Yes, we are certainly willing to look at trying to help groups out with a special deal or find some way to make it easier for them to get to the NDC. Please ask a representative from your group to get in touch with us to discuss what we can do to help.

The National Drumline Camp is aimed at musicians of all skill levels and experience. You don’t have to have played in a drumline before and you do not have to have much musical experience.

As a general rule, we recommend you have at least one year of playing experience under your belt to ensure that you have already covered basic concepts such as grip/technique, reading basic music notation and have begun to develop an understanding of rhythm.

In the past, we have had students who have only just begun their musical journey, right through to world champion pipeband drummers looking to try something new.

If you are at all unsure, please Contact Us to discuss your background.

Not at all. Most of the music you play during the camp will be distributed 1 week before the start of the camp. You will not be expected to turn up knowing your music, but this will give you a chance to at least have a quick look through it before you start to get a feel for what you’ve gotten yourself into!

For the duration of the camp, you will be paired with instructors and other campers who can help you work through any music and learn any sections that you find difficult.

While we do want to challenge people and push them to become better musicians, we are very conscious of making sure everyone has an enjoyable experience and does not feel ‘in over their head’. If you find any of the music to hard, you just need to let us know – there are plenty of options available to help out.

No. While it is most common for drumlines to play snare with traditional grip, this is not a requirement for the National Drumline Camp. You are welcome to choose whatever grip you are most comfortable with.

Yes. The minimum age for the National Drumline Camp is generally 11 years old for day camps and overnight campers, the minimum age is 13.

That said, we are always open to discussing individual circumstances. Please feel free to Contact Us if you wish to discuss enrolling a student younger than the minimum age. 

There is definitely no maximum age, but a reasonable level of physical fitness is required. Attendees will spend a large part of the day standing / playing and will also need to be able to carry their drum from rehearsal location to rehearsal location.   

You can check out last years’ timetable for both Melbourne and Perth below. The timetable for the Gold Coast will follow the same format as Perth.

Day campers at Melbourne will follow a similar timetable to Perth and the Gold Coast. 

Timings may of course change slightly for the 2023 events but should be pretty similar. If you have specific time pressures you need us to help you work around, please let us know.

2022 NDC Timetable – Melbourne

2022 NDC Timetable – Perth

We take the care and supervision of our younger participants very seriously. For the duration of the camp, each attendee under the age of 18 will be assigned a member of staff to look after them and be their go-to mentor. All members of staff must have a working with children check and have been vetted by the organisers to ensure they are a good fit for the job.

All campers under the age of 18 are housed in separate accommodation to adult campers and boys and girls are also separated. Camp staff are situated in adjacent cabins to help keep an eye on everything in the evenings.

Strict lights out times are in force and the entire camp is a drug and alcohol free event. Anyone found in possession of drugs or alcohol at the camp – regardless of age – will immediately be sent home at their own expense.

No. As part of our duty of care to school groups and members of the camp who are under 18, the National Drumline Camp is a 100% drug and alcohol free event. Anyone found with drugs or alcohol at any point over the weekend will be asked to leave immediately at their own expense.

Yes. We have a couple of options for those who may wish to attend but not partake in the musical activities at the National Drumline Camp which include a discounted place at the camp to cover food and accomodation.  

This may include parents of students who wish to be involved in the event but not play, volunteers who would like to offer assistance at the event, or school group leaders who are required to travel with their students. 

Attendees who are not taking part in the musical activities at the camp are welcome to observe throughout the weekend, or are free to spend their time exploring Melbourne at their own pace. 

The National Drumline Camp is conveniently located at Urban Camp in Parkville, about 10min from Melbourne’s CBD and 20min from the Airport. 

There is easy access to public transport in the area as well as plenty of options for Taxis / Ubers to and from the airport.  

While we don’t have any specific transport options available, we are happy to help coordinate transport plans for large groups or put camp attendees from interstate in touch with each other to share transport (ie an Uber from Melbourne Airport).

We are keeping a close eye on the situation with the COVID-19 Pandemic and will ensure we strictly adhere to all government policies and guidelines. 

Urban Camp are highly experienced in risk management and mitigation with camp groups and will oversee the implementation of necessary COVID-19 protocols. 

Rapid Antigen Tests will be kept on site and anyone displaying any symptoms will be asked to test as appropriate. We have sufficient accommodation to facilitate isolation requirements if necessary. 

In addition to Urban Camp’s own emergency plans, we have a number of staff in residence for the duration of the camp with first aid training. Conveniently, one of our instructors is also a Dr. (technically a dentist, but still a medically trained professional!)

We also require all camp attendees to complete a medical authorization form to ensure that we have appropriate emergency contact details as well as the most accurate and up to date information regarding any potential illness or injuries that may affect an individual’s ability to partake in the camp.

In the event that any issues are identified before the commencement of the camp, we will work closely with the individual or their parent/guardian to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the student can safely undertake the activities at the camp.