With missions ranging from the arts to genetics and robotics, from competitive sports to comparative literature, summer camps these days may seem like nothing more than an extension of the regular school year. This year, as in many years, the offerings keep on expanding.##M:[more]##
Among the newest: The Science Institute at the Peddie School, a three-week residential science program open to students completing eighth or ninth grades (see listings of academic-oriented camps). Participants in the Peddie program can choose to concentrate on genetics or robotics and are introduced to experiential methods of discovery through laboratory work, lectures, and discussion groups. The camp will be limited to 30 participants in each discipline, and — yes — school transcript and science teach letter of recommendation will count.
Even sports camps have a competitive edge to them. Bill Bethea’s Power Pitching and Hitting Camp includes a special program for Babe Ruth age players (see story). Jim Cuthbert’s Diamond Player Development indoor baseball facility plans to offer road trips so that players can increase their competitive exposure (see story).
But through it all, kids are still excited by the change of pace and (in some cases) the chance to get away from home and enjoy some moments of independence. Take Laura Kosar, 12, a seventh grade student at Community Middle School who this summer returns to Middle School Vocal Camp at Westminster College for her third consecutive year.
The camp, she says, gives her a chance to explore musical interests that aren’t possible even in the WW-P district. “At school I can’t be in the school choir because orchestra is my elective,” she says.
The week-long co-educational resident camp in Princeton begins on Sunday, June 25. The students stay in dorms and have most of their meals on campus. Daily voice lessons and choir rehearsal are under the direction of Patricia Thel and the program results in a staged production of “Hansel and Gretel,” directed by Lois Laverty.
Mornings include a full choir rehearsal, a theory class, and a vocal group class. Testing on the first day determines the level of beginner or advanced for the theory class, and the vocal range to determine voice parts and soloists.
The afternoon includes two electives including choices of art, drama, handbells, dance, or conducting. Soloists attend solo class in place of one elective.
“I usually choose drama and art,” Laura says, “I don’t do drama a lot but it’s something I have fun in.” She enjoys mask-making and theater games including “Party Host,” where the actors have to react to the music being played by the host.
Evenings include social time with everything from a walk around Princeton (with counselors), getting-to-know-you night, acting games, a talent show, or an evening at the Trenton Thunder stadium. (Last year camp members sang the Star Spangled Banner at a game).
Laura is the daughter of Tony and Diane Kosar, who met while studying music at Ohio State University. He moved here in 1984 to teach music theory, history, composition, and sight singing at Westminster. He received his bachelor degree from West Virginia University, his masters from Illinois University, and his doctorate from Ohio State.
Diane is a pre-school special education teacher at Millstone River School, where she works mostly with children with language delayed concerns. She received her bachelor in music degree from Ohio State and became certified for elementary education in special education in recent years.
“I discovered Kindermusik in the early 1990s and believe it’s a good way of using music as a tool for teachers,” she says. “Music helps children with delayed speech.”
“I saw music in young Tony (the oldest of the four) when he was only two,” she says. “He was always singing along to “The Wizard of Oz.” “The others asked, ‘when is it my turn?’”
Tony, 18, is a senior at High School North. He plays cello with the school orchestra, quints (drums) with the marching band, sings with “Out of the Blue” a cappella group, plays guitar in the jazz band, and is in the pit orchestra for the upcoming production of “Oklahoma!” He will be going to Prague with the school orchestra in the spring,
He has attended the conservatory’s composition camp and played in the pit orchestra for productions of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “Is There Life After High School?” He also plays cello as a member of the New Jersey State Orchestra.
“Tony relates writing to music and he feels like he has an ear for writing,” says his mother. College decisions are still pending.
Chris, 16, is a junior at North. He attended composition camp at Westminster for one year. Last year he attended jazz camp at Eastman Conservatory. At school he plays oboe in the school orchestra, bass drum in marching band, saxophone in the jazz band, and is also in the pit orchestra for Oklahoma! He will also be going on the school trip to Prague in the spring. In the Youth Orchestra of Central New Jersey he plays saxophone.
Nick, 15, a freshman at North, plays cello in orchestra and in the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey. He played football on the freshman team last fall and is also a standout math student (one of the WW-P students featured in the News’s coverage of math excellence in the district on June 29, 2004).
While the Kosars have encouraged their children’s musical interests they have not forced the issue. “As far as the summer goes,” says Diane Kosar, “we have left it up to the kids. Last summer we took one child to Rochester for a jazz camp at the Eastman School. We had no idea he was interested until we noticed him making a demonstration CD for his application.”
This year one of the Kosar boys is looking at a camp in Wisconsin. “We told him to apply and we’ll see what we can do,” says his mother, mindful of the cumulative expenses that can go with four kids in camps near and far. Another son, she says, “prefers not to go too far, for too long.”
Adds Kosar: “You have to listen to all their signals, not just what they say.”
Do the Kosars have any advice for parents and kids evaluating camps? The Kosars note whether or not a camp is an audition camp, and they review the activities scheduled during a typical day and whether they are age-appropriate. They also look at the list of instructors and note how many of them are also associated with the school or college hosting the camp.
Both the parents and Laura obviously like the Westminster camp. “She’d like to go for two weeks if she could,” says Diane. “But with four kids you can only do so much.”
Laura began studying piano in kindergarten and has studied piano with Cecilia Wang for seven years. She began studying violin in first grade with Philip Pugh. When she was in sixth grade Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey needed viola members and Laura began taking viola lessons, also from Pugh. “I like violin better but I enjoy viola too,” she says. During the summer she takes as many lessons as possible.
She plays violin in chamber orchestra and viola in Youth Orchestra Central Jersey and regional orchestra. Laura is a member of Gals Group, a girls chorus club at CMS. They perform at the school’s choir concerts and she sometimes accompanies on piano. Laura was also in the percussion ensemble club where she learned to play several instruments including the glockenspiel, and drums.
Drama is another thing that she doesn’t have time to study at CMS. “One day in school, we got to choose elective and I chose drama and really enjoyed it,” she says. Last year she played the part of a nun in “The Sound of Music.” “I didn’t do any acting in Sound of Music, I just sang.”
“I wish I could go to theater camp too but it interferes with family vacation,” she says. “My friend went there and she thought it was fun. This will be her second year.”
While Laura doesn’t know yet if she wants a career in music she does know that she plans to attend the vocal camp for her fourth and final year in 2007. Her favorite part of the Westminster camp: “It’s getting away from home,” says her mother. “Last year I tried to call her at night to see how it was going and she had her phone turned off. She really enjoys that independence.”
— Lynn Miller
Middle School Vocal Camp at Westminster Choir College, June 25 to July 1. Week-long residential camp for students entering sixth through ninth grades. $790. www.westminster.rider.edu. 609-924-7416.
