Snow Pond Symphony 2016 Season
Snow Pond Center for the Arts and New England Music Camp presents Snow Pond Symphony, the 2016 season of events, the celebration of their 80th season and more!
Snow Pond Center for the Arts and New England Music Camp presents Snow Pond Symphony, the 2016 season of events, the celebration of their 80th season and more!
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Our 80th Summer at <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong><br />
Matthew Wiggin<br />
This summer New England Music<br />
Camp is celebrating its 80th summer<br />
along the shores of Lake Messalonskee.<br />
It is hard to believe what this place<br />
has become and how many lives have<br />
been changed by the magic found at<br />
<strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong>. While thinking about<br />
the number of musicians that have<br />
stepped onto the Bowl stage for a<br />
weekend concert, or performed in a<br />
recital at Alumni Hall, or jumped off the<br />
dock to cool off in the summer air, it is hard<br />
not to think about what my great-grandfather<br />
would think if he could see the place that <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong><br />
Center for the Arts has become today.<br />
When Paul Wiggin first started New England Music<br />
Camp in 1937, he was trying to open a summer music<br />
camp that was not only about cultivating young musician’s<br />
talents, but also giving students an outlet to grow socially.<br />
Today, if you walk onto the <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> campus on any<br />
given day, you will see students, young and old, that are<br />
still flourishing under my great-grandfather’s original<br />
mission. However, it is not just NEMC that is carrying<br />
out that same mission, there are now three summer<br />
programs: The <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> Music Festival, New England<br />
Music Camp, and the New England Adult Music Camp,<br />
as well as two additional year-round programs: The <strong>Snow</strong><br />
<strong>Pond</strong> Community Music School and the new <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong><br />
Arts Academy. Over the course of my life, I have watched<br />
this place grow to a place where now, artists of all ages are<br />
being exposed to the magic of<br />
<strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong>.<br />
The <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> Music<br />
Festival, now in its fourth<br />
summer, has become an<br />
unbelievable opportunity for<br />
college and graduate level<br />
musicians to cultivate their<br />
talents with some of the<br />
worlds’ top musical artists<br />
from around the world during<br />
the month of June. Under<br />
the direction of longtime<br />
NEMC Faculty Member, Artistic Director<br />
Gail Levinsky has helped SPMF blossom<br />
to include over one hundred students,<br />
spanning four distinct programs.<br />
Original SPMF programs, The<br />
Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone<br />
Institute and the Maine Chamber<br />
Music Seminar, are now joined by the<br />
<strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> Composers Workshop<br />
and the Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar.<br />
As one SPMF participant said, “Three<br />
months later, I am still in awe of the lifechanging<br />
experience I had at SPMF this last<br />
summer. Playing alongside such dedicated and talented<br />
professionals and students was absolutely incredible.” This<br />
summer, SPMF runs from June 5th to June 19th.<br />
New England Music Camp continues to be the<br />
centerpiece and crown jewel of <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>Pond</strong> Center for<br />
the Arts. Now in its 80th season, NEMC continues to<br />
offer opportunities for talented students ages 11-18, in<br />
orchestra, band, choir, jazz, voice, musical theater, piano,<br />
guitar, and chamber music. Mornings continue to be<br />
filled with rigorous music lessons, classes, workshops,<br />
and rehearsals, while the afternoon is spent enjoying the<br />
Maine outdoors with various recreational activities like<br />
sailing, swimming, basketball, tennis, and ultimate Frisbee.<br />
Students continue to be the focal point of our summer<br />
performances, having the opportunity to perform every<br />
weekend in our free concerts at the Bowl In The Pines,<br />
and also on weekly honor recitals at Alumni Hall. Summer<br />
Music Series events, The 37th Annual NEMC POPS<br />
Concert and Little Women,<br />
The Broadway Musical all<br />
feature NEMC students as<br />
well. I think one NEMC<br />
camper said it best: “Not<br />
only does does it give me the<br />
opportunity to develop my<br />
skills in music, but it allows<br />
me to do it surrounded by<br />
some of the best people I<br />
have ever met… It is my<br />
second home.”<br />
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