Camp Encore/Coda For a great summerof music, sports, and friends. music education camp summer maine jazz classical rock theater encore coda maine Maine ME

Hi Ellen and Jamie,

Sam has grown so much over the last 4 years that he has attended Encore Coda. He was so sad to leave this year and very much looks forward to next year. For Sam this has been a safe, nurturing, musically challenging and enriching environment to build friends and grow tremendously in his music. We cannot thank you enough for what you have created and the time you took to understand Sam and help him develop both personally, socially and in his music...He loves studying with Brent, loved his combo and is gunning to accompany Crimson next year but knows he has to work on his sight reading and he is working on it. Finally if you can recommend any colleges for us to look at for Sam in the music arena, with focus on jazz that would be great because we are starting that journey now.

Thanks for everything. Sam will be back next summer.

-parent from New Rochelle, NY

Dear Jamie,

Emika had another wonderful year at camp. This time I promised myself to send you her comments...Emika loved her clarinet teacher, learned a great deal. She said Cole Berger was very good as well, encouraging her to think about her music on her own. She enjoyed her cabin, thought it had the perfect number and mix of people. She loved Tressa Cox. She enjoyed Symphonic Winds and chamber music. She thought it was great fun to play the piece with four hands with Anna Shnyderman, an excellent match musically. She enjoyed drawing and painting and was very proud of a batik/watercolor she created. The use of cell phones during trip days was brilliant...thanks again for another memorable summer for Emika. She hopes to be back again next year -- her fifth one!

-parent from San Francisco, CA

Jamie,
I figured I should thank you so much for another great summer. It was the best summer so far, and I know it will continue to get better. I was so happy with my music. I improved so much on both saxophone, voice and also in my song-writing. I grew so much! I was also very, very happy with my cabin. My counselors, Bekah and Corinne, were so great. They were so supportive to my cabin. I also really liked my cabin. We have grown very close to each other as life-long buddies. We are even planning a reunion this winter! It was really a pleasure to go to camp this summer, and I can't wait for next year! Thanks again.

-camper from Conway, NH

Hi Ellen,

Helen is still raving about camp. She had a wonderful time. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk on Parents' Day, but I saw how busy you were! We were really impressed with the performances, and loved walking around camp, going for a swim, and eating in the dining hall -- it was a great day. Thanks to you and Jamie for running such a great place.

-parent from Pelham, NY

Hi Jamie,

Winnie had a terrific time at camp. The first week home she was complaining about being "camp-sick." She appeared to make seriously good friends with whom she is in contact daily! She loved the food and the whole spirit of the place... Just yesterday she had her audition for this years orchestra and she was extremely well prepared - thanks to her Encore-Coda experience. Thank you again and she definitely wants to return next summer!

-parent from New Haven, CT

Jamie and Ellen,

We received the evaluations on Hannah's performance at camp. Once again, it really encouraged and pleased us...We were pleasantly surprised at the thorough and very personal evaluation letters. I think what we expected was a standardized form (report card style), but what you sent was so much more helpful. Hannah came to me after reading the letters and asked if I thought it would be out of line to ask for more specific accountability, criticism and challenge from her piano teacher--but that was only after going straight to her instruments because she was energized to employ the suggestions Andre and Paul made. Wow--that says so much about the respect Andre and Paul command, as well as their ability to motivate and inspire. Please pass on to them our sincere thanks and praise for their effort and thoroughness in working with Hannah

Our appreciation for Camp Encore/Coda grew steadily all summer, culminating with Parent's day. What a treat and an inspiration, seeing those kids really enjoying the music and performing superbly. Parents Day ranks among our best summer memories. As I mentioned in email messages, even before coming to pick up Hannah, we knew she'd had three excellent weeks with you and your staff and campers. Parents Day and the debriefing during our drive back to Virginia confirmed that our hopes and goals for her were met or exceeded. We've recommended your program to anyone who seems remotely interested. From logistics to aesthetics, you seem to know very well what makes for an excellent camp experience.

Thank you for all you pour into those with whom you work. Thank you for enhancing the lives of so many young musicians, and for helping fellow parents in guiding them to adulthood.

-parents from Lovettsville, VA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

Spending three weeks at Encore-Coda this summer was Graham's first experience at camp. I have to admit that Bruce and I were much more anxious about it than Graham...The morning before Parent's Day we got a letter from Graham. What he said in that letter sums up his feelings about three weeks at camp.....'Dear Mom and Dad, I haven't written because I have been so busy having so much fun!'..When I picked him up he said that being at Encore-Coda was the first time he felt like he really fit in somewhere other than Treble Chorus. 'Everyone understood me, and loves music the same way I do! It was SO different from regular life!' Thank you for allowing Graham to blossom!

-parent from Andover, MA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

It was another great summer for Derek at Encore/Coda, Session 1. The long-awaited move to the Upper Camp fulfilled expectations and Derek was happy to be cabin mates again with Nathan and Rory...We like the relationship that Derek is building with Henry Tervo, his oboe teacher. Mr. Tervo impresses us as a kind man and conscientious teacher. He made it a point to speak to us on Parents Day, highlighting his time spent with Derek in both chamber and private lessons... Derek was happy to repeat lessons with his voice teacher from last year... How marvelous that Suzanne suggested “Being Alive” and “Finishing the Hat” for Derek to tackle this summer...It was eye-opening (ear-opening?) for us to hear Derek and his 4 colleagues in the quintet. Their hard work was evident because they were quite impressive for a group that was together for only 3 ½ weeks...So, thanks again for taking such good care of our son this summer and for making Encore/Coda the place he dreams of on dreary winter days, anticipating the first day of camp. We look forward to the DVD and registration materials for next year.

-parents from Newton, MA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

I just wanted to thank you for what was the most amazing summer of my life. I've been going to sleep away camps since I was nine, and in all those years, I've been to five different summer camps. I must say, Encore-Coda has been the very best. I was so happy to find a place that had the setting and traditions of a typical summer camp but yet was also a place where I could do something I love: learn and play music. It really is the perfect place for me. I love having so much in common with all the people at E/C, and I've definitely been keeping in touch with all my friends. I also learned a lot from the faculty this year and I know that my playing, in jazz especially, has improved a ton. All in all, I really just had a great experience at camp this summer, and I want to share my appreciation for everything you and the staff do to make Encore-Coda such a success. If the opportunity arose, I would love to be a CIT next summer.

-camper from Cape Elizabeth, ME

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

We've been traveling for the past week, so I didn't have a chance to write sooner. We really enjoyed the parents weekend, especially the camper performances. It was a great experience for Sam: he loved his counselors, made lots of friends, and became a better musician. In spite of the unfavorable weather conditions, he was smiling when we arrived and couldn't stop talking about the musical abilities of his teachers and fellow campers. The performances and Sam's interaction with campers and staff made it evident that this was a wonderful way for him to grow as a musician and as a citizen. Thank you for everything.

-parent from Framingham, MA

Hi Jamie,

...I had a wonderful time at camp this summer. Thank you for a great experience! Thank you for being my outstanding camp directors, mentors, conductors and fellow musicians. It has been such a pleasure to learn from both of you in and out of rehearsal...It really has been worthwhile to learn and work with you two! I really enjoyed and appreciate the experience. Have a great summer and year!

-camper from Brookline, MA

Hi Jamie,

...All of Saturday’s music was terrific! Once again, Jake had a wonderful time at camp! He thoroughly enjoyed every group he was a part of and felt as though he learned a lot and improved in each of his study areas. Thank you so much for offering such a great summer experience for young musicians...

-parent from Wellesley, MA

Hello Jamie,

I just wanted to send a quick thank you for a wonderful Parent's Day this weekend. We all enjoyed ourselves so much. What a talented group of campers you've had. We are always so impressed by how much they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. I know Lindsay has been enjoying herself, and for that we'd like to thank you also...We cannot thank you enough for how well Lindsay has been taken care of...

-parent from Fryeburg, ME

Jamie,

Thanks for another great session for Ellis. His sax playing progressed by huge leaps and he is now trying out his improv skills, something that had never happened before! Your staff was terrific and my "stay at home" kid had not one single complaint about camp life at Encore-Coda...We're on again for next year - very excited about rising up to upper camp. Hope you and Ellen have a great winter.

-parent from Andover, MA

Jamie,

Yesterday my nephew, Michael, returned home after a summer experience that he described as life-changing. I write to commend you and your staff for putting together such a tremendous program for the kids. We have never seen Michael so animated and enthused about anything as he is now about his guitar playing. We all are very excited for him as he continues to hone his talent. Thank you for all your hard work. Words can scarcely express the gratitude we feel for having ignited in Michael what we hope will become a deep, abiding passion for music.

-camper's uncle from Santa Clara, CA

Hi Jamie and Ellen,

I just wanted to write you guys and thank you for letting me visit last Saturday. It really was a pleasure to visit where I've spent my past four summers. I loved listening to chamber orchestra rehearse, and watching the waterfront operation. It was the first time I got to see camp from an outsider's perspective and I was really impressed. I noticed especially at the dance how great it was to see so many kids having fun. Two of my former campers were dancing together and I felt so happy for them. Anna and I were proud that they had clearly had a good summer last year when we were their counselors because they came back. It reminded me of what my goal as a counselor had been: to pass on my good memories of my own camper days to other campers. I hope the last days of the session are going smoothly for you. Thanks again for letting me come up, it was great to see you.

-camper & staff alum from Concord, MA

Hi Ellen and Jamie,

Sarah had a GREAT, GREAT time at camp – thank you so very much! Sarah loved Cara and Aimee as her counselors, really liked her cabin-mates (and was so sad saying good-bye), and most importantly, found the musical experience to be wonderful. Brent was so encouraging with both piano and horn and was very supportive of Sarah, going out of his way to help her with the challenges of jazz horn. He had really nice things to say about her musicianship. Laura, also, provided great support and teaching. The parents day was wonderful, and I was honored to be able to sit through so many fine performances by so many kids!...So, thank you for a wonderful music-infused summer – it was exactly what Sarah needed!

-parent from Brookline, MA

Hi Jamie,

...we wanted to thank you and Ellen again for everything! Both boys had a great time at Camp this summer! And seeing them in the performances was truly a thrilling experience. Parent's Day was so much fun, seeing all the groups perform, seeing the progress the boys made in just three and half weeks, eating all that delicious food (once again, that buffet was amazing, so much good food, I couldn't get enough of it!).....This year Alex seemed to be very mellow and relaxed about everything at Camp, as if it was like his second home, which was very nice to see. And Joseph seemed to fit right in, he even said (when we arrived) that he felt like he already knew the camp and he felt right at home as well....You guys must be doing something right, or should I say, many things right!! It is especially nice for me, as a parent who sometimes worries about her kids "too much", to know that when the boys are at your camp, they are in such good hands, and I can sit back and relax, knowing that in three and half weeks, I will see them, more mature, having learned more musically, having made many new good friends, and having them look forward to coming back again next summer! Thanks again to both of you!!

-parent from Sharon, MA

Dear Jamie, Ellen and staff,

Just wanted to let you know how much Emily enjoyed her experience at Encore-Coda. She stated it was the best camp she has been to and enjoyed it so much. She just loved her teacher and learned so much from her. She liked her counselors and her bunkmates. Her private violin teacher noticed a more confident player when she had her lesson. She wants to come back next year as a counselor in training...From a parents prospective: well organized, appreciated the rules and regulations and the enthusiasm of those who attended. Hope to see everyone next year...

-parent from Orient, NY

Hey Jamie,

Thanks so much for everything! The letter, tutelage, the chance to come have a great time at camp, the relationships, the connections... everything! It was truly a pleasure working with you this summer, and I hope to have more opportunities to work with you again, at camp, and through the year."

-staff member from Allston, MA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

Catherine and Courcelle had a wonderful time at camp. They both were so happy with their experiences. Thank you for choosing the perfect cabins for them. The mix of music and traditional camp activities was perfect. Wallace and I were again impressed with the progress that the campers make musically in only 3 weeks. The best thing that happened to Catherine was that she was allowed to play bari sax for Crimson. She was thrilled to be able to play with musicians who were so accomplished. I think it stretched her while also giving her a boost of confidence. Kudos to Brent! Courcelle loved her cello teacher. Thank you for providing such a rich experience to all the campers who are lucky enough to attend Encore/Coda.

-parent from Woods Hole, MA

Hi Jamie,

Sarah had a wonderful time at camp this year! We were stunned at her performance of The Way It Is, and how much she had learned. The staff at camp was great as well. Sarah even complimented the food...she is so funny sometimes...she wrote to us about having tried a new food...Tater Tots!...I think she is growing to have that special feeling for Encore Coda, the feeling that one can have for a place that they know and love. We are looking forward to a great year of lessons and to upper camp next year! Many thanks to you and Ellen for all of your work this summer.

-parent from Brookline, MA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

First of all I'd like to thank you profusely for the wonderful summer that we have just completed. I feel it was certainly the most productive and interesting summer I have ever had, and I owe it all to you both and the fantastic staff and faculty at Encore/Coda. I'm glad that you felt I was up to the challenge when you hired me, and if its in the cards for me I sincerely hope you'll have me back next year...

-staff member from St. Paul, MN

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

I had a wonderful tme at camp. I especially liked theater and the pieces we played in orchestra...Hope you have a wonderful year and looking forward to seeing you next summer!

-camper from Briarcliff Manor, NY

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

I just wanted to say thank you for the great musical experience I had this summer. I had a great time and met many new friends. I had a blast in chorus and lab jazz, and I look forward to coming back again next year. All my teachers were awesome and I miss all the counselors and staff, too. Thanks again for a great summer!

-camper from Walpole, MA

Dear Jamie & Ellen,

I just wanted to thank you for the extraordinary music environment that you provide at Encore/Coda. My son Bryan returned home with broader musical horizons, great friendships, and a refreshed commitment to his piano - priceless gifts for his musical life! Thank you very much, and know that you have earned my family's deep admiration.

-parent from Riverside, RI

Dear Jamie, Ellen, Hannah and Camp Encore/Coda staff,

I want to let you know how grateful I am to you for giving me such a wonderful camp experience. First off, I need to say that my teachers were top-notch. They were a joy to work with and I learned a great deal from them. My counselors, Susanne and Emma, were fun and helpful. I really like the way you set up the cabins....I also appreciated knowing there was always a counselor that I could get to at night, and that they came around to the cabins and introduced themselves and what cabin they would be in...

I also like that you had inspection every day...the variety of fruits and vegetables, the tea you provided and the option of making a sandwich if we didn't like what was being served and all the waterfront activities. The concerts were a highlight, both attending them and performing in them. I always looked forward to and enjoyed them.

...I could go on and on about how much I liked your camp. I had a great time and I would love to come back. Between the busy schedule and all you did to make me feel comfortable, I never got homesick. Thank you so much!

-camper from Lovettsville, VA

Dear Jamie and Ellen,

I wanted to tell you what a great time Elisabeth had at camp Encore/Coda this summer. She is still talking about how wonderful the weeks were! Tom and I were so moved during visitor's day. The overall feel of Camp Encore/Coda was relaxed, smoothly run and incredibly supportive. Of course we loved all the performances, which were so well done and professional. Also, the kids and faculty seemed to be having so much fun! Back at the cabin, we met Elizabeth's counselors - very competent and caring. All in all, we adored Camp Encore/Coda and thank you so much for giving Elizabeth an experience she will always treasure.

-parent from Newton, MA

Hi Jamie,

My daughter was in 1st session at Encore-Coda this year. It has been a terrific experience for her. She enjoyed every minute of it and she is definitely coming back next year. We got rave reviews from her while she was in camp and we were impressed by the camp during Parents' weekend. So unless you can do something about mosquitoes, we've got no complaints...Thank you so much for a great summer! You helped my daughter grow and mature and she was having fun in the process. Have a wonderful school year and we can't wait for the yearbook to come.

-parent from Brookline, MA

CAMP ENCORE-CODA