<p>One of my son’s best friends: co-founder with him of a New Music ensemble now based in NYC, a composer and sought after conductor for new music in NYC - is one of the alumni quoted on the website for Illinois Wesleyan which I would say is a ringing endorsement. My guess is the Illinois Wesleyan camp is a great early experience. I have no idea how advanced it is, or what level the participants are at - so a lot of it depends on what you’re looking for in a summer experience. Do you want a fertile place to explore and create; are you looking to network and make connections for applying to college (i.e. wanting to connect with possible college professors, or for letters of recommendation); do you want to come home with recordings for your portfolio; do you want to discover if majoring in music composition is something you’ll truly enjoy; do you want to be surrounded by other student composers at your own level, or perhaps more experienced; do you want to hear lots of music being performed by other participants or resident ensembles? Lots of questions to ask yourself - and the answers will help you find the best program.</p>