Hey, Camp Kids!
We love our annual ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest at Everything Summer Camp and with the turnout we saw, this has been the best year yet! Your stories were great and it was such a fun time reading through them. Get a look at each submission as I post them one-by-one right here on the Blog!
Today’s post is from Zoe N. T. who wrote in to tell us about her returning year at Philadelphia International Music Festival. Take in her summer camp story right now:
“It was tough keeping out the anxious, highly anticipated thoughts that would pop into my head about the new and unknown experience I was about to have at P.I.M.F. Sometimes, it would keep me up at night, wondering what I was going to learn there and if I could really do all that I had planned to do. Once I got there, I didn’t want to leave.
People come from all over the world for the education that’s in this camp.
When I went for the first time, I was surprised to see people from different cultures and ethnicities. Music is universal, it’s unifying, and inspiring. It’s what makes this camp the best.
The Bryn Mawr campus is where P.I.M.F is held. It’s beautiful and easy to navigate.
The buildings look like castles and have acoustics like them, too. They look identical to the one pictured in the Harry Potter films. The food is satisfactory; it can withstand any picky-eater with a variety of selections. The coaches on staff are brilliant. But talking about the camp doesn’t do it justice. You have to be there to experience just how exceptional it truly is.
It’s an international camp, and the people that come from all over the world are intelligent, kind, and talented. You will make lifelong friendships there, I should know.
You only need to go there once to meet great people.
You will endure intense but constructive practice sessions. It’s tailored to your playing ability and it will help you improve. The more I practiced, the more I benefited from the sessions.
The dorm rooms are located in two buildings. You can choose which building you want to stay in and you’re able to request a roommate. I bunked with one of my friends I made at camp the following year, and that made it easier to talk about what we’ve learned.
Every night, you go to see a performance. Most of the time it’s several shows in one.
It can either be a masterclass or a concert. The masterclasses are taught by a player of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Any kind of performance they put on is a great one.
Everyone travels to Ocean City, NJ for a day with their new friends. You hang out on the boardwalk with them, go back to the campus, have a pizza dinner, and relax for the rest of the night. It’s a marker for the end of our time there and how hard we’ve been working before the Grand Finale concert.
The staff is more than willing to accommodate you if you want extra lessons or if you need help with your schedule. They also offer secondary lessons, so if you play another instrument and you want to take lessons there, they will help you schedule it.
You will become a better person from the learning experiences you gain at this camp. Whether it’s from a person you’ve met, from the lessons, or from one of the performances that left a mark on you, you will strive to do better. You will want to learn more.
Your new friends will encourage you on this journey, and you’ll do the same for them because you’re all in this together.
When I came home from P.I.M.F, I couldn’t remember what life was like before. I am becoming a better musician from the challenging and intense music training and I have great friends from across the globe. I can’t wait to go back next year!”
Glad you had yet another fantastic summer stay at Philadelphia International Music Festival, Zoe! I love how cool you make it sound at camp—like a castle and it’s great to hear your passion and musical drive! For anybody else interested in Philadelphia International Music Festival, give it a closer look for yourself some time and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John