Jewish Community Centre of Greater Buffalo (JCC) Creates Music Garden at Camp Centerland To Expand Musical Offerings

By a quiet creek in Amherst, New York, Alex Eadie, the Senior Director of Advancement at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Buffalo (JCC), can hear the faint sound of bells and chimes as he walks up the path by the creek into the Irving M. Shuman Campground.

This 20-acre site is home to Camp Centerland, one of the largest summer day camps in Western New York and a top-200 summer camp in the United States, as named by Newsweek magazine in 2024. Serving children aged 5 – 15, Camp Centerland offers a host of activities, including swimming, archery, sports, crafts, and, of course, music.

The JCC and Camp Centerland is an ever-growing community, and its leaders recently realized the need to expand their offerings to campers. The leadership team identified how to add more elements for children to enjoy, and today, outdoor music-making is now on offer at the new Music Garden.

The children who attended camp in the Summer of 2024 were able to explore different outdoor instruments and the traditional music offerings in the camp’s music program. The Music Pavilion (called the Shirah in Hebrew) is now surrounded by a garden of instruments—some inspired by nature!

Reflecting the natural surroundings of the campground, such as the wooded areas, trails, and creeks, Percussion Play’s Flowers and Petal Drums are situated in the garden and provide a colorful focal point that engages campers of all ages.

Alex Eadie, the Senior Director of Advancement, knew that Percussion Play’s ‘Inspired by Nature’ ensemble would be a big hit with the campers, saying, “We knew when we saw the Petal Drums that they would fit perfectly in the Music Garden and the little children would be excited by them. We then looked at other options and added in the Rainbow Cavatina – something our older kids are loving – they get to play recognizable tunes!” Percussion Play’s instruments were chosen for their durability, appeal, and consistently high customer ratings. “We knew that we would be getting a high-quality product, and it has been a huge hit with our campers,” said Eadie.

The JCC also added Rainbow Chimes, a Rainbow Metallophone and two sets of Rainbow Bongos to round out the ensemble, meaning that this Summer, the camp has been filled with the sound of music—from the beat of drums to the gentle ringing of chimes, there’s something everyone can enjoy.