11 Things That Will Happen When You Go To a Summer Music Program

June and July is prime summer festival season, so this post is dedicated to all your summer program “feels.” I have been to a few different programs now, and noticed that they tend to have some trends in common. Here are some of my biggest takeaways:

1. You may feel anxious.

Will people be snobby here? Will I be the worst one at my instrument? What if Gustavo Dudamel himself comes to the concert and I mess up?

It’s normal to be a little anxious before your first summer festival, or your first time at a new summer festival. You’re working on audition music that you probably haven’t had for as long as you’d like, you’re about to do a lot of traveling, and even though you’ve read all the info on the festival’s website, you still aren’t sure of exactly what to expect until you get there. That will all get easier when…

2. You will realize you were anxious for nothing.

In the time that you arrive, start unpacking, have your audition, and start to unwind from all the traveling you likely just did, you probably met at least a few, if not a lot, of people who are feeling the exact same things you are. Or, maybe you’ve met someone who’s gone to the festival before and told you all the awesome things about it and why they came back for more. Then you’ll wonder why you were even worried in the first place.

3. You will hear sounds/blends/balances you’ve never heard before.

You may find that you get to rehearsal and it’s SO LOUD compared to what your used to. Maybe you have a small rehearsal space for the size of the orchestra, or maybe you’re playing with a larger orchestra than you ever have before. Or, maybe the violas are actually in tune for once! Hopefully, one of the reasons why you came to a summer program is to have a different playing experience than what you’re used to at home, school, etc, which leads to…

4. You will learn to adjust your playing.

There may be more people in your section than there normally are where you regularly play, so you may be able to relax your dynamics more. Or, the director might want more from your section even though it’s marked quieter. Maybe the hall rings a certain way, and you have to articulate very precisely. Festivals will bring in a lot of individually talented people based on their audition, but in order to play like a section or like a full orchestra, you will need to do a lot of listening. After spending days or weeks both rehearsing and hanging out with your section, you’ll start to match and blend like you’ve been playing together for years.

5. Your practice schedule will be different.

If you’re in an intense enough program (so, most programs), you can expect to be playing nearly all day between masterclasses, lessons, rehearsals, and possibly more if you have the opportunity to play a solo or chamber music. You may not have as much free time or “chops” to practice as you normally would, and if you play an instrument that requires “chops,” you should probably be resting anyway. If you have a solo or chamber performance coming up, you can always lay low in rehearsal to save energy for later, although on a regular basis, you may be lucky to get in an hour of practicing. Be efficient!

6. So will your diet.

Since you’ll probably be in a place that you’ll only get to visit once in a while, you’ll want to take in all the culture and food that place has to offer. Which means you’ll probably be eating larger meals than you’re used to. Maybe you’re sharing a living and dining area with someone who’s a more experienced chef than you. Or, perhaps you and your housemates figure out that you can make rice crispy treats by melting marshmallows in the microwave and then pouring in rice crispies. That would be a genius discovery to make! Whatever your eating habits become, you might find your pants fitting a little tighter by the end of the festival, but that’s ok!

7. You will learn so much in a short time.

With your schedule packed with music stuff nearly every hour, and with festivals stacked with expert teaching faculty, you’ll be getting tons of new information very fast. It might even be too fast to incorporate every single thing you learn into your playing. Soak up everything you can when you go to a summer program, and you will have plenty of time (and new inspirations) to practice when you get home.

8. You will be able to do things unrelated to music.

Whatever the area you’ve traveled to is known for, you and your buddies will probably want to check that out! Take in all the hiking, beach trips, famous pizza, or other activities the area has to offer. And take lots of pictures!

9. You will make new and lifelong friends.

This is the best part of any summer festival. When you share an experience with people who are like-minded about their career goals and passion for music, it’s easy to make friends that will stay with you for the long haul. Your group chats will probably still be ringing with notifications long after the festival is over. You may see your friends in other cities when taking auditions, you may make plans to see them when you’re passing through your area, and you may even go to their wedding! Even though you only see the face-to-face for a short time, summer camp friends can easily be forever.

10. You will want to go back again and again.

You came for the Mahler, Shostakovich, Strauss, Brahms, [insert favorite composer here], but you stayed for the memories. Summer programs often have not only faculty, but also administrators, donors, and regular audiences who work very hard to make sure you have a positive experience – one that will make you want to go back the following year and then some. Plus, the easiest way to have a reunion with your new friends is to all go back next year.

11. And now you’re sick.

I suppose there’s one downside – if you’re traveling to a different state/climate/elevation/anything different from what your body is used to on a daily basis, you’re probably going to get sick when you go home and have to adjust back to normal. I’m blowing my nose in between sentences right now. But it’s worth it for all of the above!

Have you had similar experiences at summer programs? Feel free to leave a comment with your own summer program stories!