School of Gospel Music: The History of the Falls Creek Music Program from 1917 to 2003

Falls Creek Youth Camp began as a small gathering in southern Oklahoma in 1917. From that point until 2003, this Southern Baptist church camp offered opportunities for group music making, including a choir and orchestra, during summer camp meetings. Students populated the ensembles while public school and university teachers conducted them. The ever-changing musical needs of the churches, combined with varying degrees of cultural influence, guided the musical direction of Falls Creek. Nonetheless, student participation remained the common thread through the Falls Creek music story. Early camp music leaders came from local churches. Later leadership was comprised of teachers and musicians from institutions of higher learning. The choirs traditionally sang at the evening services accompanied by the orchestra. The leadership of Falls Creek wanted to train students to participate in the music programs of the local churches. Aside from music courses at Oklahoma Baptist University, Falls Creek was the most influential institution in Oklahoma for preparing Baptist students to participate in music. The Falls Creek choir and orchestra stopped playing after the summer of 2003. Future camps utilized more popular forms of music making with far less student participation in the camp music program.