help with selecting a violin camp for our 12 year old

January 13, 2008 at 08:56 PM · I attended Luzerne Music Center, during the summer of my 15th birthday. This is located in Northern New york. (Adirondacks to be precise) This camp has a junior session( which i think is 2 weeks) and a senior session (which is a month)

The prices are not terrible, and the experience is well reccomended. It is home to many great teachers.

January 13, 2008 at 10:37 PM · If your daughter enjoys chamber music, you might want to look into Kinhaven's junior session. This is the camp (I've been told) that PMP was modeled after. It's in a lovely setting, one of the prettiest I have ever seen. Three of my kids have gone to Kinhaven and absolutely loved it. The chamber music, esp for the more advanced kids, is taught at a high level. You could rent a house nearby (I have done that for years) in the the Vermont mountains and visit the camp during the mid-session concerts.

January 13, 2008 at 11:16 PM · Aha, you beat me to it! I was also going to suggest Kinhaven. I went there way back when and it was great fun. Lovely place, cool people, generally a good time to be had by all.

January 13, 2008 at 11:40 PM · Yeah! If your kid goes, make sure she gets the counselor named "Icky" (short for Micheal)!

January 14, 2008 at 12:17 AM · My 13 year old has attended Interlochen Arts Camp for four years in a row and has loved every year. If your daughter is a rising seventh grader she would be in the intermediate division. They have two levels of orchestra in this age group (7th-9th grade), the top orchestra is excellent. They also have private lessons and chamber music (quartet coaching). It is a very stimulating environment. You can attend one three-week session or two three-week sessions in a row. The setting, between two beautiful lakes is just lovely. They can swim, sail, canoe hike and attend lots of performances. Great performers come every year. In these past four years, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg have all performed. I'm sure I am missing some. The students there are in a variety of arts. Some are in musical theatre, others in dance or visual arts, however the biggest is definitely the music part of the camp.

January 14, 2008 at 02:48 AM · Interlochen also provides scholarships to some.

Ihnsouk

January 14, 2008 at 01:50 AM · I would recommend Sound Encounters in Ottawa, Kansas. It is 10 days and boasts awesome faculty (she can audition for master classes with Brian Lewis, among others). There is a real mix of kids there from all across the country - I once had roommates from Arkansas, Texas, and Florida! You can also stay with your daughter at the dorms if you want.

I have attended it for three years and have LOVED it every time!

http://www.ottawasuzukistrings.org/programs/sound-encounters

January 14, 2008 at 02:21 AM · I was just about to say that Sydney (who'd have guessed? haha).

It might depend on your daughter's level, etc. but I think Sound Encounters would be a wonderful bridge between Suzuki camp and something more advanced. Students of all ages, from 7 year olds to 20 somethings attend this camp, and the ability range is from Suzuki book 8 through college level. All the faculty are wonderful, they really are. The orchestra conductor, David Barg, is especially amazing. My summers there have been some of the most memorable experiences in my life, both musically and personally. I've blogged on v.com about this camp several times . . . if you're interested, you can check out my posts from June and July

January 14, 2008 at 02:26 AM · I can personally recommend Crane Youth Music camp. It's at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY (just north of the Adirondacks).

http://www.potsdam.edu/crane/cym/

Parents can sign out students during recreational activities...heck, if you wanted to vacation there too, she could even commute and it would cost less. Northern New York and the Adirondacks are just wonderful in the summer!

CYM is also great for younger kids because it's not quite as intense as, say, the Saratoga Orchestral Studies camp. The ages range from 11-18. She will be able to play in the symphony orchestra, can take private lessons ($20/half hour from any of the violin faculty), electives like music theory, history of rock music, etc. Concerts every night to attend.

A lot of younger kids seem to really love it. I've worked there for three summers and the staff are always friendly. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

January 14, 2008 at 02:20 PM · NYASTA offers a reasonable one-week orchestra & chamber music camp at Ithaca College. Ithaca itself is an interesting, eclectic "used to be hippies" kind of town. It is at the base of one of the beautiful Finger Lakes. The parent who wants to hang out can camp, boat,swim,tour for scenery, waterfalls and wildlife, visit wineries. It is within a couple of hours of several cities with notable sights and destinations, especially Rochester, NY. Google NYASTA. Sue

January 14, 2008 at 02:26 PM · Does your daughter have an interest in fiddling? Ashokan Music & Dance, run by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, has three separate theme weeks for "adults and families". The southern week could be a treat for someone from Tennessee, since the teachers are among the best living sources/performers of old-time music, etc. The best fun I've ever had in my life. :) Google Ashokan camps. Sue

January 14, 2008 at 08:53 PM · There is a program at Oberlin, Ohio. They call it Credo. I am pretty sure it starts at 12. As I recall it is mostly chamber music. I grew up near Oberlin and it is a cute little town.

January 14, 2008 at 09:30 PM · i appreciate all your comments. keep them coming. i am researching all of them.

January 14, 2008 at 10:50 PM · Since you're doing the research, you might also want to look into Greenwood, which is near Northampton, Mass. It's similar to Kinhaven, and the two schools are sort of friendly rivals.

Also Apple Hill, in New Hampshire; Point-Counterpoint in Vermont, and even Bowdoin in Maine (they have 3-week sessions.) For Bowdoin, she would be too young for the dorms and you'd have to stay off-campus with her. I dont' think it would be as fun an experience, although they have excellent teachers there.

January 20, 2008 at 05:20 PM · does anyone have any comments regarding the strings festival at brwn mahr.

January 20, 2008 at 05:27 PM · That festival has been in existence for a while (about ten or more years?)and we know quite a few kids who have gone there and enjoyed it. They have excellent faculty.

January 21, 2008 at 09:08 PM · Hi Gordon,

You might want to take a look at the International Music Institute and Festival. It's located in Emmitsburg, MD which is only about 15 minutes from Gettysburg (site of the decisive battle during the Civil War)The nearby area of Adams County is also known as the PA Fruit Belt and is very scenic.

The institute is only 10 days so it fits within your time requirements. We have students come from all over the world (Indonesia, Japan, China, Iceland, Norway) as well as world renowned faculty.

If you're interested you can find out more about it at the site: www.intermusearts.org/imif

Let me know if you have any questions.

-Emmanuel

January 23, 2008 at 05:28 PM · I second Luzerne - my daughter was there last year and LOVED it- she is going back this summer. The setting is beautifull- on Sacandaga river/lake. They have a junior and senior session( she was 12 last year-fit nicely in the junior session- 2/3 girls, 1/3 boys ages 10-14). Had a lot of music /teaching opportunities- full orchestra, string orchestra, chamber groups, student solo, ensampble recitals, private lessons, etc. Also, had outside concerts, went to the opera...plus a nice blend of recreational activities on the lake, skit night...Food was good.

As for the International String Festival in Bryn Mawr- it is organized by Kim Fisher from the Philadelphia Orchestra, great faculty, mostly from PO, somehow we didn't have great feed-back from people who went there-so even though that would have been a very convenient location for us, our teacher recommended Luzerne or Point Counterpoit. Point Counterpoint didn't have a session last year, but they are back this year. Good luck!