Mini Mountains & Strings! July  8 – 11, 2020

Every year parents ask if we hold music camps for younger children. For the last four summers we have experimented with our first ever Mini Mountains & Strings and it has ben a great success! The students and families who came had an enjoyable musical experience, so we plan to continue this program. Mini Mountains & Strings will be held July 8 - 11. Check-in will be held in the late afternoon on Wednesday and will conclude after the concert on Saturday.

We invite children up through 13 years of age who play a string instrument and would like to be instructed, inspired, and nurtured towards awesomeness to attend Mini Mountains & Strings.  Participants will be accompanied by at least one parent or legal guardian and can also bring their siblings to cheer them on and enjoy the park.  All those who attend, whether they are participants or family members, will stay three nights in the Harriman State Park Dormitory and enjoy meals in the adjacent dining hall.  The retreat will start Wednesday, late afternoon, and conclude Saturday after the afternoon performance.

During the retreat, these young students will participate in chamber groups, and a chamber orchestra.  They will also attend music classes and be involved in other musical activities.  In addition to the classes for these budding virtuosos, the parents will also have the opportunity to attend a workshop on the parental guidance of young musicians.  Students and their parents will also be able to observe string teachers and professionals rehearse and perform.

There will also be free time for families to experience the beautiful park together or go on excursions in or around Island Park or Yellowstone. Some family activities may include a hike, a bike ride, a horse ride, fly fishing, or a tour of the Railroad Ranch at Harriman. Individual families will be responsible to plan and execute their own fun during the retreat.  Families will receive detailed itineraries of the music related activities so they can easily plan their family activities.

Room and Board*:

$108.00 per person/bed -This is the total cost for three nights and nine meals.

Tuition for actual participants: (musicians 13 and under):

$325.00 for 1st participant in given family.

$300.00 for additional participants in the immediate family.

Admission:

Applicants should submit an application and a recording of two contrasting excerpts from their solo repertoire.  The recording can be a video or an audio-only recording, and can be submitted through email, Facebook, YouTube, or any type of digital platform.  Application materials should be submitted by May 15.  Because of the nature of the facilities, the very limited enrollment will be based on the ability of the applicants.  We hope to have as many dedicated and talented youngsters as we can accommodate, and we may limit the number of accompanying family members to accommodate more actual participants.

*All meals will be provided from Wednesday dinner through Saturday lunch in the Dining Hall located next to the dormitory. Most dormitory rooms include one set of bunk beds with mattresses only. Families with more than two can request multiple rooms adjacent to each other. You will need to bring your own bedding which could include sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag. There are also men's and women's bathrooms with toilets and shower stalls. Towels and toiletries will not be provided. The dorm does have outlets, and WIFI internet is available in the park for a fee although it is pretty much the worst WIFI ever.