Selected Comments from Summer 2012

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​There is much much much rejoicing in my house tonight. Noam is ECSTATIC to be returning to E/C for 2013. You have no idea how meaningful this is to him. He is just over the moon. And, so are we. This will carry him through the winter...He feels that you and Jamie (and some of the special teachers there like Brent) really know him and accept him for who he is... having his plans set for next summer, the anticipation of returning to a community that he feels part of and loves is profoundly meaningful for Noam, and for us. We are immensely grateful to you..Have a great thanksgiving, holidays and seriously, please be in touch if there is ever anything we can do to help support E/C!
—parent in Cambridge, MA
​I am writing you to simply thank you for another one of the best summers of my life. I enjoyed it so much! Every last memory that I made will last me the rest of my life. The friends that I made will truly be lifelong friends. The skills and techniques that I learned from Nils will strengthen my guitar playing immensely… Have an incredible year.
—camper from Mooresville, NC
​Thank you so much for having me this year. You have no idea how much I love coming to camp... I love the music, the memories, and the friends. Thank you so much for making everything possible. I love wind ensemble...it’s not every day I get to be a part of a group that’s so challenging and professional. I cannot think about having a summer without going to E/C. Thank you so much again for everything and I hope to see you guys next year! 
 —camper from Bridgton, ME
I can't believe we are half-way through September and that more than a month has passed since we collected Rosie from Camp. We wanted to write to thank you again for ensuring that she had such a wonderful time, with new responsibilities and experiences, new and old friends, and so much to engage and stimulate her throughout her time. She was thrilled to be asked back as a CIT and I can see what a valuable contribution it has made to her confidence... And of course, her musical ability has improved hugely — her voice is in fantastic condition after a summer of singing and she thoroughly enjoyed playing the oboe. We were very impressed by the thorough reports on her work which will be useful for the future and we have already shared them with her music teacher here. I loved coming over for Parents' Day and sharing just a little slice of camp with you all — so many fantastic, moving performances and such an interesting range of music. It is a truly special place (and like nothing at all that we have here in the UK). Thank you so much, again, for all that you did for Rosie this summer. 
—parent from Essex, ENGLAND
​Once again, E/C so surpassed any and all expectations… Jacques has concluded that “school is great but camp is perfect.” He is never as happy as when he is there. I describe it as if he could create his perfect world, it would be E/C. I just can’t express how much joy and inspiration I get every time I am there, and you have given our family an immeasurable gift.
—parent from Newton, MA
​I’ve been meaning to write and tell you how happy we were to have Emily spend the first session of camp at Encore/Coda this summer! She absolutely loved her time there, and David and I were so impressed with the professionalism with which the camp is run. What a wonderful community you and your family have built!
  —parent from Lexington, MA
We are writing to thank you for helping to make Shay’s experience at Encore/Coda such a great one. When we received our first letter stating, “I love camp” we were so relieved... To see her perform all day and relate with her new friends was a joy for the entire family. Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to visit camp once again and experience the magic and the music of camp… It is such a treat to hear young folks play with heart and soul and love what they are doing. So thanks for continuing to do what you both do. It is truly amazing. Shay is already talking about next year.
—grandparents from Harrison, ME
Camp is truly a special place. It makes me so happy to be able to go back and work for/with you each summer. There were many a time where all I could do was smile and mutter to myself, “I love my job!” Thank you a million times for everything that you have done for me over the years. I am pleased to finally be paying off some of my debt of gratitude!
—staff member and camper alum from Scarsdale, NY
​It was wonderful to hear Charlotte on the phone on Sunday, happy as ever. She just loves every day she spends at Encore/Coda. You really are running the most wonderful operation up there! 
—parent from London, ENGLAND
​Got reminiscing about my son’s teen years recently (Pete is now 27) and believe his summers at Encore/Coda were among the most formative experiences of his life. What he got from you folks was companionship (some of his fellow campers are still good friends), discipline, artistic appreciation, and sheer pleasure. That’s a tough combination to beat. Pete would join me in signing this letter, but he’s off visiting a tiny village in Panama where he earlier spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer (and where, I should add, he occasionally entertained kids in his village school by playing that Encore/Coda trombone).
—parent from Alfred, NY
Sarah had yet another great camp experience this year- thank you so much! She has loved her time at Encore/Coda and has grown tremendously, both as a musician and as a person. It is truly a special place!
—parents from Cambridge, MA
I will begin by saying that Sam had the best camp experience this summer… Josiah as Sam’s bunk counselor was definitely a highlight! We liked him immediately on drop-off day, and Sam has not stopped talking about his kindness, humor and talent... Sam also really enjoyed working with and learning from his violin teacher, Aaron. He felt challenged with the music he was given, enjoyed Aaron’s style of teaching and really took to heart his suggestions... Sam had the most phenomenal time being in Godspell!  Brandon, who not only gave Sam great attention and kindness in his voice lessons, was a truly inspiring leader for him. His incredible skill in taking 40+ kids and giving each one a moment to shine was not only impressive, but so appreciated by every parent in the audience. And that experience, more than any other, was the social highlight of the summer for Sam. The friendships he made during the play became the most memorable for him. I could go on and on about Sam’s other activities — rockets, dances, free time, etc. because uncommonly for him, he has talked about all of them with me — but I won’t. I will say that I am so grateful that we found this perfect place for him. Walking through the muggy Maine woods on performance day, hearing beautiful music coming from all corners of the camp, bumping into kids carrying instruments and chatting with friends, and being able to see Sam express himself with no fears being anything other than who he is, is what you have given to our family with Encore/Coda. We thank you and hope to see you again next year.
—parent from West Roxbury, MA
​Jacqueline really loved the camp experience this summer...being at Encore/Coda makes it great to be musical. Thanks so much!
—parent from Lincoln, MA
Molly had a terrific experience this summer at camp. She just loved it. When I asked her about content for this evaluation, she had a “thumbs up” all around. From Michael’s and my end, we also thought it was great. Parents’ Day was exceptional—it was a smorgasbord of music with many delicious offerings. Truly delightful!
 —parent from West Hartford, CT
We are now back in London and about to start the fall term and have had time to reflect on Isabella’s first camp experience at Encore Coda, and I wanted to write to thank you both for her absolutely wonderful summer of music making, friends, and fun. For Isabella, the sense of a musically-minded community set in such a relaxed and beautiful environment was a perfect fit... Personally, I would like to thank you as well and compliment you on your kind, nurturing, and fun staff…We all loved the format of the visiting day and hearing not only the talent and enthusiasm of the campers but the happy chatter and camaraderie of all the new friends made in a few short weeks. Wishing you the very best and hope to be seeing you again next summer.
—parent from London, ENGLAND
I was really impressed with Aaron’s music evaluation of Miriam… As a teacher, I’ve written and seen many evaluations — and know how rare it is to have one like that. It took a lot of time and thought — and is appreciated. I also appreciated, Jamie, your prompt and helpful responses to my emails. You show attention to all your campers and their families — thank you! Jonathan and I are so pleased with Miriam’s experience (and Eli’s last summer)… Have a great year.
—parent from Farmington, ME
As the summer winds down, I’ve been thinking of you, and Encore/Coda… I’m writing to tell you of the long reach camp has had in Will’s life... Will spent 5 summers with you at camp and loved every minute of it. I think his camp experience solidified his love of music, as it seems to for many of his friends. Maybe you knew that camp is a connection among students nationwide. I had no idea. It’s quite a network! Will is entering his senior year in high school and planning to apply to colleges for a BM in jazz percussion. Phil and I are very happy with the direction he’s chosen and the energy he puts into his playing, and thank you for all the musical experience and the network you have given him.
 —parent from Hingham, MA
Mei had a wonderful time at Encore/Coda and made many friends... She told us quite spontaneously at dinner when we visited that she would never, ever, give up the violin, even if we “gave her a million dollars”… She pushed her chair back from the table at diner, crossed her legs and tried to tell us how wonderful it was to be able to make music. She absolutely beamed… In grade school, she studied the piano, but she pushed for several years to play the violin… She played in the school orchestra, but never seemed really to enjoy it or to join in whole-heartedly... And then came Encore/Coda, where she learned to have fun with shared music and to meet other people that found joy in playing. That is to us the most important thing she came home with; an unbounded love of music and a sense that she was just beginning a lifetime of playing. What a gift! I cannot express how grateful we are.
—parent from Newton, MA
Sam had a wonderful, successful camp experience at Encore/Coda. Not only did he grow tremendously as a musician, he also gained wonderful social skills and connections as well as a pretty mean tennis serve! You and Ellen, and the staff have succeeded in making the camp a relaxed environment, but at the same time have a level of sophistication and high expectation in terms of music... He looks forward to returning to camp next summer and continuing to grow!
—parents from Sunapee, NH
Thank you so much for giving David such a wonderful experience at Camp Encore/Coda. He really enjoyed all his teachers, counselors, and fellow students so much. He was impressed, as was I, with the high level of teaching and learning that accompanied the camp fun. Parents’ Day was wonderful and I saw many performances… I was surprised and delighted to get a personal evaluation back from his cello teacher — so helpful… We look forward to returning to Camp Encore/Coda next year.
—parent from Georgetown, MA
Thanks again for everything. Sam has emerged from camp happier and more skilled in so many ways. Thrilled with what you are doing for him and his music.
—parent from Washington, DC
Where to begin? Catherine had a wonderful camp experience at Encore/Coda this summer. The time flew by, she said, and she was not quite ready to leave her new friends...I was impressed with the camp facilities: the cabins looked comfortable, clean, and in good repair; the waterfront looked inviting; and the spaces for ensemble work excellent… Catherine had nothing but glowing comments about the CIT’s and counselors. As soon as I met Grace and Rosie in her own cabin, I felt assured that I was leaving her in good hands, and the feedback I received from Catherine confirmed my first impressions. Catherine had nothing but positive things to say about the other campers... Catherine enjoyed the teacher and camper performances throughout her three weeks, and especially liked the special guest performer. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the performances throughout Parents’ Day... Thanks for a great camp experience. You have put together a balanced, fun program that I would wholeheartedly recommend.
—parent from Palmetto Bay, FL
I would like to extend our sincerest gratitude for the wonderful experience Elana had again at Encore/Coda. Elana returns home with great tales of friendship and musical opportunities that carry her well into the school year. We were so sorry that we were not able to attend her Parents’ Day performances, but the staff seemed to handle it with grace…Thanks to everyone there for making Elana’s summer a memorable one! She misses everyone already!
—parent from Annandale, VA
I just wanted to thank you both for the opportunity to be part of camp this summer. It was truly a rewarding experience and one that I will never forget. I really enjoyed every day and it was an honor to be part of such a talented group of faculty members. 
 —staff member from Miami Beach, FL
I wanted to thank you for such a great camp experience. My son, Sam, had an amazing time… Sam made some wonderful friendships and was inspired by the atmosphere in which he was surrounded… My only regret is that we didn’t attend Encore/Coda years earlier. Thank you again for such a wonderful camp.
—parent from Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
We want to thank you for the absolutely fantastic time David had at Camp Encore/Coda!!! You and Ellen have created such a rich, fun experience for our kids. We really appreciate your great communication skills and thoughtful organization of — everything! David rose to the occasion and loved his teachers and counselors. The musical was a real highlight!
—parents from Newton, MA
Thank you again for an awesome summer for Abby at camp. She had a wonderful time and is completely re-energized around her flute for the upcoming year. It is wonderful to see her so enthusiastic!
—parent from Concord, MA
Thanks for sending along the detailed and helpful feedback for my daughter Julia — yet another extraordinary feature of your extraordinary program. Julia had a spectacular experience during her first summer at Encore/Coda. She loved every bit of it — orchestras and ensembles and goofy times with her bunkmates, the whole thing.  We were blown away on Parents’ Day — it was terrific to hear such a range of music, with such quality, played with such joy. We particularly appreciated the supportive environment. It was wonderful to hear our classical music focused daughter play jazz. She’s been a bit intimidated by it before camp, and is now totally empowered to join the jazz ensemble when she starts high school this year. It was also phenomenal that she had the chance to perform the Concertino she’s been working on all year — again, an enormously empowering experience for a budding musician. Great program; can’t say enough good things! Julia will definitely be back next summer. Thanks so much.
—parents from Newton, MA
We are still digesting this wonderful experience. My own reaction is one of profound gratitude for this camp that you’ve created and for the opportunity that you’ve given Steven to meet people musically inclined like him... I expect that the afterglow of this experience will continue to guide Stevie for a long time — perhaps forever, since this is the first time that he’d spent such a long time away from his family in an environment where he felt completely enriched and at ease. Stevie is very proud of the busy schedule that you set up for him...He agrees this was the best experience he could have had... The most important thing, though, is that he now understands that everyone in the world is special, but most people try very hard to be like everyone else. Encore/Coda is full of people who cannot be ‘like everyone else’ even if they try hard. So knowing that it’s OK to be special will give him strength not to pretend to be ‘like everyone else’ anymore... Many, many thanks for giving us this opportunity!
—parent from Montreal, Canada
Rachel had a “phenomenal” time at camp (her adjective). She really enjoyed upper camp chorus. She said the director was absolutely excellent! And listening to them, she was definitely right! She also had a great time in jazz choir and her 2 bands. She felt very challenged in music theory. She said it was hard but she really learned a lot. What she really enjoyed was learning how to conduct and then being able to conduct the orchestra. She had a great time with the evening activities and the day trips to the lake. Her instructors for voice and oboe were really great and complimented her on her improvement and maturity since last year. It was nice to have the same teachers two years in a row for them to see her improvements and to push her forward… Rachel’s overall music experience was truly great. She made great friends again and really improved in voice and oboe. Thank you for providing such a great place for kids to flourish and advance in music.
—parent from Catskill, NY
Camp Encore/Coda is very special to me. Thank you all for supporting my music passion. I look forward to coming back next summer. Camp was so much fun. 
—camper from Waitsfield, VT
​Thank you so much for having me at camp this session… I learned a lot about myself and how special camp has become for me. I feel so lucky to have such great friendships and to be able to teach kids who really are excited to learn about music. Thanks again for the opportunity… It was an incredible session. So many great memories.
—staff member from Boston, MA
The following is a quote from Clara’s first letter home to us… ”What I do love about this camp is that music is like air here. It’s everywhere”… Thank you again and again for helping Clara have this amazing and wonderful experience at your special and wonderful camp.
—parent from Weston, MA

As I mentioned to you when I visited the camp… those summers changed my life… turned me into a lover of the piano... After that first summer, my folks had to tell me…"Time to stop Bob, you’ve been playing now for 4 hours, time to go to bed."  And the piano has been a lifelong love ever since. Thanks, Jamie for what you do and the lives you change… Long live Encore/Coda.
—camper alum from Washington, DC
So I’m writing a term paper for history on Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and how it was received, and in my research I found that Holst was inspired by Stravinsky and his mentor, Rimsky-Korsakov, when he wrote “The Planets”. I was listening to Jupiter a minute ago, and I realized how much I loved playing this music at camp, especially in Wind Ensemble. I had to email you just to tell you that if it wasn’t for Camp Encore/Coda, I would never have thought that music would become such a key part in my life, and I would never be writing a paper on such an interesting topic. I hope you have a great summer this year at camp, and play wonderful music... thanks again for making music such an important thing to me...
—camper alum from New York City
My two summers at Encore/Coda were unbelievable and I cherish so many memories I made there. Some of my best memories include spending time at the beach on trip days, performing at campfires on the waterfront, and emceeing a Pokemon-themed Rhino Night (what other camps have lip-syncing competitions?). I really appreciated the opportunity to attend Encore/Coda and appreciated all of your hard work to make the camp a phenomenal experience for all involved.
—camper alum from Bethesda, MD
I am really going to miss camp and the people that make it happen. It has been an incredible six summers and I will never forget the things I have learned or the friends that I have made...
—staff alum from Fryeburg, ME
I did want to take this time to thank you for last summer. Isabella had the best year so far and has made some great friends! She keeps in contact with her bunkmates and talks about camp so much that her younger sister is begging to go! Thank you so much for everything you and Ellen do and provide.
—parent from Braintree, MA
I just saw your e-mail blast about the camp come up on our family e-mail account and thought I’d update you on Kyla... We remember her summers at Encore/Coda as some of the best experiences of her life. To this day, she talks about some of the counselors and teachers who celebrated and nurtured her and her love of music…Kyla never wanted to be a “professional” musician, but has always said that she wants music to be a major part of her life. Encore/Coda set high standards for its campers and faculty and also encouraged music for music’s sake… I will always know Encore/Coda as a place that cares about Kyla, and I wanted to thank you for it.
—parent from Hastings-On-Hudson, NY
I wanted to tell you how much four years of going to your camp have meant to me. Although I am unable to return this year, Encore/Coda remains part of who I am, as a musician, and also as a person. I cannot express the amount to which camp has helped me mature and grow in ways that I would be unable to at home or with my family. It is so hard to find places where the people are so like yourself, however, I have always felt right at home at camp each summer because everyone is just as into music as I am; everyone is always there for the same reasons...I wanted to thank you for the opportunities camp has provided me and the experiences that will stay with me forever.
—camper alum from Boxborough, MA
Thank you for making Encore/Coda such a terrific place for musical kids to enjoy camp life. 
—parent from West Nyack, NY
Thank you again for providing my children with memories that will last a lifetime...
—parent from Chappaqua, NY
I hope you are doing well...I wanted to tell you how excited Sarah was to find out she had been accepted as a CIT. She has been talking about this from the minute she left camp and she was about as happy as I’ve ever seen her to hear the news. I know that for the rest of her life Sarah will look back on her time at Encore/Coda as a wonderful and unique experience, and I am grateful for what you have built there and the impact it is making on our children.
—parent from Nashville, TN
Let me just say again how wonderful this past summer was at camp. Encore/Coda has, through the years, been a place where I could express my love of music and at the same time form some of the most meaningful and enduring friendships I’ve had. Without camp, I don’t think I would have been able to fully understand the communal power of music, and how so many exciting friendships, collaborations, and successes can come from it. This past summer was especially great, because I really enjoyed the increased leadership role of being a CIT, and the music last year was the best of my years at camp. 
—camper alum from New York City
​I hope this finds you and Ellen well… Tyler had another great experience at camp. He loves his counselors and the staff, whom he describes as “talented and nice.” He especially loved his private lesson violin teacher, Rhea, and learned a lot from her. Although she worked him hard, Rhea was very positive and encouraging, and Tyler responded well to that. When he returned from camp, Tyler’s home teacher and I were both impressed by the progress he had made and the greater maturity of his playing. I also thought that Rhea’s written evaluation was very helpful in summarizing for his home teacher the work that she had done with Tyler… Outside of music, Tyler got along well with his cabinmates… had a great time at the evening activities, and enjoyed the relaxing trips to Sebago Lake and Range Pond. Thanks for all you do to create such a wonderful music and summer camp experience for the kids. We hope Tyler will be able to return next summer.
—parent from Hamden, CT
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