Songfest LA

megpmom
Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:27:59 +0000

My S did the intern program at Songfest last year and may be returning again this year (hasn’t decided yet). He loved it. But it is very intense. He counted last year that he attended somthing like 35 master classes in 30 days. They offer 3-5 classes a day, but only one or two are usually required of interns. The rest of the day is spent in coaching, lessons (2 or 3 a week) and practicing. He received lessons from a great teacher and coachings from top coaches from all over the country (and Canada - he loved Jennifer Tung). His favorite experience was getting to work with William Bolcom (the composer) and present one of his songs in concert.

This is not really a “camp” like other programs - no organized activities, no counselors, no excursions. They mingle with the college kids and professionals, but form a tight knit group with the other interns. The kids need to have a high level of maturity to get the most out of it, IMO. They need to be prepared to do music all day long, every day - lessons, coachings, master classes and performances. That being said, the interns did not perform publicly except for the last two days of the program. I think they are trying to find more performances for them this year. PM me if you want more details.