While they may hail from different districts, the students learning together at Southwestern Michigan College are all on the same sheet of music — literally — this week.

Twenty-two students from Dowagiac, Niles, Brandywine, Edwardsburg and several other area school districts are attending this year’s Youth Summer Choral Camp, hosted once again by the Dowagiac community college and the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. Under the instruction of SMC Vocal Director David Carew, attendees will spend this week learning new music and refining their vocal abilities, capped off with a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Dale A. Lyons Building theater.

The camp — open to choir students in middle and high school — exposes teenagers to a selection of music ranging from classical songs to popular Disney movie tunes that more challenging than their usual school material, Carew said.

“It’s a way to keep kids singing during the summer,” Carew said. “It is also a way of exposing them to great works.”

On top of rehearsals, the students also work on their sight-reading skills during camp week, as well as learn tips on how to maintain their vocal health, Carew said. They also get a chance to perform solos for other attendees, who give each other feedback in a relaxed atmosphere, the director said.

Now in its ninth year, Carew enjoys directing the annual program, as it gives him a chance to work with a younger set of students than he is normally used to at the college. Many of this year’s attendees are repeat visitors, coming to the camp year after year, he said.

“You can really get to making some great music pretty quickly,” he said. “The artist in me really appreciates that aspect of the program.”

One of this year’s veterans is Haleigh Lozada, a senior at Dowagiac Union High School who has attended the camp the past four years, she said. On top of enjoying the challenge the music selection presents to her every year, Lozada said the camp gives her a chance to sing alongside fresh faces, she said.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet new people,” Lozada said. “By the end of camp, we all consider ourselves part of one giant family.”

On top of the student performance, Friday’s concluding concert will also feature a selection of music sung by the Dogwood Chorale, a group of local choir instructor and singers who support the camp every year.

SMC will host another choir camp, exclusively for high school students, from July 24-29. People interested in participating are asked to sign up at https://www.swmich.edu/choral-camp or at (269) 782-1226.