Music at Port Milford

Summer camp mentors young musicians

Since 1987, young musicians have been coming to a summer camp in Port Milford to hone their skills under the guidance of an international team of professional musicians. The camp was started by Meg Hill and her mother, Doris Goldman, to provide individual and group instruction in classical chamber music to violin, viola, cello and bass players from ages 12 to 18, with all students taking part in choral music as well. Over the past two years, training in piano and wind instruments have been added. The camp comprises two two-week sessions, and students can stay for the full month if they wish. The students live in cabins on site, and give a public performance each week. This year, the visiting faculty comprises musicians from four professional ensembles, and they, too, give a public performance each week.

Olivia Bond waits with other members in the cello section for direction from the conductor during an orchestral piece at St. Mary Magdalene church on Sunday afternoon.

A typical day for the students begins with instruction in orchestra and chamber music in the morning, with the afternoon as recreation and practice time. With the camp being on the waterfront, swimming in the lake is the primary recreation activity. The evenings are devoted to choral music. Grace Perry-Horvath, now 14, has been playing the cello since age four and this is her second year at the camp. “It’s very inspiring to be around all these other wonderful musicians, and to remind you that there’s career paths with music and to give you hope for it,” she says.

“I like how the music is very high level, but it is not competitive, and you can make a lot of friends.” She has noticed an improvement in her ability after attending the camp. “My group skill level has definitely improved, and it also helps me with general musicianship skills.”

One of the instructors in the first session was Curtis Stewart. He is a member of the group PUBLIQuartet, and has been recently appointed to manage the Chamber Music Department at the Juilliard School. “The [camp] students are kind of magical, in a way,” he says. “They put all this music together in less than a week. They are so receptive to musicmaking, not just technically becoming better and better, but really finding special moments in the music.” He realizes that the students who come to the camp already have a high level of musical ability. “For me, it’s giving them encouragement for what they have, and then talk about the music and what it needs, and they automatically tap into that. Because it’s not about them, it’s about making this music.”

On Sunday, the first group of students ended their session with a public performance at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The students performed as a choral ensemble, and then in small groups before finishing with two orchestral pieces with everyone playing. For almost three hours, the students played an impressive selection of music that included classics by Beethoven, Haydn and Brahms, as well as the atonal-sounding Entr’acte by Caroline Shaw, and a melodic vocal arrangement of George Harrison’s Here Comes the Sun. For pianist Callum McDonald, the camp provided a rare opportunity for him to play music as part of a group. “The piano is a pretty lonely instrument,” he says. “This is a totally different experience. You’ve got to think ‘what is the clarinet doing?’ or ‘what is the violin doing?’ and that impacts on the way you play.” He, too, has seen an improvement in his musicianship. “I’m able to see music and to learn it very quickly. That’s what they demand at the camp.”

Being at the camp has proved a definite bonus for New York resident Alexander Estrella. The teenager started playing the violin just three years ago, with no formal training before that. “I get to work with professional musicians every day and I get advice on how to get better, and I have free time to practise and really work on my playing,” he says. “I’m from New York, and I wouldn’t have a chance to come to Canada if it wasn’t for this camp. The faculty is very strong and they are very helpful. I’ve only been here for two weeks, but I can honestly say I’ve made friendships that could last a lifetime.”

The music camp continues until August 18, and several public performances are scheduled. For more information, please visit musicatportmilford.org.