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Sixty years ago, Gus Noland played trombone and sang in the high school glee club, while Peggy Daly (Noland) played the bass violin in her high school orchestra. Gus sang in Barbershop Quartets for many years, and together as parents, they encouraged music in their home, forming a family band in which all five of their children participated. Their oldest son, Michael, played the cello in the orchestra and sang in Ruth Phillip's elite madrigal choir at Bella Vista High School. He also conducted the first youth choir at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church and went on to earn a B.A. and Master's in Music. Michael became a choral director at Christ Community Church and Folsom Lake College and sang with the renowned San Francisco-based group, "Chanticleer."

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After retiring, Gus (B.A. Pomona College, L.L.D from U.C.L.A., and M. Div. from San Anselmo) and Peggy (who served 20 years as a Head Start Preschool Teacher) made a spiritual commitment to organize a summertime choral camp. From the outset, Gus's dream was to inspire young men and women to sing, especially as music programs in schools were becoming scarce. Their camp, which began at the Community of the Great Commission at Foresthill, enrolled 78 campers and staff in its first year. The program was quickly renamed the Sierra Mountain Choral Camp, and its popularity grew as many campers returned year after year.

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In its third year, the camp added a fourth choir for junior boys with treble or "unchanged" voices, increasing interest and expanding camp activities. The camp's capacity was stretched by adding tents to house senior boys, leading to the formation of the in-camp rock band, "IN-TENTS" (later known as "Amadeus"). In 2000, the camp became Sierra Mountain Music Camp with the addition of an orchestra for all ages. A second orchestra for advanced students followed shortly after.

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A highlight came in June 2004 when the camp held its 10th-anniversary concert at the Robert and Margrett Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, a moment Gus was incredibly proud of. However, 2005 brought great loss with Gus's passing in March, leaving a profound impact on his family, staff, and the camp community. The camp continued, paying tribute to him during the 11th annual concert. At the end of the 2005 season, the camp moved from Sierra Pines to Diamond Arrow Christian Conference Center, a larger facility to accommodate its growth.

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The camp's Board of Directors, including Superior Court Judge Talmadge Jones, Attorney Ron Leachman, Casey Noland, John Henderson, Jim Failor, Peggy Noland, and Jerry Shantz, provided essential support throughout the years. In 2005, a new board was created to enhance camp operations. Over the years, campers came from across California, the U.S., and even as far as Argentina and France, all united by a passion for music.

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In 2023, the Noland family experienced another profound loss with the passing of Peggy Noland. Her dedication to music, education, and the camp she co-founded with Gus has left a lasting legacy. The camp continues to thrive each summer, bringing to life Gus and Peggy's vision of fostering musical excellence. In 2024, in honor of Peggy, composer Thom Greathouse arranged a beautiful rendition blending *When You Wish Upon a Star* with *Moon River*. This special performance featured Peggy’s great-granddaughter Maia in a solo, directed by her granddaughter, and accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Charlene. The heartfelt tribute showcased the generational impact of Peggy’s love for music, and in the hearts of campers, staff, and alumni, the camp’s theme song dedicated to Gus, *I Believe in Music*, still resonates.

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