Five Tips for Being Successful at Your Summer Music Festival

The other morning, I arose at the ungodly hour of 7 A.M. to bid farewell to my sixteen-year-old brother, who is headed off to music camp for the next four weeks. As I blearily hugged him good-bye, I was reminded of the many summers I traveled to camps myself, dragging my suitcase and instrument through various airport concourses and praying I would have a halfway decent roommate to greet me upon my arrival. This year, I’m opting to make money instead of sinking further into debt, and am currently up in northeast Wisconsin completing a great internship with Midsummer’s Music Festival (for more details on that aspect of my summertime pursuits, check out my previous blog here), but for every summer between 2005 and 2010, I found myself in attendance at a variety of different camps and festivals, all of which gave me invaluable experiences as I grew from a fledgling high school cellist into a serious conservatory student. With literally thousands of music students hopping on planes and enduring exhausting road trips this week, I’d like to to share some nuggets of wisdom that I’ve gained from the many summertime months I spent taking placement auditions, surviving dorm life, and digesting deplorable cafeteria food. Here are five tips to help you succeed at whichever festival you’re calling home this summer:
1. Don’t work too hard.
This is summer vacation, after all–you don’t want to leave campus in eight weeks and still not know where the nearest ice cream shop is. Just as you would (hopefully) allow for some recreational time during the school year, don’t be unwilling to put away your instrument for the night and go out and have some fun. It will be a refreshing break and as always, allow you to return to your work with a renewed focus and determination.
2. But that said…don’t play too hard, either.
Some camps are bit more lax than others when it comes to social activities, but spending your evenings at the local bar will probably not put you in an optimal state for productivity. Unless you’ve been lucky enough to secure a full scholarship, chances are you’re paying quite a lot of money to attend your program, and you don’t want to return home having accomplished nothing more than breaking your personal record for the number of parties attended in one week. Remember that the people you interact with at these festivals are your future colleagues and (possibly) employers, and leaving them with a memory of yourself as “that trumpet player who showed up to rehearsal hungover” is not going to help you very much ten years down the road when you need their help in securing a job.
3. Don’t get caught up in the social drama.
Whether you’re going to short camp or a long one, a big one or a small one, there is going to be social drama. It always seems to follow the same pattern: during the first week, everyone meets and gets to know each other; during the second week, everyone makes their “moves”; during the third week, everyone breaks up and gets all upset; and during the fourth week, they make up and agree to keep in touch on Facebook (and subsequently don’t communicate with each other ever again). It’s like clockwork. In a longer camp, this process is spread out; at a shorter one, it’s more compressed. My advice is to attempt to avoid it entirely. It will do you little good, and just like you don’t want people to remember you as a party animal, you similarly don’t want them to remember you for breaking their heart after a tumultuous five-day romance. I’m not claiming to be the next Dr. Phil here, but it seems logical to me that one’s time at a festival would be better spent focusing on improving instrumental skills than dating ones. Just saying.
4. Respect your roommate.
Unless you’re lucky enough to be heading off to camp with your best friend, chances are your roommate will be someone you’ll have never met until you wearily trudge in the door of your new dorm room after a long day of traveling. Whether the two of you end up becoming friends forever or sworn enemies, it’s important that you be mindful of your roommate’s space and privacy. This means picking up your dirty laundry, putting in earbuds when watching the latest episode of “The Colbert Report” online, and not surprising your roomie with unexpected nocturnal visitors. On the other hand, if you have the misfortune of being on the receiving end of such atrocities, don’t hesitate to address the situation with the R.A. or, if you don’t have an R.A., your roommate himself. Even if such a confrontation results in tears and gnashing of teeth, it’s better that you openly discuss the issues at hand instead of allowing them to worsen for the remainder of the camp.
5. Respect your teacher, too.
It can often be difficult to work with a professor at a festival–you’re only going to have a handful of lessons, and he or she might exhibit a different teaching style than what you’re used to. However, it’s important that you try your best to meet their expectations and learn as much as you can. Most of the time, your teacher will recognize that they’re not going to transform you into a completely different player over the course of three or four weeks, and will be careful not to confuse you with conflicting ideas, although sometimes you might end up with someone who wants you to be their “pet project” for the summer. But regardless of your professor’s intentions, it is important that you always show respect and demonstrate yourself as a serious student–for just like any other relationship you have at a summer camp, you’ll have a very good chance of encountering your professor again at some point in the future.
 
Above all, remember that every aspect of attending a camp or festival is a learning experience, and as with any learning experience, there will inevitably be ups and downs. But, with a positive attitude and smart decision-making, you will be well on your way to a rewarding summer experience, and come back to school in the Fall inspired and excited for another year of productivity. And even if your roommate is aspiring to be the next Cassanova, your attempts at a budding romance with that awkward oboe player fail epically, and your teacher makes you learn a major concerto in three lessons, you’ll still have some great “band camp” stories to tell for years to come–and that alone makes everything worth it.