<p>This program has come to our attention and their website makes it seem like a great program. Anyone out there have any experience with it or direct knowledge of it?
Specifically looking for summer programs for the "not quite yet ready for Tanglewood" college student.
thanks!</p>
<p>Last time I inquired (2005) HS age students could not attend, only college students and adults. It may have since changed. I went there for the summer when I was in HS- wanted that experience fro my son, but no go.</p>
<p>Banff is a wonderful program. The location is unbeatable and the facilities are very good. Food is excellent (everyone remarks on this!). The price is good (about $750 per week) and the financial aid is usually very good (especially for the orchestra program). Various optional outings/excursions are arranged by the program for students on their off days (e.g. day trip to Lake Louise). </p>
<p>While my son has not attended the summer program, he has friends that have. They have loved it. I have attended concerts put on by the summer program (all very good) and have taken student ensembles to the Banff Fine Arts Centre for festivals in the spring, so I know the facilities fairly well.</p>
<p>The level of playing is high, so I’m not sure if it would be a good fit for the “not quite yet ready for Tanglewood” college student. Depending on who auditions in a particular year, it might be possible to get in (but I suspect that chances at Tanglewood are better since, I believe, that Tanglewood is much larger).</p>
<p>I realize that CLRN8MOM is referring to a college students, but in response to menloparkmom: Banff is primarily a college aged plus program, as you note. The website is vague on age. I have known a couple of high school students that have attended (before senior year), but they were very good players that could hold their own against good college musicians. </p>
<p>The freedom allowed in the program would not be good for many high school students. Like Aspen, the program is quite open, except that Aspen has supports in place for younger students. Given that the socializing is a big drawing card in any summer music program, I wouldn’t particularly recommend Banff for young students–while they would receive excellent training, they would probably find more people their own age to connect with in other programs.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information, violindad. If it doesn’t work out for this summer, maybe she can keep trying.
By the way, maybe I should post a new thread, but does it hurt an applicant to keep trying? I have heard that at some programs, this can be misunderstood as a lack of preparation, and gets applicants put on a “black list”.</p>
<p>I doubt that there is a “black list” for most programs. For at least some programs, the audition recordings are sent for evaluation to one or two specialists in the particular instrument. These specialists will change periodically (the job of evaluating a bunch of student recordings is not a particularly fun one, so there does seem to be some turnover). </p>
<p>The evaluators will often listen to enough recordings that they won’t recall names a year later. As well, I think the assumption is that students will improve with time, so even if the same evaluators are listening in a succeeding year and if they happen to remember a name, they do try to listen with fresh ears. If the first minute or so of playing is clearly of too low a quality, then they are unlikely to hear out the full recording, but I can’t imagine they blacklist anyone. They do want to get the best possible musicians into a program because that will enhance the program’s reputation.</p>
<p>So, a student should keep trying for a summer program if their teacher believes that the student is at least in the ballpark.</p>