CAMP ENCORE-CODA

The concept of Encore/Coda began in the 1940s when Phil Saltman, eminent Boston area jazz pianist and educator, was invited to visit Camp Robin Hood, a boys sports camp in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Robin Hood's director, Andy Friedman, heard Phil playing at a private party in Boston and invited him up to the camp to play for the Robin Hood boys to do some singing in the evenings. Phil loved it and went back for several summers with his wife, Ruth, a mezzo soprano.

                        Andy & Duff Friedman, Phil & Ruth Saltman, late 1940s      Phil playing for the Robin Hood boys                       

Ruth and Phil saw what a good time the boys at Robin Hood were having and begin to think of how to put together a similar summer program, but with an emphasis on music instead of sports. They initiated  their summer program in the summer of 1950 at their home in Marblehead, MA with one of Phil's jazz piano students, and one of Ruth's classical voice students. Since they had already been teaching their whole lives and thought of the camp as sort of a tag onto that primary activity, they named the new program "Camp Encore".  They had a lot of fun that summer, and decided they'd make it an annual event. By 1959, they had 30 students living and studying at their house, and realized they needed to find a bigger site.

        Site of the original Camp Encore in Marblehead, MA                   Ruth & Phil with their campers, summer 1952  

Ruth and Phil purchased the current Encore/Coda site [which had been Camp Katahdin, est. 1902] in Sweden, Maine and made a new beginning there in 1960: "Camp Encore - for musical boys". With a small group of boys, they filled up the summer with lots of music, sports, trips, campfires, and fellowship. While the campers learned about music, swimming and sports, Ruth & Phil were getting their education in the many details of being camp directors. They successfully persevered through each new obstacle, and the camp grew every year. In 1969, the camp became coed, and the name was changed to "Camp Encore/Coda - for musical boys and girls".

                                    Camp Encore - early 1960s                                                        Jamie, Phil, Richard, Ruth & David Saltman

Throughout the 70's, and 80's, the camp continued to grow. Followings of campers grew up in the big cities of the east coast, and campers began to come from the south and western states, and Europe. Jamie Saltman grew up at the camp, and continued as a staff member through his college years. Upon finishing graduate school at New England Conservatory, Jamie went to work full time for the camp, seeking to continue the development Ruth & Phil had begun. Ellen Donohue-Saltman "married into the business" in 1982, also after grad school at NEC, and became a vital part of the team. Ruth, Phil, Jamie and Ellen worked together until Ruth and Phil retired from active directorship in 1993.

Jamie and Ellen are  the camp directors these days, and their daughter, Hannah has grown up at camp. They work on camp throughout the school year in conjunction with their own teaching and performing in the Boston area.  Thanks to so many talented campers and staff members, the tradition of music and fun that Ruth and Phil established in 1950 continues every summer in the beautiful surroundings of Sweden, Maine.

                          Jamie and Ellen                                                       Hannah & Ellen