Interlochen

[king2ba]

Sure....I'll go....Interlochen Arts Academy class of 1994. I spent two years at the academy and to be honest, it completely ruined college for me. At Interlochen we played music that was harder than what I did in college and we did it in less time. (We also played a lot of stuff that was the same as I did in college) There was always a performing opportunity and always people ready to perform with you. I played more solos at the weekly recital nights than I ever did in college.

My best memory was working on Enigma Variations during Byron Hanson's last year as the orchestra director. The low brass section was having a difficult time in one of the faster mvts. Byron sat down at the piano with the full score and started playing. I had never seen someone reduce an orchestral score at sight before. It was truly amazing!!!! Also, playing the Vaughan Williams with him was a blast. He knew it so well!

For those of you that have been there with Byron....does he still play the piano with his tongue hanging out????

[pianolance]

I went to the summer all state music camp. It was an amazing experience. My instructor - Rex Conner. It doesn't get any better than that. He would tell the best stories and was very patient with us young high school players. Going to the concerts every night - it was all an amazing experience. My understanding is that they put on about 600 concerts per year. That's almost two every day - wow! I also had an old counselor - don't remember his name, but he sort of looked like Jack Albertson. He had some great sayings, such as, "That bathroom looks like a slaz mung pit." I went twice, for two weeks each time, and they were among the most memorable four weeks of my high school years. I would highly recommend the experience for any young musician.

[Jack Denniston]

Summer of 1967 I played tuba in the high school lower division band and orchestra. We played a new concert every week for 8 weeks. Every week I had to defend my top chair in both of my ensembles, and also contested (mostly unsuccessfully) for the bottom chair in the upper division ensembles. It was a great experience! Studying with Rex Connor was cool. Sam Pilafian was in the University division that summer. He and I were sitting together in the sight reading orchestra one night when we read Til Eulenspigel, and Mahler's 2nd. He sounded mighty fine on both of them as you might imagine. Joey Egebeen was 1st tuba in the 1st division high school band and orchestra- a fine player and a great guy. Ida Kavafian and her sister were there that summer, playing up a storm.

[SRanney]

IB camper in 1989 and IB counselor in 1995. Good memories from both summers. I had an opportunity to go back as a camper in 1990, but chose to head to marching band camp that summer instead.

It was my first foray into the orchestral world, too. There were no other IB tuba players that summer, so I was in demand for both the intermediate band and orchestra. Good stuff, that! Too bad the orchestra ruined me when I got back to high school; I was so looking forward to playing with the high school orchestra, and when I got there...it was just horrible.

Jerry Young was the instructor back then, and I was able to catch a great masterclass lesson with Harvey Phillips. The playing opportunities were wonderful for a middle school student who had never been exposed to them, e.g., Sunday morning brass choir, ensemble opportunities everywhere, etc.

For someone used to being a big fish in a small pond, being around - for the first time - players who were WAY better than me was humbling and educational.

I didn't find this to be true; as I was the only Intermediate tuba player, there wasn't much competition for me. In fact, I ended up auditioning in Jerry's studio with some of the high school cats. Still, being around other tuba players who could at least play well was enough.

Good memories from that place, both as a camper and a counselor.

SR

[SRanney]

...did you have or know a counselor named Terry Hibdon?

No, the name doesn't ring a bell, but then again, I don't remember a whole lot of counselors' last names from when I was there as a camper. Larry Bauer was mine in IB; Scott Heron was another in 1989 who was there again in 1995 when I was working. I believe that Scott still works for Interlochen, too. Phil (last name?) was the IB division director in 1995 when I was a counselor; can't remember who it was in 1989.

Luis Maldonaldo was the low brass coach for the intermediate band in 1989. Fun rehearsals with a good guy. My first experience with F-tuba was with a 6 valve (three right/three left) that he had me play in rehearsal one day.

SR

[Steve Marcus]

My non-musician parents didn't let me attend any music oriented summer programs because they believed that it was next to impossible to have a successful career in music. So I've always envied those who had the privilege of attending Interlochen as a summer camper or as a High School Academy student.

As an adult, I finally had the opportunity to participate in a program at Interlochen Arts Academy: the 2003 Symphonia Workshop. I have wonderful memories from that program:

- sessions by Demondrae Thurman, Marcus Rojas, Marty Erickson, Scott Watson, etc.

- playing in a Master Class for Winston Morris

- a penetrating, highly worthwhile private lesson with Jerry Young

- jazz improv session with Hank Feldman. During the class, Hank had the combo (piano, string bass, and drums) lay down a groove in a d minor 9th chord. Each of us took turns playing an improvised lick along with the rhythm section. I earned some guffaws and snickers when I played a bluesy version of the theme from the first movement of the Vaughan Williams (transposed to d minor, of course...)

- attending great concerts by Symphonia; even more enjoyable was attending their rehearsals. I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to bring a couple of tuba-euph arrangements of mine for them to read through...

- observing Jerry Young work with a group of high school tuba players in the Tuba Hut

- attending a great concert in Kresge by one of the large ensembles at Interlochen which concluded, of course, with the usual excerpt from the Howard Hanson Symphony No. 2

- the camaraderie (but not the food) at Stone House

But the highlight for me was performing in an ensemble of approximately 10 players conducted by John Stevens. We played some of his compositions/arrangements as well as other charts. Sitting to the left of me in the ensemble was Carol Jantsch. In retrospect, I wish that she had been sitting to my RIGHT, so that her bell was facing my ear rather than the other way around...

What a magical place Interlochen is.

[OldsRecording]

Summers in the early 80s...

What a great place it was...

Before the long plastic hallway was discovered...

Which summers were those? I was there HSB '81, '82 and IAA '83-'84 grad. I really dug the place. The winters there are truly unreal. I think the coldest place I've ever been was Minneapolis in January (IAA Chorale tour).

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I spent two summers at the NMC in 1983 and 1985. The first summer I played string bass in the WYSO and jazz bass in Vern Howard's band. I didn't play tuba at all yet, but I met and befriended Heiko Triebener, who was the tuba player in the WYSO that summer. After tinkering with some horns in the tuba hut, I decided I liked the instrument so much I went to Jerry Young who was nice enough to let me check out a horn. By the time I went back to high school in the fall, I was playing tuba in the marching band at home.

Had to skip a summer and went back after my senior year in 1985...I was still mostly a string bass player (made principal WYSO for 5 weeks!), but I elected to study tuba with Dr. Young as well and got to sit in the tuba ensemble next to Pat Sheridan, who was the principal WYSO tubist that summer. We did some sort of mini-concert one particular day, but I can't recall the details. This time, Dr. Young checked me out a Miraphone 190 and I learned CC fingerings that summer. I still have fond memories of reading the tuba transcription of the Bach Concerto for Two Violins in d minor with Pat outside the tuba hut and trying to keep up!

Great experience for any young player...I still wish I had stayed and attended the IAA.

[OldsRecording]

I I didn't play tuba at all yet, but I met and befriended Heiko Triebener, who was the tuba player in the WYSO that summer.

I went to camp with Heiko in '82. Great guy and a phenominal player.

[Casey Tucker]

IAC '05 HSB.

This was truly a life changing experience. this was the first year they introduced the 6 week term and renamed the symphonic band into the World Youth Wind Symphony. also, the shut down the tuba hut behind the bowl along with the caves/practice rooms.

[UDELBR]

UncleBeer was a HighSchool camper at NMC, '75-77. He was also there as an infant, as his parents taught there years and years ago (music, but different department).

[eupher61]

UncleBeer,
so your trip 'cross the pond was good, I hope?

talk on the other channel soon!

[OldsRecording]

IAC '05 HSB.

This was truly a life changing experience. this was the first year they introduced the 6 week term and renamed the symphonic band into the World Youth Wind Symphony. also, the shut down the tuba hut behind the bowl along with the caves/practice rooms.

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven... I really dug that concrete/stone bunker between the tuba hut and the bass hut.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

...Does anyone remember "tooling"...??

Oh, yes...

tool = "to fool"

Penny-tooling the "fudgies" (tourists) was my favorite. Does anyone else remember spending their days off collecting aluminum cans? Anyone else drive there and sneak off-campus to Traverse City on a day off? Laying on the concrete wall just off the front of the stage in Kresge just taking it all in? Playing a concert on Sunday in a nasty thunderstorm where the rain was literally blowing across the audience? Forced fun?

Such great memories...

[Chris Smith]

food: I remember TRULY nasty food (1000's of X's worse than what I've seen in visits in the last ten years)...

The last time I was student at NMC, they had a sort of "food reform." There had been an organized protest or something and parents were supposedly involved (probably some lawyer dad wrote a letter!). The food was really good. That funky peanut butter was gone and replaced by real stuff, but it was hardly necessary at all! Wonder how long it lasted... Probably one summer...

I can assure you all the food this year was VERY nasty.

[bbtuba]

I have a tie in with IAA. Funny story I play in a Youth Orchestra in South Florida the Tubist in it Nick Wyatt left Florida for IAA In 97 I played in the Youth Orchestra until 99 when I went to IAA and the person who took my spot was Rob Vagi and he went to IAA in 2002. So this Youth Orchestra lost three straight players to IAA. Anyways Interlochen treated me good and was one if not thee best experience of my life. I got to play with Carol Jantsch almost everyday (I even beat her once) Hey it happened when she was young but hey I'll take it. She was/is an amazing player and I actually got to see her transform in a matter of a month or two. I also worked at the camp two summers. That was a blast and I got to play in a wonderful Polka Band in Traverse City for beer.