Good evening, musicians and those who support them! The deadline to respond to BUTI is tonight and we’re torn. Kids got in to BUTI (with decent scholarship) and Meadowmount. They did Meadowmount last year and were happy overall. The two camps are apples/oranges, of course. They’re thinking BUTI might be a good experience to add to their mix but are worried about time for personal progress. I’ve read many old threads and can see that practice time - and space - are limited, but haven’t really seen anyone put it in concrete terms. Can anyone speak to the average number of hours you have free to practice on a standard day? Thanks! Coming down to the last second on this decision!
P.S. These are string players.
There is not a lot of time to work on solo rep. They will be placed in chamber groups, orchestra rep changes every two weeks, and they get three lessons over the six weeks, although you can purchase additional lessons. There also are master classes, faculty recitals, and BSO concerts. My child also was asked to play pieces written by students in the composition program.
As string players, I think they will have to think about how many hours per day they can play without injuring themselves, and whether they are more interested in continuing work on their solo rep or competing for the principals’ chairs.
That said, the orchestra is really, really good, and I think it’s inspiring and motivating for a lot of the kids to be with other passionate, dedicated musicians who are committed to playing at a high level. I think your children will learn a lot, even if they do not have a lot of time to devote to solo rep. I hear that the BSO concerts also are very inspiring.
I think there are YAO clips on the BUTI website, have you all listened to them?
Unscripted, thank you for jumping in on my last-minute question, and for the detailed glimpse into the camp.
I’m listening to youtube videos right now. Mahler Symphony No. 5 from camp 2014. Very impressive, indeed.
Excellent point on the possibility of injury. At Meadowmount last year they practiced (required) for 5/hrs day plus chamber coaching, master classes, etc, and we worked up to it before camp. I’m looking at a “Day in the Life” on the BUTI webpage and you’ve given me something to think about. There appears to be practice time built in from 1:00-3:00 on some days. Do you know if musicians can practice evenings during the free time after 7:00 p.m.?
I think you can practice, yes, although there also are the distractions of BSO concerts and outings to the local ice cream shop. 
And keep in mind that that afternoon practice time is available IF you do not have a lesson, or a masterclass, or an extra rehearsal that your chamber group scheduled. So you can’t really expect that block of time to be available every day.
That’s the dilemma of summer programs that are not solo-focused. You can get a great, enriching, even live-changing experience, but there is not time to practice much rep. It’s always a trade-off (and hours of orchestra practice for string players can edge towards injury.)
Thank you both for your feedback and for helping me order my thoughts on the options. Stuck between two outstanding choices is a good “problem” to have!
How old are your string players
My daughter was a vocalist and it was many years ago at this point but it was such an inspiring summer because of the interaction with so many talented students but the opportunity to see the greats of the musical world perform at Tanglewood almost daily. It was a great thrilling experience to be part of Tanglewood on Parade.
You do have the option during the summer there to audition for BU so that is a plus as if you do well, you’ve at least got one musical acceptance. You still need to gain academic admission to BU but that was sort of a safety school/match for d, not that she ended up attending for a variety of reasons.