<p>Tomdug,
I can tell you a bit about it. D attended and S was offered a Kennedy Center fellowship for this year, but acceptances arrived 2 weeks later than they were supposed to and he had to accept another offer or lose it…so sadly, no SMI for him this year.</p>
<p>They stay in a dorm at GW alnost directly across from the Kennedy Center…crowded 3 or 4 to a tiny room. Everything is paid…housing, food, etc and they are treated like rock stars. Great seats at the big July 4th DC party televised each year. Tours around the city. Receptions with politicians, arts advocates, etc. Study with NSO musician, masterclasses and seminars. Not a lot of performances, maybe 1 or 2 chamber and 2 orchestra concerts. The orchestra is conducted by Elizabeth Schulze, conductor of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, although the overall program will be run by the new assistant conductor at NSO, Ankush Bahl! This is so exciting because his appointment was just announced Tuesday; he came directly from our local youth symphony, NJYS, and my kids adored and respected Ankush- so talented and nice! Sorry, I digress…</p>
<p>The kids that attend are the ones that your s will be running into for years to come if he stays in music. I guess that was more than a bit about it. Hope it helps</p>
<p>We’re from NY, but my son also had the pleasure of working with Ankush Bahl on two separate occasions a few years back: once when he served as guest conductor at our annual pops concert and again when he conducted the regional NYSSMA orchestra. DS raved about the experience - this gentleman has high expectations of his performers and has a real gift for getting the best from them. My son couldn’t sing his praises enough. I believe he used to be involved with a summer program overseas, in Switzerland perhaps?</p>
<p>Don’t know much about the NSO program in question, but if Ankush Bahl is associated with it, it certainly bodes well based on son’s experiences.</p>
<p>@dgs650
Ah congratulations to you and your daughter! That’s pretty awesome I wish I tried out for music camps that early, now I am old and going to college. Booo. Is she going to the Flute Workshop? I decided I’m going to skip the Wind Ensemble but still go to the Flute Workshop, partially because of cost and partially because of other commitments I have in the summer. If she’s going, I’m excited to meet her there!! =)</p>
<p>It’s very exciting for her. She presently studies at Manhattan School of Music Precollege and has done NYSMF in past summers. Sadly, the unfinished schoolyear in New York prevents Leah from taking the Flute Institute. Seeing that you aren’t able to do the Wind Ensemble, we’re hoping that there may be others who can’t do the orchestra as Leah is on the waitlist. That would be amazing! She could use this boost as her kid brother (piano/horn) touches anything and it turns to gold. It appears that there are 5 flutes in the Wind Ensemble and I’m assuming another 3-4 in the orchestra. I’m very curious as to how many flutes actually auditioned.</p>
<p>I can definitely say that you are NOT OLD! As you “booo” your way into college note that my wife’s and my FONDEST life memories (other than the creatures we’ve raised!) come from our college years. I frankly have VERY LITTLE memory or interest of high school. YOUR BEST YEARS ARE AHEAD OF YOU!! Best of luck and maybe you and my daughter’s paths will cross further down the road.</p>
<p>Since your daughter is familiar with NYSMF, are you aware of the Flute Institute there? It probably doesn’t conflict with the public school calendar</p>
<p>She participated in the Flute Institute 2 summers ago and had a fantastically rewarding time. In fact, that summer really connected her with great teachers and played a role in her getting into MSM precollege. She’ll be in Tanglewood during this year’s NYSMF Flute Institute and that will be more than enough given the expense. Thanks so much for the suggestion as well any other pertinent advice you’ve recently shared :)</p>
<p>@dgs650 - I figured you knew about IFI at NYSMF; my d is now a hs senior, and, altho she’s played for many years, this will be her first summer doing any music programs (prior to shipping off to college), so it’s all new to us</p>
<p>Past summers have been on the soccer and lacrosse fields. Funny how things changed thru the years for us.</p>
<p>This will be D’s first summer taking part in a music program also…During her HS’s college fair this year, the rep from U of Mich, told her it was a smart move to attend a summer music camp this year (between jr & sr yr), and an especially wonderful opportunity to be part of the Tanglewood experience.</p>
<p>Should be a rewarding experience - especially for the funds it entails!</p>
<p>@ mtpaper
Is she attending IFI session 3? If so, be ready for a very intense experience. Masterclass performances daily, I think and about 10-15 amazing flutists - one better than the next. My d did it in summer of 7th grade. She was given a Korean nickname (little baby) as most participants were on average 18-20 and from Korea. Another 7th grader attended and dropped out after one day. My d hung in there but was up at 6am every morning practicing just to keep up. Although intense and humbling, my d misses it and is grateful for the experience. My s is attending session 2 playing french horn and piano while d goes to Tanglewood.</p>
<p>@ badblonde<br>
Congrats on Tanglewood! What instrument? Wind Ensemble? Orchestra? Expensive but will be amazing and look fantastic on the resume! We’re very excited for our D (Wind Ensemble and waitlisted for Orchestra) Speaking of which, commitments have to be in by today so maybe our D might get that call for orchestra. Either way, it should be exciting. D and S will be exactly 100 miles apart so we may just get a place in between, maybe Albany area. Crazy summer awaits!</p>
<p>@dgs650 - My d has applied to IFI (NYSMF, Session 3), but we don’t know yet if she’s been accepted yet. Nor do we know when they let accepted applicants know. We understand that admission will be competitive, as it always is for flute; therefore, she’s applying to a few different summer flute masterclass programs. </p>
<p>The website indicates they will take up to 20 kids for summer 2011.</p>
<p>Hopefully she’ll get in, but if not, the other masterclasses (we applied to Julius Baker, Skidmore, Oberlin, and Michigan and received notice from Tanglewood the day after we mailed all the apps!) are all excellent with great teachers. The good thing about IFI is that your D will also play in an orchestra or wind ensemble. The other masterclasses are (for me) “death by flute”!!! I don’t remember when notification came for IFI. We just heard that our s was accepted to session 2 a couple of days ago as he applied for a scholarship. Of course, french horn is not nearly as competitive as flute. D is quite jealous of this fact!</p>
<p>After a long summer '10 - no festivals worked out - this summer s3 was accepted to MAW (which he attended before) and TMC. He’ll be going to to TMC. I want encourage to any other musician going through a tough season for no apparent reason. Better news may be just around the corner.</p>
<p>The “20 kids limit” is just to make themselves seem more prestigious. But it is a great masterclass program and there will be many wonderful flutists, especially from other countries (Korea).</p>
<p>D is a vocalist…she was never really a summer camp person, but is so looking forward to spending time with other ‘like-minded’ musicians! We will be renting in the Berkshires anyway for a month, so this will be perfect! </p>
<p>This will be a great opportunity to work w/ new teachers, ensembles and get use to some independence before her Sr. year in HS…also a chance to see the repertoire and abilities of others her age. I will expect many of these kids to be the same crew she will be seeing at college auditions, competitions, etc. next year…</p>
<p>Yes, they came and played at my daughter’s orchestra. My D and several others applied for their 10-day program. we don’t know anyone who has attended though.</p>
I wish I tried out for music camps that early, now I am old and going to college. Booo. Is she going to the Flute Workshop? I decided I’m going to skip the Wind Ensemble but still go to the Flute Workshop, partially because of cost and partially because of other commitments I have in the summer. If she’s going, I’m excited to meet her there!! =)</p>