I’m looking for some advice about summer music programs. We’ve looked and looked online but there is so much out there.
My daughter would like to really focus and improve her violin this summer. She wants to be surrounded by other teens who really care about the music, but she’s not super high level, and not planning to major in music. She just loves her violin and wants to improve. She wants to go to the most challenging program available for where she is in terms of level.
area - northeast
level - She has been studying violin for 9 years, finished book 7 Suzuki, and she recently played Bach A Minor Concerto.
length - well though she might like to go longer, looks like we what we could manage for $ is 2 weeks somewhere
A couple of programs that might fit look like
Summer Music Academy at Ithaca College
Eastern US Music Camp at Colgate
Elm City Chamberfest in New Haven/Yale - This is the one she think she would like the best, but it's a $1000 more than the others and that's too much for us.
Any experience, opinions, and how she would fit in level-wise at any of those? Any other ideas?
I am asking here in the music major forum because I figure many of you many have gone through some programs earlier, plus you seem friendly!
It’s not clear how old you D is and the extent of her training beyond the Suzuki books. I have two thoughts - neither might apply!
If she could get accepted to the Indiana String Academy, she’d have excellent private lessons and expected private practice sessions each day. There would be many serious violinists. She would be on the low end of repertoire for consideration. Her teacher might be able to guide you as to whether it’s worth submitting an application (and paying for the privilege!) or not.
If she is younger and is primarily Suzuki based in her training, there are a number of the Suzuki Institutes that have Teen Institutes with a private dorm and activities for teen participants. Parents need not be present. The teaching is often excellent and would use repertoire that she is familiar with - lots of time for refinement and improvement of technique without learning new notes or adjusting to a new system.
PS Thanks for the friendly vote! This forum does generally have very helpful posters.
Thank you for the info so far. fyi My daughter is a freshman in high school, 15, and currently has a fantastic suzuki violin teacher, but she works on all sorts of other pieces as well. I have a strong feeling that at this age, she’d rather be with teens than at a program with families.
^Yes - I didn’t know if she was just turning 13 or in middle school or if she was older. Even though the teens are on their own at some of the Institute programs, there will be many families with younger kids around. I fully agree, that situation can feel a bit childish for the older students, no matter how good the program and their instructors!
If you are in New York State, the New York Summer School of the Arts http://www.oce.nysed.gov/nysssa/ has a two-week orchestral program that is heavily subsidized. we know several students who’ve raved about it (we are not NYS residents so I have no personal experience). I think Luzerne, in the Adirondacks, also has some shorter sessions, and Point Counterpoint, in Vermont, has sessions of varying lengths. Some of these are audition programs and the time to audition is now. Most fill up by March or April. Most offer varying degrees of financial aid.
To clarify, NYSSA is ONLY for New York State residents. On the application form they ask what county you pay your taxes in ;). And I just looked. Their deadline for recorded auditions is postmarked by January 30. They do still have some live audition dates around the state.
Point Counter Point would be a great choice. Nurturing. Not competitive environment Good faculty. One of my kids had 3 wonderful and meaningful summers there.
You might want to look at Credo Music Festival at Oberlin. It is a 3 week chamber music program. It has a spiritual component with a daily morning chapel gathering and one day devoted to service projects, so you would want to take that into consideration as to whether that would appeal to your daughter. My son has gone twice and loved it, thought it had the best faculty of any festivals he has attended. Age range is 13- 23.