<p>Hello All, I haven't posted in a while. My son is now a HS Junior, still intent on going to a good music school as a composition major. In case you don't remember me from earlier posts, he has a low GPA (under 3.0) but it's improving. I'm pretty certain he'll not knock the SAT out of the ballpark either, so, no help there. He transferred to our public Performing Arts magnet and his music teachers there are impressed, so, at least I know I'm not delusional about his talent. </p>
<p>Need your help: looking for a summer music camp for him. I know he should have attended a Composition Camp last summer but his schedule did not permit. I'm starting early this year and will plan his summer around this, hopefully. Here is my question: should we stick to a music camp at a school he might have a chance of actually attending, even if it doesn't offer composition per se? </p>
<p>Even if he can get into CCM or Oberlin, with his grades I do not see scholarship offers in his future and we can only afford the equivalent of in-state tuition. We have several excellent public universities w/music programs here (App St, UNC-G, ECU) and App has a very good 3 week music camp, but, I am pretty sure there is not a composition component at their camp. (As a side note, with his grades, even our Publics might be considered a Reach!)</p>
<p>So, Composition Camp at a conservatory or music camp at a more "reachable" college?</p>
<p>Firstly, to describe my background, I’ve attended the programs at CIM (twice), Yellow Barn, and BUTI. From these programs, I know second-hand information about the programs at Oberlin and Interlochen.</p>
<p>Firstly, my unqualified opinion is that it’s better to go to a good composition camp than to go to one affiliated with a university. I do know someone that goes to UNCG for composition and is very happy there, for what it’s worth.</p>
<p>Secondly, see [NewMusicBox</a> Summer Camp](<a href=“http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/summer-camp/]NewMusicBox”>Summer Camp - New Music USA)
Also see the old post <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1387802-reflections-summer-programs-music-composition.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/1387802-reflections-summer-programs-music-composition.html</a></p>
<p>For the background you’ve described your son as having, I’d be most inclined to recommend CIM, Oberlin, or Interlochen.
The webpage for the CIM program is [CIM</a> | Youth and Adult Studies](<a href=“http://www.cim.edu/preparatory/summer/youngcomposers.php]CIM”>Young Composers Program) - it was the first summer composition program I went to. I feel it is overall the most well-rounded - it includes essentially everything a summer composition program could include. My only complaint was that it was only a week. However, it’s extremely good as a first program. The person I mentioned who goes to UNCG went to this program after her junior and senior years.</p>
<p>BUTI and Yellow Barn YAP are both extremely intense; there were no first-time summer program attendees at Yellow Barn, and the first-timers at BUTI felt very overwhelmed.</p>
<p>The Oberlin program’s website is [Oberlin</a> College | Summer Programs | Composition Workshop](<a href=“http://new.oberlin.edu/office/summer-programs/composition/]Oberlin”>http://new.oberlin.edu/office/summer-programs/composition/). It’s also one week, generally right after the one at CIM (in 2011, three people did both back-to-back), and I have heard positive reviews of it.</p>
<p>Interlochen has a 6-week program that’s quite good for beginners, though long. Check out the article I mentioned above.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is essentially impossible for high-schoolers to get into.</p>
<p>From that one article I mentioned earlier, I just saw the Summer Session at UNCSA: [Summer</a> Session| Music](<a href=“http://www.uncsa.edu/summersession/music.htm]Summer”>http://www.uncsa.edu/summersession/music.htm)</p>
<p>I’ve been meaning to write a detailed comparison of these summer programs for a while, but haven’t managed to. I hope this is sufficient for now.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks to both of you, Harpsichorddude and SpiritMaster. I will spend all morning researching! I don’t know how Parents of Musicians are able to help their kids without this site. It is a gold mine of information. I will surely remember to do “payback” when I am (hopefully) a wise Mom of a College Music Student in 2 years.</p>
<p>New York Summer Music Festival is a good possibility. I believe students can go for two weeks, then decide to go another two weeks. [Summer</a> Music Camp - NYSMF - New York Summer Music Festival - for Outstanding Young Musicians](<a href=“http://www.nysmf.org/composition.html]Summer”>Summer Music Camp - NYSMF - New York Summer Music Festival - for Outstanding Young Musicians)</p>
<p>You could try Brevard [BMC</a> : High School : Composition](<a href=“http://www.brevardmusic.org/institute/highschool/composition/]BMC”>http://www.brevardmusic.org/institute/highschool/composition/)</p>
<p>My personal favorite, which changed my daughter’s life, is a month long program in Dublin NH called Walden School [The</a> Walden School - Summer Music Camp, School, and Festival](<a href=“http://waldenschool.org/]The”>http://waldenschool.org/)</p>
<p>Walden admits students 9-18, some of whom are extremely accomplished and some of whom have never composed, but are talented in music or are simply creative. Students come from around the world and spend a month taking classes, hiking and swimming, while working with both teachers and visiting composers. At the end there is a week-long composers’ forum in which every student has a piece played by world-class musicians, with a well-known composer as moderator. Of course, this means having a great recording for applications. There seems to be a connection between Walden and Oberlin Conservatory, and there is some exposure to modern and contemporary music, as well as electroacoustic music, if desired.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks CompMom. As you probably surmised from my “name”, I know about Brevard. A course that lasts all summer will be hard for us but I am considering it. The camp at SUNY sounds excellent, maybe not as much composing but more all around musical exposure. He now currently performs in Wind Ensemble (Horn) and Jazz Band (trumpet) he is also in his school’s top choral group (Chamber Choir) so to me the NY Summer Festival sounds right up his alley, just not sure HE will agree… might want a more Composition intensive one. Decisions, decisions!!!</p>
<p>Brevard and Walden have financial aid, if that is an issue at all. </p>
<p>NYSMF’s composition program looks pretty intense to me. Did the link I posted send you to that, or to the general description of the program? Faculty is great, and price is good. I like that you can go for a second two weeks if you like. Also, once in college, I seem to remember that students can go to NYSMF and serve as counselors as well.</p>
<p>New England Conservatory has a new two week summer program that I just found out about:
[High</a> School Composition Intensive | The Boston Conservatory](<a href=“http://www.bostonconservatory.edu/high-school-composition-intensive]High”>http://www.bostonconservatory.edu/high-school-composition-intensive)</p>
<p>My daughter liked spending a whole month at Walden, and writing a piece there, rather than bringing a piece to a shorter program, though that can be a wonderful experience too. She continues to spend quite a bit of time crafting pieces. The student works there were all 10-15 minutes long and could be for many possible instrumental or choral groups. There is a lot of emphasis on collaboration and community. My daughter does not like competitive environments, but she likes rigor, and it is sometimes hard to find rigor without the competition, if you know what I mean. Walden was good that way. If you apply early, their aid can be generous.</p>
<p>There are many other programs that others will tell you about, or, as spiritmanager said, there are a lot of posts from the past.</p>