What To Do In The Summer Music Camps

by Mimi Zweig

Summer study can be a very important part of a young person’s education. It is a time to meet other serious music students, experience a different teaching environment and feel the joy and independence of learning without the constant supervision of a parent.  (Sometimes, this is a relief for all.) There are many wonderful opportunities for study around the country when students are old enough, advanced enough and mature enough to leave home for one to eight weeks.

Summer music camps usually emphasize one aspect of music study. You can choose practice camps, chamber music camps, orchestra camps or combinations of all. One that is close to my heart (I am also its Director) is The String Academy at Indiana University.  It stresses the importance of daily practice (4 hours/day) and chamber music.

Indiana is one of the great music schools in the world, and its resources of artistic faculty (Josef Gingold, Janos Starker to name a few) provide master classes and inspiration for the students who attend. This is a 4 week session.  Interlochen is a famous orchestra summer camp. It is 8 weeks long, and days are filled with ensemble and orchestra playing. It is situated in a beautiful area of Michigan on a picturesque lake.

For students who are in high school and would like to do nothing but practice 5 hours a day, there is an excellent camp in New York State – Meadowmount.  Meadowmount was Ivan Galamian’s (probably the most famous violin teacher ever) camp for many years until he passed away a few years ago.  His wife still runs this famous institution, and there are many good teachers from the east coast on the faculty.

Closer to home: Madeline Island Summer Festival is a three week camp with the emphasis on chamber music.  The setting again is very beautiful, and there are Milwaukee Symphony musicians on staff.  And let’s not forget our very own Festive Week of Strings that runs for one week in June, on campus at UWM.

Bonnie Greene has been running a Fiddle-Jazz-Classical Camp outside Milwaukee for the past few years. Located on Onaway Island at Waupaca, this one week camp is lots of fun. It takes place the last week of June.  Ask you private teacher for more camp suggestions and information.  Summer is a great time to make GREAT strides.