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We Create Music. Community.Access.Connection.Confidence.Opportunity.

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About Camp Coletrain Inc.

Building Community Through Music Education.

Camp Coletrain Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built on a simple belief: music has the power to change lives in meaningful and lasting ways. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience that power, no matter where they come from or where they live.

Born in the mountains of Buena Vista, Colorado, Camp Coletrain has grown from an annual summer music camp into a community of students, professional musicians, educators, artists, and partners creating music together.

Through our flagship camp, pop-up programs, festival partnerships, workshops, scholarships, and community initiatives, we create opportunities for people of all ages and experience levels to learn, play, create, and connect through music, with a special commitment to rural communities where access to these experiences can be limited.

Our programs are designed to spark creativity, build confidence, encourage people to step outside their comfort zones, and experience the connection that happens when people make music together.

As we continue to grow, we’re building on relationships and partnerships across the country and around the world to bring meaningful music education experiences to more communities.

Wherever Camp Coletrain goes, our mission remains the same: building community through music education.

Our Story
The Vision

Taking music education beyond the classroom.

Music has the power to change lives and create community anywhere.

Camp Coletrain Inc. creates immersive music education experiences that bring students, professional musicians, educators, families and festivals together.

Our flagship camp in Buena Vista remains at the heart of Camp Coletrain, while pop-up programs, festival partnerships, workshops, scholarships, and other initiatives allow us to expand our reach and bring meaningful music education to more people and places.

From rural mountain towns across the country to places around the world, we want to create more opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience music not only as something they learn, but something they make together.

Flagship Camp

Our annual multi-day music camp in Buena Vista brings students of all ages and experience levels together with professional musicians and educators for immersive learning, collaboration, creativity, and performance.

Pop-Up Camps

Camp Coletrain hits the road with adaptable music education experiences designed for festivals, events, and communities, bringing opportunities to learn, create, and play together wherever we go.

International Initiatives

Music transcends borders. Building on relationships and experiences developed through years of teaching and sharing music abroad, our vision is to grow Camp Coletrain through meaningful partnerships with communities around the world.

Access + Scholarships

Where you live or what you can afford shouldn’t determine your access to meaningful music education. Through scholarships and accessible programming, we’re working to create more opportunities for people to learn, play, create, and connect.

We believe

In the power of community

We believe

Music is a universal language

We believe

Creativity has no age limit

Meet The Founders

Built by musicians, educators and community builders.

Camp Coletrain Inc. was founded by Coleman Smith and Robin Vega with a shared belief that music can truly change someone’s life. Music education can do so much more than teach someone to play an instrument. It can build confidence, create connection, and foster community.

As Artistic Director, Coleman brings a lifetime in music and decades of experience as both a professional musician and veteran educator. An award-winning violinist and international touring artist, his career has taken him to stages and communities around the world, performing across genres while teaching and sharing music across cultures. Today, he tours as the fiddler for Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band, bringing the perspective of a career spent at the intersection of performance, education, and cultural exchange to Camp Coletrain’s artistic vision.

As Executive Director, Robin brings a background in entrepreneurship, marketing, events, and community development to building the partnerships, programs, and infrastructure that allow Camp Coletrain’s mission to grow.

Together, they’re building on what began in Buena Vista, Colorado to expand community-driven music education into more rural communities, festivals, and places around the world.

Meet The Team
Get Involved

Join the Camp Coletrain community.

Whether you want to support accessible music education, join us for our flagship camp in Colorado, or bring the Camp Coletrain experience to your festival or community, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

DONATE TODAY

Help More People Make Music

Your support helps Camp Coletrain expand access to music education through scholarships, community programs, and new outreach initiatives. Every gift helps us bring more people together through music.

Make A Donation

FLAGSHIP CAMP

Come to Camp Coletrain

Join us in Buena Vista, Colorado for our annual multi-day music camp, where students of all ages learn from professional musicians, play together, build confidence, and connect through music.

Learn More Here

EXPLORE POP-UP CAMPS

Bring Camp Coletrain to You

Our pop-up camps bring music education on the road through partnerships with festivals, events, and communities. We create hands-on workshops and collaborative music experiences for kids, teens, and adults.

Learn More Here
Stay Connected

Keep The Music Going

Camp Coletrain is growing beyond our home in Buena Vista, and we’d love for you to come along for the ride.

Sign up for news about upcoming camps, pop-up workshops, festival partnerships, scholarships, new programs, and ways to get involved as we bring music education to more communities near and far.

Join Our Community