This summer I`m touring Europe with the Blue Lake Southern Winds and I have also been to Interlochen Arts Camp when I was in middle school. Anybody been to Interlochen and anyone going to Blue Lake this summer? Cause the Blue Lake international band gives a homecoming concert to the camp during the summer, it`s pretty cool.

I heard of interlochen and my high school is giving a discount. I`m still deciding if i should go, because interlochen is around my place. I heard it`s a good experince..but 6 weeks during the summer? hmm..i don`t know. Away from my family and friends..

Interlochen was one of the best times in life and you should definitely look in to it. Although I`m sure it`s too late to get in this summer try for next year. It is very competitive you should prepare hard. How long have you been playing?

Too late? I thought there`s time to sign up. And you have to audition for it? My friend is a beginner and her teacher said anyone could go there. I think i`m pretty good. I`m a freshman in highschool, and i played since 5th grade. I just got a private flute teacher last summer. but i got in middle school honor band and highschool honor band too! I have good technique, and playing musicaly. I love challenges^^

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*oops* I meant pretty good as a 14 year old.

Peter, do you know what some of the pieces that you will be performing. It sounds like a blast. If only I were younger....

Where in Europe are you going to?

I got to participate in a Highschool program called American Music Abroad that takes groups of band and choir high schoolers and goes to several countries performing at cities. It was AWESOME! My parents took money out of their savings just for me to go because I may never be able go overseas again and even better playing my flute in a band there.

With the tour we went to Belgium (where we stayed with a host family), Austria, Switzerland, Germany (Heidleburg and Dinkisbuhl sorry I forgot the spelling and I`m butchering them), Italy (Venice), and France (Paris). And each country played our band and choir program while touring around for about 3-4 weeks. Was so fun. I loved Venice although I didn`t go on a gondala ride but the streets and waterways were pretty, traveling down Austrian mountain that had cows roaming freely through them, there was I believe in Switzerland we went up through a train that went up through the mountain to the top. At the bottom people were in shorts for summer and you see people in full winter clothes and at the top full snow with sking. I can`t IMAGINE sking on that. Beautufil but I`d be afraid falling down the humungous mountain! Some of the castles we went to where nice too, one was in Heidleburg Germany. Germany`s Dinkisbuhl town was so cute. Had many triangular small patchwork looking houses. There was also a famouse war story of that town. Anybody know of it? I think Nazi`s were comming or something with children being hidden there. Anyway was great and I was able to finally get a Cuckoo Clock! OH and all the bed and breakfast places where so cute and pretty.

I discovered Nutella hazelnut cocco spread there. Although when it finally came out in the USA didn`t taste the same, I think it was the bread in Europe made it better. I also remember there was no red meat over there or rather not ordered for our group. I didn`t realize it until the plane ride back and we had some beef stew. So I thought maybe a culture thing and in nutrition class someone asked about what different countries eat so I go on my speel no meat in Europe and someone`s like isn`t their Mad Cow disease? Oops...

Another thing, I think I`m a relatively quiet person, at least in public. Our tour guides tried to explain we are known as loud Americans and that in Europe people don`t talk as loud so to try to tone it down. I remember one evening somewhere in Italy traveling down the streets and the NOISE, our group I mean. And I saw all the natives looking at us! Oh geeze we where so loud. I don`t think I was bad but I noticed my tone wasn`t as soft as others over there. Just interesting. Never realized that. It was intresting seeing and meeting all kinds of people. I`ve never been in an area with so many languages. Although I noticed many would talk in another language and oops all of a sudden in front of me in line!!! I think those people were tourist`s themselves, and it happens in USA too so I think it was more of a tourist mode mentality, kindof like when skiers come to our resorts in poconos and walk in front of cars on a major roadway to get to the loft not realizing hey i`m in a road! I was also surprised how many people spoke english that I was able to find anything I needed. The host family in Belgium I thought the one boy said they learned like 3 languages in school. I was terrified of getting lost from the group and it was nice at least you could ask questions and people would understand you. It`s embarassing b/c I took spanish and can`t even use most of it now. I wish schools would teach languages younger ages to absorb it better. I guess part of the problem is we can`t use the language as if more people spoke it. That`s why I took spanish b/c we see more of that.

Anyway the program is American Music Abroad and sometimes offer tours in China and other Asian countries. It really is such a nice thing to travel overseas if you can. I don`t know if I`d ever get the chance again. Bonus if you get to with music!

Good luck with your tour! Sounds like it will be great!

I am planning on going to Interlochen sometime during my high school career, but not sure when though. I would love to go there every year, but I think its just too long to be away from your family. The scenery up there is beautiful, and my family and I go around there every year, and its even mroe gorgous than the last time I went. The tour you guys mentioned sounds really fun, but can someone fill me in on what you have to do in order to get accepted into Interlochen? I saw an audition signup sheet for Blue Lake in my school, but the dates weren`t really good for me. Either way, I would love to go to Interlochen or Blue Lake. In your opinion, what camp do you think is better?

Interlochen is definitely the best but like I said very it`s very competitive. You have to audition for any division you`re going into to. But Blue lake does not require an audition to get accepted in to the camp. Unless you want to a scholarship or you want to be in the top orchestra you won`t need to record yourself. You do audition for chair placements when you get to camp, and the same goes for Interlochen. Also at Blue Lake, if you want to go to the International Band like I did, you have to audition and interview for that while you`re AT camp. Blue lake is shorter than Interlochen and also cheaper.
Although they are both great camps Interlochen is freaking awesome, maybe it`s just because I went there first but there is something magical about it and it was the first national music camp founded. If you`re interested and have money to spend on applications apply for both. Even if you get accepted into Interlochen, they don`t give out many scholarships so you might choose Blue Lake.