Summer Music Program

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Hi all,
My daughter wants to do a summer music program about 2 weeks in length.</p>

<p>Why two weeks? Well, in discussing her summer options, we've discussed the amount of other commitments she has this summer, summer vacations planned, and a class she wants to take. Next year, besides a vacation, she is free to pick a different/same/better program and will have a year of Music Theory under her belt. She could even skip the vacation if necessary or we could reschedule.</p>

<p>One of the major things we also decided was a factor is that at 15 she has never been away from home overnight without a parent, relative or good friend's parent, except for school trips with friends. In other words, never anywhere on her own. She does have a little anxiety in this area, but I think she'll get over it quickly.</p>

<p>Living in upstate NY, we looked at Ithaca, Fredonia and Potsdam (Crane Youth Music). None of these programs require an audition to get in, which tell us they are less rigorous, but would at least get her socializing with some kids that are interested in music related careers in a parentless setting!</p>

<p>She chose Potsdam (mainly because it was a full two weeks and seemed more music oriented without a lot of other camp-ish, non-musical stuff mixed in) so we signed her up and paid the deposit.</p>

<p>Now she sees that Sothern Maine offers a similar program, and wonders if there's others she should have looked at in the Northeast. (We would consider the New England states, NY, NJ, PA maybe Ohio, Maryland.)</p>

<p>Anything we should have looked at that's still open? She was considering going all out and auditioning for the 2 week BUTI Oboe Workshop, but it runs June 15-28 and she isn't even done with finals until June 27th! Is it like that every year?</p>

<p>Also, she would like a program that is about two weeks in length, not one with 2,4 or 6 week options because she just feels like she wants to be like every other kid there this year-- there from the start to the conclusion of the program.</p>

<p>Any ideas? She's 15 and plays oboe. She also really wanted to meet and play oboe with the Crane oboe teacher but she is not listed as teaching at the summer program.</p>

<p>If you guys know of any such programs, could you also tell me how they stack up vs Crane? Any opinions on Southern Maine? </p>

<p>Thanks! </p>

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<p>I know this isn’t in the area you were looking at, but I highly recommend the MPulse Oboe Institute at the University of Michigan. I went last year and had an amazing time and learned so much. I don’t know of they are still accepting applications for this summer but it’s worth checking out.</p>

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<p>She’s not quite old enough (starts at age 16) but you might want to look at Aria International Summer Academy for the future. All session are only 2 weeks in length.</p>

4

<p>One-week programs are even better than 2-week ones. Perhaps she could do more than one program.</p>

<p>BUTI Tanglewood workshop is well worth doing. It is held at the same time every year. Your daughter could get ahead in school and finish the school year early. mine did that two years in a row, when she was 14 and 15.</p>

<p>Interlochen hold one-week workshops before the regular camp begins. I know that 1-2 years ago Elaine Duvas of Juilliard taught that workshop.</p>

<p>WVU in Wheeling WV has a four-day oboe workshop that looks pretty interesting.</p>

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<p>Woodwinds-- The problem with finishing school early is that she has NYS Regents exams that have to be taken on the day and at the time offered. This year they are from June 17-26. :frowning: </p>

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<p>clarimom–I didn’t see Oboe listed in the Aria program.</p>

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<p>Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! woodwinds-- Interlochen oboe one week June 14-20. Why does NY do this to us? (Regents exams)</p>

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<p>Music Horizons at Eastman 3 weeks 2 lessons per week on your instrument. All the top kids here in NY go to New York State Summer School for the Arts in saratoga and work with the Philadelphia orchestra. 1 month long.<br>
We have great programs here in NY. </p>

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<p>redeye, if your daughter is interested in performance, then she should start going to institutes and camps based on who is teaching. This is part of the audtion process. It is particularly important on oboe.</p>

<p>I don’t know what Regents exams are–are they something more than final exams in the course? Our APs tests are all done in early May, and finals in June. My daughter took all her final exams 7-14 days early. It takes determination, hard work and planning to do this.</p>

<p>You need to look at the program and see who is teaching, not just at what the program is like. For example, my daughter did apply to Music Horizons at Eastman, but we learned that the Eastman professor would not be teaching the course so she did not go. He was teaching in Banf that summer. Also, it is unlikely that Richard Woodhams of the Philadelphia Orchestra would teach at the Saratoga school in summer. If he is–go there.</p>

<p>There are oboe institutes offered at the midwest universities–Indiana and Michigan are two of them. Check to see who is teaching.</p>

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<p>Oh sorry redeye41, my mistake. I was thinking Aria was for all woodwinds and strings.</p>

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<p>woodwinds, Regents exams are exams given by New York State that are above and beyond the local final given by the teacher and are required for specific subjects. They take place over the course of the last two weeks of school (this year, as redeye states, they are June 17 - 26), with each subject tested on a specific date and time. A student cannot take them at any other time. </p>

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<p>Redeye, both of my daughters did the Crane Youth Music summer program and loved it. Despite the fact that there was no audition for admittance, the level of performance of the groups blew me away (and I taught music for 33 years), especially given the fact that they rehearsed together for only two weeks. One of these daughters also attended the NYSSSA Orchestral Program in Saratoga, and as bigdip says, that program attracts some of the top players from around the state. Phenomenal. But, it is four weeks long and I know you were only interested in a two-week program. </p>

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<p>Redeye, I can assure you that students work with the Philadelphia Orchestra members. My son spent 2 summers at NYSSSA . But maybe you should take woodwinds advice who seems to have no experience at all with the camp. My son and quite a few of his friends who attended NYSSSA are now students at the conservatories everyone here is constantly trying to be accepted into. If your child is still in syracuse youth orchestra she needs to be talking to the other kids as to where they are spending summers. Lots of kids in that group attend camps. NYSSSA is already full for this coming summer. you’ll have to wait until next year. good luck</p>

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<p>That was congenial. :/</p>

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<p>I have to say I was really bothered by the above post. bigdjp, all woodwinds said was that it was unlikely that Richard Woodhams was teaching at NYSSSA, and if he was, she should go there–and checking their website, woodwinds is correct. It is actually Jonathan Blumenfeld teaching oboe. So no need for your snide comment. Also “everyone here is constantly trying to be accepted into”–really??</p>

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<p>glassharmonica and Clarimom–I appreciate your comments. One of the main reasons this Music forum is one of the best on the internet, is that reasonable people will generally jump in to moderate comments and keep things civil and relevant.</p>

<p>redeye, in my experience many oboe students and their parents do not discover the system of how oboe students are auditioned until the student is a senior. Since your daughter is only 15, I thought I would give you some useful information for next summer.</p>

<p>IF your daughter is interested in performance, she should try to go to an oboe institute where the top, or her favorite performers are teaching. Currently these are</p>

<p>Curtis–Richard Woodhams-Principal Philadelphia Orchestra
NEC and Boston U–John Ferillo–Principal Boston Symphony
Juilliard–Elaine Duvas-Principal Metropolitan Orchestra</p>

<p>If you look at hiring trends in US orchestras, you will see that most of the principal symphony players studied with or are connected to one of these three. My daughter’s former teacher, a principal oboist with a large US symphony, studied with one of them and is well-connected to the other two.</p>

<p>It is possible to attend the regular Tanglewood camp (4 weeks) and take private lessons from John Ferillo when he comes to Tanglewood. My daughter did that a few summers ago.</p>

<p>The major music camps have early deadlines. Aspen’s is in December.</p>

<p>For this summer, try to get your daughter into one of the one-week camps, some of which have already been suggested. Don’t let the deadlines stop you–my daughter got into the Michigan institute over one month after the deadline had passed. I’m sure the West Virginia University institute will still accept applications.</p>

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<p>Richard Woodhams has, in the past, taught at the NYSSA program, but as Clarimom kindly pointed out (and thank you for taking the time to look it up), he is not on the roster for this year.The rosters are not written in stoneand are subject to change.</p>

<p>RedEye41- Do take a look at the Kent/Blossom Music Festival held at Kent State University and the grounds of the Blossom Music Center!
The mixed chamber music and orchestral program runs 6/22 through 7/26 (which fits with the Regents Schedule) and applications are open until March 15th. Both the principal and assistant principal oboists of the Cleveland Orchestra, Frank Rosenwein and Jeff Rathbun, will be teaching there this summer and the students do a side-by-side performance with the entire Cleveland Orchestra. You just can not underestimate the importance of those kind of contacts.</p>

<p>Because NY schools start after Labor Day, the kids are in school far into June. The Regents Exams can’t be taken any other time and they are inconvenient, to say the least. I remember my D taking the Physics Exam in the morning and walking in graduation that same evening!</p>

<p>Let’s keep it nice here on CC, please. There is a lot of unpleasantness in the world- it needn’t be brought in here.</p>

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<p>I know little about the oboe world - but I looked up Elaine Douvas’ bio and found this: Ms. Douvas is an artist faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival and School, and she teaches three intensive, one-week oboe seminars: Le Domaine Forget Academy in Quebec, Interlochen (MI) Arts Camp, and the Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel, California</p>

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<p>RedEye41: Hello, wanted to share a little bit, as the mom of a student who went to both NYSSSA and to BUTI.</p>

<p>You mentioned your concern about your daughter not having been away from home before. It was our experience that the program at NYSSSA is not terribly well supervised. One year my daughter was there, because of construction on the Skidmore campus, both girls and boys were all housed in the same dorm. Boys on a couple of floors, and girls on other floors. Couple that with college age students who were there as well, for summer session, and well, you have quite a mix of ages all living together. The lack of communication from the administration to the parents about this situation was appalling. So just from that stand point, that’s something to know. Don’t know how things are done now, this was a few summers ago. Students are also allowed to walk into town from the Skidmore campus; the students sign out, and travel in groups. </p>

<p>Also, let’s be very specific about the connection between the NYSSSA students and the Philly orchestra. Sectionals are offered by Philly orchestra members, I think those were once a week. There are no private lessons, unless you set them up on your own. None of these comments are meant to slight NYSSSA; just our experience from a few summer of being there. </p>

<p>BUTI: My daughter did not do the workshops, but rather the festival itself. Much higher level orchestra than NYSSSA. Regarding the Regents exams: you can arrange to take the Regents at a different school in NYS, she does not have to take them at your home school. So in theory, if she wants to do the BUTI workshops you could arrange it so she takes them at a high school that is near Lenox, MA; the NY border is not far from there. It’s not easy to set this up, but if you can get permission from BUTI it might be possible. We know others who have done this. Regents are also offered in January.
Good luck!</p>