Interlochen Summer Questions

College Majors Music Major
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<p>Well, yes, reviews are subjective and the more context we have to understand the reviewer’s experience, the better we can understand the review’s relevance for our own needs. It seems to me that woodwind’s posts have explained very well some of the potential pitfalls of Interlochen for serious middle-schoolers, and that will help parents in the future who are deciding about summer music programs. Even if it only means that they will pay more attention to the issue of placement… We had many other parents sharing info and experiences from Interlochen, including momfromme (I think) who spoke about how differently her 2 daughters, with their different appetites for musical intensity among other things, responded. </p>

<p>If I had a middle-schooler who was interested in music camp for next summer, I would find the sharing of these experiences (including the context, which lets me surmise something about the character, preferences and musical level of the kids involved) to be very valuable. Yes, parents and kids are often misinformed about their place in the music-world talent hierarchy (something which is often corrected, at least in part, at music camp). </p>

<p>My bottom line is that more info is better, even though reviews are subjective.</p>

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<p>I agree with memake. The most valuable information I’ve accumulated as a music-parent has come from informal discussions with other parents. Although I played devil’s advocate in my post below, I found ww’s post very specific and informative, and if I had a middle school child considering a music program (for me, those days are over) I would certainly take his/her report seriously before making as informed a decision as possible on behalf of my child.</p>

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<p>WW posted “I want to warn people that Interlochen is not all it’s hyped up to be.”
Personally, I did not find this to be a specific statement, rather a broad, general slam on a major, diverse institution and I do not agree with making such broad proclamations based on a tiny bit of experience that the poster has had with the institution. I understand WW’s daughter was there for an intermediate camp experience for 3 weeks. To many of us, that is a very brief program and experience.</p>

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<p>Just a reminded to folks that Interlochen, like most major institutions, has a detailed website with a wealth of info, including videos, so that is the first place to check out if one has any questions.
Looking under Intermediate Summer Programs, Winds and Percussion, I quickly found this: “All Wind and Percussion students will participate in the Wind Symphony. Advanced students will also join the intermediate Symphony Orchestra. Participation in the orchestra will be determined by a student’s audition submitted with their application. All seating placements will be determined by audition at the beginning of Camp.”
-If someone has a question, they can phone Admissions and ask for specifications, like “what - if’s” if those are important to the camper.</p>

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<p>Quote: WW posted “I want to warn people that Interlochen is not all it’s hyped up to be.”</p>

<p>True, IMO this statement does seem to be a general slam on the program. OTOH, had the OP received a timely response from the directors, she would likely have never been pushed to this extent. Because of the wording, the posts, although ultimately quite informative, can come across as vindictive.</p>

<p>BTW, a google search for Interlochen summer brings up this discussion right to page 1. So, if the OP has revealed enough info for her D to be identified, the cat is out of the bag. Also, directors of any programs, Interlochen or others, surely must be aware that good and bad feedback spread like wildfire on the internet, so a prompt response to parent concerns can be very important. So, directors of Interlochen summer and other programs, please put a higher priority on communication with parents! </p>

<p>D went to Interlochen one summer (HS), and attended her senior year. Though she really enjoyed the summer, she much preferred the school year experience. She was not thrilled with sleeping with 17 girls in a cabin (and she got sick A LOT).</p>

<p>One size does not fit all, but D found Interlochen (both summer and school year) to be transformational, and there is no question in our minds that her growth there led directly to her admission and scholarship to a top conservatory. Though we didn’t make attempts to communicate with directors in the summer, our inquiries during the school year were always attended to immediately-via email, usually.</p>

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<p>I think it’s good people are having this discussion. And while I think WW would probably have changed the wording of her first post to be a little more diplomatic, this message board exists precisely for people to have thoughtful, detailed discussions about music study that go beyond brochures and websites. I think everyone on here agrees these posts are guidance not gospel, and the opinions and impressions of people here on CC, coupled with the thoughtful conversations parents/students can have with admission counselors, administrators, and faculty, contribute to an overall picture of an institution and what it has to offer. </p>

<p>Interlochen isn’t going anywhere. If someone goes there and hates it, it will survive. WW should share her feelings and experiences because there are times when impressions are not managed well, mistakes get made, expectations are not met, etc, and it’s good for us all to remember this, especially when money is changing hands and there’s a certain “return on investment” expectation.</p>

<p>But enough with the platitudes. The only thing I feel I can contribute here is to highlight a certain “lesson” from this whole thing: WW was originally signed up for one thing, and switched streams after the deadline for deposits. She changed sessions, after hearing about Tanglewood. So remember that gigantic music programs are run by spreadsheets, lists, data sets. They are not necessarily very flexible/nimble. All of those parents reporting great experiences with Interlochen probably made all the deadlines, and didn’t do anything that ran outside of the standard operating procedures. Once you color outside the lines, very big music camps (and music schools) have a hard time adjusting. </p>

<p>Well, and small ones too! Tomorrow the first-year students begin arriving at Bard, and for the most part everything is going very well. But I know there will be some missed connections, some dropped balls. Either certain very specific instructions we gave were ignored or gainsaid, or there was a kind of “sinning in ignorance,” or somehow I or one of my colleagues failed to follow-up on this that or the other. Folks are paying tuition, and so they will view their relationship somewhat through a customer/provider prism. When things don’t go as planned, it’s our responsibility as admission professionals to get to the heart of the matter, and find a solution/explanation that, if not assuaging any feelings, at least sets the record straight. </p>

<p>I don’t know whether WW’s experience would have been different, had her D put in her deposit at the right time, and not switched sessions after the fact. Probably. And for their part, Interlochen could have been more up front about the implications of switching sessions. </p>

<p>Auditions for music schools, or move-in days, things like that, remind me of space shuttle missions. You know we might get a 10-second blurb on the 10 o’clock news, saying “oh NASA repaired a module on the Hubble Space Telescope in a 6-hour spacewalk earlier today” with some nice footage. That’s all they have to say about an incredibly complicated feat of organization and engineering. But when a disaster occurs, it is unfortunately quite spectacular in scope. Don’t want stretch the metaphor out too much, but I think my point is clear. </p>

<p>Don’t think I’m trying to defend Interlochen at all costs–it’s just that, going in to all of this, people need to realize everything is run by human beings, and as we take something as exciting as music and try to “can” it so it can be accessed, taught, shared, and enjoyed at a place like Interlochen by kids from literally all over the world, thousands of them over the course of decades, the human element will certainly leave some disappointed. In these cases when there is disappointment, is everything 100% Interlochen’s fault? The applicant’s? Nobody’s? In this case my reaction is that both sides could learn something from this incident.</p>

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<p>In response to the daughter’s concern that she must stay with the group at all times… Interlochen is a very large, wooded open campus in where outside visitors may observe rehearsals, attend concerts and visit public areas. My daughter went there as a flutist for three years, first in All-State, which was a “controlled” situation similar to Intermediate, and then to HS, (WYSO) where they have freedom. The controlled situation and group activities is, in my opinion, important for feeling of being part of group, because many 14 year olds cannot manage there time, and most importantly, for the safety of young people who may not have had that kind of freedom before. There will be plenty of time later on for the 14 year old to have to figure out how to manage unscheduled time and various temptations of camp life.</p>

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<p>Regarding ages and boredom at Interlochen. As a first chair player in the intermediate division, I was allowed to audition for the high school band. I lived with my intermediate division peers, and performed with the high school division. Zero boredom…</p>

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<p>Regarding WoodWinds Post: Could it be your daughter is accustomed to getting first chair and was depressed because she thought she disappointed her parents? I remember my first summer, I was placed at 2nd chair in the orch and felt embarrassed to tell my parents, even though they never put pressure on me. It was a new experience for me, but it helped prepare me for other future disappointments, since as we all know, very few musicians win every audition. </p>

<p>Since intermediate division encompasses a wide age range, it is necessary to have strict rules to keep track of everyone 6th - 9th grade, because Interlochen is a huge campus. There would be a lot more criticism if the staff DIDN’T keep close tabs on the middle school group. One of my cabin mates had just finished her 9th grade year in high school, so she was pretty old for intermediate division, but as a 9th grader it was her choice to choose High School or Intermediate. </p>

<p>There is a lot more freedom in the high school division, but they have rules too. I remember one year, the second day of camp, the first horn player in the high school orch was caught in a practice room with beer; He and his 2 friends were promptly sent home, with no refund. It was a good lesson for the rest of us.</p>

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<p>Mahler, this thread is 3 years old. My daughter was an 8th grader in the Interlochen intermediate group back then. Now she’s off to conservatory! Time flies by.</p>

<p>I’m glad you were able to play up in the high school division. My daughter asked to be moved, and asked to challenge, but was not allowed to. She was simply put into a group below her level. The one good hour she had every day was jazz band, as she was 1st alto sax in that. But all the other hours, she was as miserable as one could be, the most miserable time of her life so far. During the first week, one of the oboe instructors (Cleveland Symphony) asked her why she was in the band when she belonged in a better group. He played duets with her a few times and heard how she played. It also didn’t help that the main oboe instructor would tell off my daughter for playing the bassoon (she took some lessons there). It was just unnecessarily stressful and restrictive.</p>

<p>Now some kids don’t mind all the yelling and the rules. But mine does–she liked the freedom of Tanglewood, which she had attended the two weeks right before Interlochen.</p>

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<p>I know this is an old thread, but it came up in a google search, and I’m finding it to be interesting food for thought. </p>

<p>I’m starting to consider summer programs for my daughter for next year, and getting a lot of “encouragement” from private teachers and conductor toward Interlochen. She’ll be 12 (though she plays in high school ensembles at a conservatory preparatory program), so EMF, Bowdoin, Tanglewood, etc. will have to wait. I had looked at the Intermediate band repertoire on the Interlochen website, and it does seem way too basic to spend 5 grand on. It’s good to know that I’ll be able to know in advance whether she makes Symphony Orchestra. If she doesn’t, I think we’ll focus on other options.</p>

<p>Are there other top-notch summer music programs that take kids as young as 12?</p>

<p>I guess I should post a new thread with my question.</p>

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<p>I am not sure I would call this camp “Top Notch” as far as music. But what is nice about it is that it also emphasizes the CAMP part of the summer and allows the kids to be kids. And the music staff, depending on the year, can be quite good. The camp is called Camp Encore Corda and it is in Southern Maine.</p>

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<p>What instrument does your daughter play? I would suggest looking into Kinhaven (which my kids went to when they were young and thought of as heaven-on-earth):</p>

<p>[Welcome</a> to the Kinhaven Music School](<a href=“http://kinhaven.org/]Welcome”>http://kinhaven.org/) </p>

<p>or Greenwood. Or this one:</p>

<p>[Philadelphia</a> International Music Festival - Summer Music Camp, Orchestra Camp, Band Camp](<a href=“http://philadelphiamusicfestival.org/]Philadelphia”>http://philadelphiamusicfestival.org/)</p>

<p>If your daughter is very exceptional and time and money are no object, you may be able to accompany her to a festival (I know people who drop everything to take their kids to Aspen, for example, for the summer.) But for a first sleepaway experience, these programs are excellent.</p>

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<p>Luzerne is also a good sleepaway option and has sessions for younger kids.</p>

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<p>Curtis has summer programs for high school students. They suggest 14, but my son attended last summer at 13. He loved it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the suggestions.</p>

<p>I lean strongly toward a camp environment for next year. She’ll be 12. There will be time down the road for festivals and institutes.</p>

<p>New England Music Camp looks like a nearly perfect fit (made even more so by some particulars of geography and the smallness of the oboe world).</p>