Only the beginning!

The last day of viola camp went off without a hitch! Everyone started the day off right with a wonderful breakfast at McCall's "Pancake House." It was also Anna's birthday, so there was of course a rousing rendition of happy birthday while Anna received candle-lit cinnamon roll.

One last round of rehearsals was had as we all prepared for the final concert. Students had one more go at the high volume of large ensemble music and their small ensembles which were followed by a dress rehearsal. After all the rehearsals, everyone headed back to the campsite to pack up their tents, jump in cars and head back to Boise.

The final concert was truly impressive. It is incredible to see what can be pulled together in one short week. Keep in mind that not a single student had seen any of their music before Monday afternoon! We were all amazed by the level of talent, positive attitudes, hard work, and most importantly the willingness to learn. It was sad to see Viola Camp 2008 come to an end, but we look forward to the future and what is to come for Viola Camp 2009.

Planning is already underway for Viola Camp '09...actually, it was underway within 20 minutes of the final concert ending! We are planning to have 2 sessions next year. The first will be approximately 3 days long and geared towards violists that are going into 5th-7th grades. The second will be 6 days long and for grades 8-12. Everything will still take place in McCall and both sessions will have a very similar layout to what was done this year.

We hope that this way each student can have an experience more tailored to their needs. We also hope that this will keep any one session from becoming too large, as one of the excellent things about viola camp is the ability to get to know everyone there! We are constantly striving to find ways to make this program even better than it already is and will definitely accept any feedback or input that any of you might have to offer!

Here is a link to the site where you can see more pictures from viola camp!

We look forward to seeing everyone back at Viola Camp 2009!

Wednesday and Thursday!

It has been a rather eventful two days here in McCall!

Yesterday entailed an epic canoe adventure. After spending the early afternoon rehearsing, everyone piled in the cars. There were varying levels of canoe experience, from the people who spun around in circles approximately seven times before leaving the immediate area to those who arrived at the beach early just to dunk an unsuspecting soul into the water. All in all, it was a fabulous time and much enjoyed by everyone!

We then had a pizza dinner, which was sponsored by an anonymous donor. Thank you!!! The food was much appreciated after such a busy day.

Today was also rather busy. Students spent most of the morning/early afternoon rehearsing with their ensembles and in the large viola ensemble, polishing things for the concert we had tonight at Roseberry! Though there was a wee bit of a battle with the wind at first, everyone had lots of fun playing everything from "Turkey in the Straw" and other fiddle tunes to the Dragonetti bass concerto, with soloist Renaud! Renaud also got to conduct the premier performance of his piece, "Golden Crocuses." Another highlight involved the all-viola rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture, including cannons!

After their performance, there was ice cream and, of course, ultimate frisbee with the dog named "Lucky Bear" who was better at it than many of the humans!

Tuesday

Tuesday was a day chock full of rehearsals and fun...work hard, play hard! Students spent time working hard to pull together their small ensembles and it certainly shows! The groups are all coming along quite well and things are really starting to sound great. There was also some time devoted to large ensemble and learning some new fiddle tunes for our upcoming performances.

For lunch, students headed to the Rotary Park for a beach barbecue. Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal, some played a rousing game of badminton and a few braved the slightly chilly water for a quick swim.

Tuesday evening contained exciting games of catch phrase and several people got together and played some soccer near the campground. Tonight we all look forward to a canoeing adventure!

Monday!

The first day of viola camp was filled with much excitement! Everyone piled in cars for the drive up to Ponderosa State Park and proceeded to unpack and set up their 'homes' for the week. We then headed to the church in McCall for the first read-through with groups. There was also the first read through of many viola ensemble pieces, including one by our very own composer!

After an afternoon of intense viola-ing, everyone headed to the campsite for dinner and an evening hike. We hiked up to a viewpoint of Payette lake (pictures soon to come!) and journeyed back for some delicious smores and generalized hanging out by the campfire.

This morning (Tuesday) was filled with more viola ensemble and another stab at all the small groups, followed by a barbecue lunch at the beach.

More stories and pictures from our day to come!

The Day Before!

Today has been very exciting as people have begun arriving for viola camp. Three states are represented: Iowa, North Carolina and Washington!

Having people come in early for viola camp is cause for celebration! We enjoyed delicious wood fired pizzas from the earth oven. Many other campers and their families came along for a fun pre-camp evening. Here are pictures from our gathering.

Tomorrow is the big day! If you are getting your viola camp info from this site, here are some reminders:

Campers should arrive at my house no later than 9:30 am. Don't forget your community items! We will arrive at Ponderosa State Park around noon, at which time we will set up our camp and have lunch. At 2:00, we will begin the viola festivities. The camp begins with a 45 minute scale warm up, followed by viola choir and small ensemble time. We will end the day with delicious hamburgers (flown in from Whidbey Island, no less!) and a hike up to the viewpoint of Payette Lake.

July 24

Today was a busy day at Viola Camp Headquarters. I laugh when I say that, because "Camp Headquarters" is basically the desk in my studio, and the surrounding floor space. I imagine most people would visualize some sort of office space that's not littered with empty Diet Hansen's can, or an area that doesn't contain geriatric napping dogs. Feel free to conjure up a nice, organized looking vision if it suits you.

Music is almost all ready to go. Our young composer-in-residence will be getting parts for his piece to me by Saturday. Tomorrow we'll be assembling folders, purchasing some supplies, and having a meeting to finalize the schedule.

Viola Camp 2008!

Idaho Viola Camp 2008 will be an exciting time of music, friendship and the great outdoors! Stay tuned as campers from 4 states gather in McCall, Idaho for five days of viola ensembles, hiking, canoeing, and more.

Each day, there will be a post from viola camp. Check out our photobucket for daily picture updates.

Viola Power!