Our Philosophy

It’s summer time. A time to get away. A time to enjoy life to its fullest. It is the time to be a kid.

This is Silver Lake.

Our belief is that camp should be all of this; a place to escape real life, to see old friends and meet new ones each day. To feel like we belong. To grow and stretch and try new things.

SLBC is a place like no other, yet should be everywhere. It stays with us throughout the year. We look forward to returning from the day we leave. A place where we combine our enthusiasm of music with a love of summer camp. A place where we can be our absolute selves, in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere. A place to play, to laugh, and to create life-long friendships. A place to grow and to be…Forever Young.

History of SLBC

Established in 1971

Henry Avila and Bob Flentge founded Silver Lake Band Camp in 1971. Both were past presidents of the California Band Directors Association. The first band camp consisted of five directors and 50 high school students and shared the City of Stockton’s Municipal Family Camp with the City’s family campers. By 1974 the camp added a junior high band and totaled approximately 100 students. The camp also included a college credit Band Directors Workshop and added 18 to 25 Northern California Band Directors who attended the rehearsals and clinics and subsequently sent their own students to attend the camp. It was at this time that Silver Lake Band Camp took over the entire Stockton Family Camp facility and had to cancel the Director’s Workshop in order to house the growing number of band campers. By 1985 the band campers totaled 195 which maxed-out the facilities.

Most Recently

In 2009 Stockton closed their camp facility and Silver Lake Band Camp relocated to Camp Concord in South Lake Tahoe. After 41 years of ownership Bob Flentge retired and sold Silver Lake Band Camp to Jason Bury a former camper, counselor and head counselor, in 2012.