Black Rock Buffalo, including The Cave, Sportsmen’s Tavern, Sportsmen’s Park, and Imagine Studios & Event Center.
- The dress rehearsal performance will take place at The Cave.
- The Borderland performance will take place at Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, New York (more info here).
Who is invited to the Camp?
Middle-school and high-school students who are in 5th to 12th grade during the 2025–2026 school year are invited to attend. Instruments include:
- Drums
- Bass guitar
- Electric guitar
- Keyboards
- Horns (Trumpet, Trombone, Saxophone, and more)
- Vocals & Rap
What kind of music will be played?
Borderland Band Camp focuses on hip-hop, rap, funk, and soul music, but we remain open to virtually any style of music that the campers as a whole naturally gravitate to during the camp. Ultimately, the campers put their set together—from covers to original music created during the camp.
- In 2024, the campers played everything from Herbie Hancock to Rage Against The Machine, and debuted two songs they wrote themselves!
- In 2025, we had four different ensembles playing everything from jazz standards like “Butterfly” and “Cissy Strut” to Cake’s version of “I Will Survive,” the Pixies’ classic “Where Is My Mind?,” and three original tunes written at the camp!
- What will happen in 2026? Get in on the action to find out!
What’s included in the Camp?
- 16+ hours of camp rehearsals and activities (12:00–4:00 p.m. on August 24–27)
- A commemorative Borderland Band Camp T-shirt
- A live “dress rehearsal” performance at Sportsmen’s Complex
- A live performance on the Homespun Stage at Borderland Music + Arts Festival
- Three (3) General Admission Passes for each camper to the Borderland Music + Arts Festival
When can I sign up?
Stay tuned to find out when registration opens for 2026. For more info on the registration process, click the “SIGN UP” button below.
Borderland Band Camp Events
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The Teaching Artists & Directors of Borderland Band Camp
The musicians behind Borderland Band Camp are an absolute dream-team Buffalo house band, bringing decades of music performance, education, and industry experience to the camp AND the stage.
Teaching artists for the camp will be announced at a later date.
Eric Crittenden
Director
Award-winning multi-instrumentalist & entertainer (CRiTT’s Juke Joint, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Sinbad the Comedian, Michael Franti, G-Love & Special Sauce, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Dirty Dozen Brass Band), music educator (IMAGE Urban Arts Workshop, BCAT, BPS), CEO of CRiTT Presents, and co-founder of Buffalo Music Club.
Jeff Miers
Director & Guitar
Pulitzer Prize-nominated music journalist, musician, former Buffalo News music critic (2002–2023), author of the Miers on Music blog, host of the podcast Why Music Matters, Executive Director of Sportsmen’s American Music Foundation, and Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee (2014).
David Cloyd
Director
Award-winning indie recording artist (ECR Music Group, NYC), founder of Hook & Ladder Records, and co-founder of Buffalo Music Club.
Scholarship Opportunities
If the cost of the camp is the only thing getting in the way of your student attending, take a look at the following opportunities for financial assistance.
Empire State Arts Scholarship Program
The intent of the Empire State Arts Scholarship Program is to fill any remaining funding gaps after receiving tuition aid from the NYS-based program of the student’s choice. Individual grants will be issued as a percentage of the remaining tuition balance and will be dependent on family income level and financial need.
SAMF Scholarships
Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation is offering some scholarship funds to help out students who may be highly qualified but would otherwise have difficulty paying the part or all of the fee.
If you are interested in applying for the camp, but the cost is in any way keeping you from signing up, please fill out the form below to discuss the matter further. Please note that financial assistance is not guaranteed.
Sponsor a Borderland Band Camper
Support the artists of today and create the artists of tomorrow with a donation to the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation.
100% of donations made through this link will be used to sponsor students that may otherwise not be able to participate in the Borderland Band Camp (or other future SAMF music education programming) through either a full or partial scholarship.
Take a look at our sponsorship levels—all of which get a little something back.
“Headliner” Sponsors ($1,000) will receive:
- Your logo on the Borderland Band Camp 2026 T-shirt
- Your logo on the website as a sponsor
- Featured social media spotlight
- An “I sponsored a 2026 Borderland Band Camper” badge to display at your business
- Recognition at the dress rehearsal performance at The Cave
- Option to display business promotional materials at the dress rehearsal performance
- A shout-out from the Homespun Stage at the Borderland performance
“Mainstage” Sponsors ($500) will receive:
- Your logo on the Borderland Band Camp 2026 T-shirt
- Your logo on the website as a sponsor
- An “I sponsored a 2026 Borderland Band Camper” badge to display at your business
- Featured “thank you” on social media
- Recognition at the dress rehearsal performance at The Cave
“Backstage” Sponsors ($250) will receive:
- Your logo on the website as a sponsor
- An “I sponsored a 2026 Borderland Band Camper” badge to display at your business
- Featured “thank you” on social media
- Recognition at the dress rehearsal performance at The Cave
“Superfan” Sponsors ($100 or less) will receive:
- A listing on the website as a sponsor
- A “thank you” on social media
- Recognition at the dress rehearsal performance at The Cave
“Crew” In-Kind Sponsors (donations of food, service, or equipment) will receive sponsor recognition at the equivalent tier of the value of the donation.
Become a Sponsor Today!
All donation amounts are appreciated and accepted! To learn more about how to become a Borderland Band Camp sponsor, fill out the form below, or contact Kimberly Horning, our Director of Engagement, by email at kim@buffalomusicclub.com or by phone at (716) 903-4477.