<p>Hi notfromme, thanks for sharing our excitement. We are getting s (a rising senior) packed now- trying to get him to include warm clothes. Ha. We signed up for bunk notes, but other than that how do you keep in touch with the camper? I can see it now…weeks of silence! (D is much more chatty and forthcoming than s). We will be going to Interlochen at the end of the session to hear the recitals though. Sounds like it will be worth it!</p>
<p>Hot Tip (??!!) on getting news from Interlochen: Join the parents’ group on yahoo.com. Links to directions are on the Interlochen web site at [Camp</a> Parent Resource Center | Interlochen Summer Arts Camp](<a href=“http://camp.interlochen.org/campparents]Camp”>http://camp.interlochen.org/campparents) . There are typically three ways to get useful information there. First, parents who visit camp tend to write in and share their experiences. Second, parents of kids who do communicate share their kids’ experiences. It’s actually kind of fun to hear about your child’s group’s acitivities from someone else’s perspective. Third, parents of recalcitrant kids can send messages to their own kids through others. For example, last year the parent of a boy in my son’s bunk complained that her son had not called. So, I offered to have my son tell the boy that his mother wanted him to call home. He called.</p>
<p>The yahoo link is great! We used bunk notes also. What d found last year was the cabin councelor (the older campers) were ‘allowed’ to keep their phones in the cabin. The camp did not allow them! They still had to call and text VERY discretely, but she did. So we kept in touch via text. Now, a phone did RING in the middle of the night and the councelor took it…cannot blame her. But d kept hers all summer, we got used to knowing the times of the day that the texts would come. We got an occasional call too. They really keep busy from sun up to sun down. I sent daily forecasts for her. It was a chilly summer last year. Really cool at morning call and during morning chores. We ended up sending a few more pairs of long pants and hoodies. In the past we have heard of it being so hot they had to cancel rehearsals and such…but not last year. It was very refreshing for us to go up there and need a sweatshirt or jacket in July and August! We went up to take her, at three weeks and at the end. It is absolutely beautiful. Les Preludes is something that I will always remember…the setting is amazing. Afterall…it is Interlochen. Another suggestion-we got the stackable plastic drawers for her things…it worked out very well. Girls have some more “personal” items than boys, but it gave her a place to put them. She was able to put two (or three) drawers stacked at the foot of her bunk…other than that you have a very small closet, bathroom space and some book selves. A rubbermaid container for goodies is also good to have…but they all share food in the cabin! Yes, critters do come through the cabin at times looking for goodies. She also brought her i-home…which everyone loved. She downloaded movies onto her i pod and the girls in the cabin would all huddle around to watch!! Too funny! They do not have much down time…and when they did they met at the main campus to have ice cream…ect. (ahhhh…moomers ice cream…) She has the best memories of Interlochen. While she was doing college auditions we would run into a fellow Interlochen! We actually planned dinners with some of her cabinmates at auditions. I cannot say enough good about it. Well worth the money. She is at another very well known summer program now, but she says it just isn’t the same. Have your son enjoy every minute. D was a little homesick at times, but when we came after three weeks…she did not even want to stay with us in the hotel! Oh…bug spray is a must. When you go bring some for the evening concerts at the bowl. Now I want to go back!!<br>
Enjoy…</p>
<p>Another Interlochen mom here–my daughter also leaves Saturday for the Vocal Solo Studies program. The thing we are most excited about is the opera scenes and the possibility that she might get to sing with a boy who can match her!! Friend’s son perhaps??? 
She’s also a rising senior and I think this is the best summer to do such a program as her audition music will get nailed down and hopefully a good start on some new music to round out her senior recital. </p>
<p>I’m hoping we get a counselor who will stetch the cell phone rule, but she is kind of looking forward to attempting snail mail! I have to buy some stationery and stamps this afternoon . . . what else have I forgotten?</p>
<p>If anyone is taking the 7:40 American Airlines from DFW to Chicago, let me know!</p>
<p>Ha…cell phones at Interlochen…Friends daughter will be going up for MT this weekend…I saw posted on her FB that the only way friends might hear from her the next 3 weeks is by cell phone text while she is under the covers at midnight…She also attended last year so guess she knows of what she speaks.</p>
<p>Just spoke with d about the cell phones at Interlochen. She said some councelors would take the cell phones, but would allow you to have them at certain times. She found this to be the rule with the boys cabin. They had to give them their badge to get their phone, or something like that. Even if you had a councelor who “turned the other cheek”, you could not have them out at all! If they see them, they will take them! D kept hers tucked away and used it very descretely…as did the others in her cabin.<br>
Once again…warm clothes and blankets are my recommendation! Especially if you are not used to the chilly northern weather! Remember these cabins are open…only screens, no windows…so if it is cold out at night…it is cold in the cabin.</p>
<p>Thank you for the info about Interlochen! Surreptitious cell phone texts sound possible. The problem usually is s is having so much fun he doesn’t even think to text home- and he just called on a friend’s cell from Six Flags to say his own phone got wet on a ride and isn’t working. Sigh. So its nice to be in touch with some parents. We signed up for the Yahoo group a few weeks ago but have lost the login and password. Will make the effort to go through that Lost Login and Password email loop. We are stuffing warm clothes and bug spray in the duffle. S is on the American afternoon flight from Chicago to Traverse City. We have no idea if he will be good enough to sing with the girls in the operetta scenes. Girls and guys are sometimes on different growth trajectories at this age. We do know he is fun and very nice. 
Thanks again!</p>
<p>Have fun everyone!! Hope your d and s have an amazing summer like my d did. Wonderful place to make connections and prepare for your senior year college auditions! D actually decided to go with the teacher she had at Interlochen for college!!! Enjoy!</p>
<p>I finally read the handbook and was surprised to learn that they had a college day with some of them holding auditions. That is kind of cool.</p>
<p>My daughter is there and still using the phone! We’ll see how long it lasts. I need to go on the yahoo site because they are missing an off-site permission form. The only one I saw was if you had a relative taking you off campus. A little confusing.</p>
<p>Have fun everyone. It’s going to be great!</p>
<p>Hi Ariamom! Our son is on the plane still but should be landing shortly in Traverse City. (His phone dried out and we got a text.)</p>
<p>Does anyone know if any LACs are represented at Interlochen?</p>
<p>Hey guys how are the summer programs going so far? I leave for Banff in about three weeks!</p>
<p>Dropped D off for her 6-week stint at NYSMF. Was glad to hear that they are booked for the first two sessions, and have only a few beds left for their third session – their highest enrollment year ever! D was thrilled to be there. These 6 weeks make the other 46 liveable for her!</p>
<p>Son is returning from Orford; LOVED it.</p>
<p>DS is having a fine time at Oberlin in Italy (Arezzo). For him one of the difficulties has been that he arrived two days late because of his graduation from high school, so he was a bit beat! Arezzo, where the program is, seems great. There was a jousting competition done in the medieval style with a parade and the competition. Musically, he has been involved in both the Studio opera (Gianni Schicchi) and the main opera (La Rondine). This has been a bit stressful, but he seems to have gotten good support from the program staff. Italian class has gone fine as well. He is staying in an apartment a bit away from the program, in this idyllic setting with vineyards etc. As he is an entering freshman to college, it has been quite a learning experience in terms of learning the process of putting on an opera. He will be coming home on July 7, and after being away at school and then Italy, he is looking forward to home cooking. I’ve been working on a few Italianesque menu items!</p>
<p>Dropping D off today at CYM (Crane Youth Music) camp for two weeks today and attending college orientation (Crane School) with S Monday and Tuesday. Both will spend the rest of their respective summers at their regular summer camp. Son is Senior Counselor, daughter CIT.</p>
<p>Interlochen is wonderful! We just heard from s yesterday with that report. He loves the director of the vocal soloist studies and his voice coach. He said on the boys side when the horn sounds at 6:30 am all the boys run to the tennis court for roll call or something, then they head back to the cabin for clean up. (He said this was actually fun.) Then off to classes- one in stage presence, one in the international alphabet, one in music history. And a half hour voice lesson per day. Then he is in two opera scenes, and he is thrilled with both. We sent a care package with flags and pin wheels for the 4th of July and he said they decorated their cabin and got 2 extra points for inspection. He did not mention the cold, but we have been watching the weather and have been so glad we put warm clothes in at notfromme’s suggestion. At least our parental minds were at ease. We also stuck shoes in his bag as he was going out the door. He was determined to wear flip flops. Evidently that would not have worked! His buddy reminded him they had rehearsal, and so the conversation ended and off they went. According to s their division director is “very cool” and allows the boys to check out their cell phone in exchange for their badge at certain times. Not that there is any time to do this with the schedule nor any need for a happy camper. Anyway, it all sounds great. Also, we were glad to receive a postcard from his counselor after the first week. Very nice.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update Friend! My daughter is in the same program and I haven’t heard from her in about a week–which only indicates that she is extremely busy and has not time for payphones! She is having a blast and I have to send up some costuming items for her opera scenes–apparently they don’t normally costume, but when you are doing a gypsy dance, recital black just won’t cut it! As for the cold–that’s been an issue. The windows in her cabin don’t close so they’ve been freezing–I believe the music director brought them extra blankets!</p>
<p>If anyone attended Collage last night, I would love to hear about it. When my daughter called, they were about to hold auditions for it and I don’t know if the VSS students ended up participating or not.</p>
<p>Re Collage - if any of your kids comment on the HS Percussion Ensemble performance, would you please share that? My son was in it… It apparently involved 8 people with crash cymbals “dancing” around the stage.</p>
<p>That sounds fabulous! I’m really hoping I get a call today–she was very excited about it last week even before groups were selected.</p>
<p>Hi! My s said the VSS students sang in Collage. They sang a chorus from an opera as a group. (Sorry, I didn’t catch the name). There were over 4,000 people in the audience. Someone on Facebook is asking for a video of the bassoonists- maybe a video of the percussionists and vocal students will make it up there too. There are photos of students from VSS who performed last Saturday posted on bunknotes. At least I think those are VSS students. My s is performing next Saturday so is not in that group. He also said there is a master class coming up with Salvatore Champagne, the Dir. of Vocal Studies at Oberlin. It has been cold enough at night that he is using his sleeping bag, but he said it is warm in the afternoon. He has learned some new songs and seems very happily involved in the music. Tonight he is excited to go to the Irish concert.</p>