@stringbird I am PMing you.
@stringbird : Dont let the “bootcamp” nature of Meadowmount discourage you. There are a few reasons I can think of to give it a try, especially for someone that is planning for a music major.
First, It is a bootcamp with a good measure of fun thrown in. You do practice about 4-5 hours a day, including solo repertoire and chamber. If you’re going to be a music major, imho, this is the first exposure to what being a musician is going to be. If you come back from about 7 weeks of music bootcamp wanting more, then you do deserve to be a musician.
Second, you get exposed to many many musicians, some that go on to be the greats. At the least, you may be able to say you spent a few weeks in the company of a prodigy :). But more importantly, if you’re going to be a musician, you’re no longer that one kid among 500 in your high school class that is going that route. It makes it seem more normal.
Third, you get to take lessons with some outstanding faculty, with decades of teaching and stage experience. It gives you an idea of what being part of a college studio is going to be like. Also, it gives you an idea of what you like and dont like about a teachers style, and
Fourth, if you go there in the summer before senior year, you can take your college audition repertoire with you and work on it over the summer. Hopefully that’s all you will focus on and maybe even get a chance to play it on stage, and get some good feedback.
I have direct experience with Meadowmount and Heifetz. Both are pretty rigorous and have amazing strings faculty every year. The other similar programs seem to be Bowdoin and Interlochen. Music Academy of the West I believe is for kids 18 and older, so pretty much conservatory and college students.
@Violinmomaz She wants orchestral by preference. She loves the orchestra experience. But she knows that college audition repertoire needs to be a focus and that she has less than a year before that process starts up in earnest. We have a nice long car ride tomorrow to talk more about everything.
@gram22 From what I’ve read I personally think Meadowmount would be great for my daughter if she could get in, and if she was willing to go. But as it stands I don’t think either of those things are the case. I will definitely look into the Bowdoin program, it’s gotten a lot of mentions on here.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and respond on this! This path is so different from other college paths. Only a few months ago I thought I understood how best to support her as she moves towards college, the switch to a performance major really has us starting from scratch. It’s so helpful to hear from you all who have walked this road already!
I believe, and others can correct me if wrong, that Bowdoin is very selective.
I would say that Heifetz is more selective than Bowdoin, though both camps have a fellowship program that is tuition free and that is VERY selective. But I only speak from a violin perspective. Viola is a different ball game altogether I think. Heifetz is Chamber Only, Bowdoin is chamber heavy and not everyone plays in the large ensemble.
For HS Orch experience I would look at BUTI, Interlochen, Brevard and I had completely forgotten about Idyllwild in CA - though I have no direct experience with it and I have no idea about faculty.
A viola intensive at BUTI might really be the best of all the worlds - instrument focus and only 2 weeks.
Also, I just remembered the NYU Steinhardt Summer Academy. They have a strings intensive.
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/programs/string-studies/strings-summer-intensive
Might be worth a look?
@stringbird, you’ve gotten a lot of great advice already. I have two string players (viola and cello) and both started on violin like your child. Some of these suggestions overlap what’s already been mentioned, but I wanted to break it down by the type of camp. The asterisks are ones my kids have actually attended and the multiple asterisks mean multiple years. Pleased to answer questions about our experience with these. Very happy with all.
Orchestra Camps
FSU String Orchestra Camp (2 week camp)
Credo - faith based and service oriented
Sewanee Summer Music Festival
*Brevard Music Festival
Eastern Music Festival (Melissa Edwards, Director of Admissions, is really friendly and helpful)
*BUTI (six week orchestra option)
*Aspen Music Festival (Note that orchestra is actually optional and not guaranteed for under 17. It is required for 17+. You could just do solo, or solo and chamber, if you’re under 17.)
Interlochen Orchestra Program
Solo and Chamber Camps
***Meadowmount (Patricia McCarty is the viola teacher and she’s a huge proponent of advancing the viola as a soloist instrument. This would be my recommendation for significant progress.)
Bowdoin
Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival (this is the Meadowmount-like experience you mentioned)
*Aspen Music Festival (if you’re under 17 you can skip orchestra)
*BUTI (two week solo instrument option)
Heifetz International Music Institute
Interlochen Viola Institute
Interlochen Advanced String Quartet Program
University of Michigan SMTD MPULSE Center Stage Strings
I’ll throw in a recommendation for the College of Charleston’s Chamber Music Intensive summer course. 7/26-8/2 2020.
@stringbird, you said “This path is so different from other college paths”, and you are so right. When we were helping with college apps a couple of years ago for our now college sophomore, there is a box you fill out about parents college degrees. Even though both of us have graduate degrees, it felt like we should check the “no college” box instead, the process felt so complicated and alien to the the normal, write your essay, send it in at 11:59 PM a minute before the deadline, and you’re done. Instead, the application was only the first part of the “journey”, which seemed so long, but well worth it in the end.
There is an additional option of applying to a BA or BS program, rather than a BM program, for those with mixed interests. Usually no audition for entrance, though a music supplement with recording, music resume and letters of rec from teacher and/or director can help. Students can continue to grow with lessons and extracurricular performance, though that path lacks the immersion in music that some desire.
Just a clarification to post #65. Credo is a chamber music intensive festival. In the past they have had a 3rd week after the initial 2 chamber weeks where they would have an orchestra performance at Severance Hall in Cleveland at the end of the week but I don’t see that on their website for this summer. They have added a solo instrument intensive week before the chamber weeks that is new for summer 2020.
I will add my 2 cents to say that I saw the most growth in my S as a player when he started concentrating on chamber music, there’s something about the combination of repertoire, coachings and the responsibility to a more intimate group that can be really motivating.
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Thanks for the clarification, @cellomom2 ! Glad you spoke up.
I agree with @cellomom2 about chamber music. It really is, IMO the highest form of the art. My D plays solo beautifully, she is a great, engaged orchestra member and a good concertmaster I might add. But she comes ALIVE in a quartet. I can’t explain it. In my secret heart of motherhood (the part you sometimes have to keep to yourself) I know that’s what she should do with her life. I hope she falls in love with and gets married to a string quartet soon! (you know, figuratively speaking).
I’m a tad bit late in joining to conversation-- I’m considering NYU Steinhardt’s Summer String Intensive. They haven’t gotten to posting the dates yet, but I’m looking for something under 2 weeks.
On that note, does anyone here have any suggestions for a 1-2 week string intensive? I’m specifically looking for something that will prep me really well for auditions (I’m a viola player, per my username). I’m looking for a short, but boot-camp like program.
@stringbird Also consider the three week program at Eastman. It was previously called Summer Music Horizons, but they’ve changed the name now to something like Eastman Summer Classical Studies, which is a more apt name, I think. My D (vocalist) did it in 2018 and had a great experience. It is not quite as selective as the BUTI, Interlochen, and Brevard tier of programs, but might be perfect for your daughter while she is still relatively new to her instrument. My D then did Tanglewood this past summer (between junior and senior year) and I think Eastman was an important stepping stone in her development and for her readiness for Tanglewood. Also check out what Oberlin has to offer for orchestra. D did the vocalist summer program there and it was also fantastic.
A little off topic, but my daughter just submitted a recording for an application for a local winter intensive program. It was interesting to see the process of recording, this is the first time she’s auditioned for something via mp3. Afterwards she said she was surprised she had nerves in spite of the fact that it wasn’t even a “real” in-person audition. A good lesson for the recordings we’ll be starting in January!
@stringbird - I’m very curious what winter intensive you are looking at. My daughter attends one here in Phoenix and she auditioned for one in North Carolina this year. I’m curious to hear about others.
@Violinmomaz - I’m happy to tell you everything I know (which - full disclosure - is not much) about the winter intensive we’re looking at via PM, but unfortunately I’m too new of a user to PM you. If you would be willing to PM me I will respond. Thanks.
@theviolakid - I just noticed that no one has answered your question about short summer intensives. I have zero experience with them, but two that have been recommended to me are the BUTI workshop (two weeks - this year June 21-July 4) and the Interlochen institute (one week - this year June 20-26). I see that @MusicMomSC posted a two week intensive at College of Charleston, too. That’s relatively close to us so I’m going to be checking it out. Did you find any others?
@tableforsix , thank you so much for breaking down the programs by type. This is very helpful to me and I’m sure it will help others too!
I’m back with an update and more questions.
The update is, we were able to get my daughter a viola teacher. All this time I’d been trying to contact the teacher at the wrong email address, how embarrassing! But now that we have made contact and gone through a lesson, we’re pretty sure this is a good match.
Now on to the questions. It’s time to start thinking about these summer program auditions. The first due date in our list is for Bowdoin, January 6th. I noticed yesterday this is a video audition, not just an audio file. I found this description of how to make an audition video: https://www.natesviolin.com/make-audition-video-without-spending-fortune/ This sounds complicated! So can I ask… where and how did you all record audition videos for your summer program applications? Did you use a digital audio recorder? Can I get away with just using a smartphone, even? (I can hope!) Did you use a room in your home? There’s a space and equipment at the local university to record but honestly that sounds even more complicated.
The next due date on our list is for BUTI, January 21st. BUTI accepts video or live auditions. The closest live audition location to us is Baltimore, and takes place not only on a school day, but one that is in the middle of mid-year exams week. That’s just not going to work. Their website says “You may audition live or by video recording, and there is no preference given to either method” but how can that possibly be true? The in-person audition seems like it would have a considerable advantage. At the very least, this makes it seem like the video quality matters more than I want it to. Thoughts?
I would not recommend BUTI as the level is not very high nor is there very much instruction and the quality of instruction is quite poor. I saw meadowmount was mentioned earlier and that is where I have gone for the past 2 summers. It is a great program and I would truly not be anywhere near the level I am at today if it wasn’t for my summers there.