by Pam Mesite
My first HORNCAMPS! experience was during the summer of 2015. My friend Phil Hooks suggested I consider attending because Michelle Stebleton was on faculty and I had first met her when she presented a masterclass to Phil's studio and again when we attended Penn State Horn Day.
Days are filled with warm-ups, group lessons, ensemble coaching, group rehearsal, and performances. The schedule keeps you busy, but there is still time to get to know other horn players during breaks and meals. In addition to performing at various venues, field trips provide a break from playing and a chance to get to know fellow participants and faculty in a less structured setting.
Performance venues vary from year to year, but both summers I attended, the group performed at the Daytona Tortugas baseball game (though the game was rained out in 2016 after we had arrived and we didn't get a chance to perform the National Anthem) and the Ponce De Leon Island Inlet Lighthouse.
The faculty is a balanced mix of backgrounds and experience, and the atmosphere is collegial and supportive. Everyone is encouraged to improve within the context of their current abilities. I especially like the mix of ages and experience, and campers each learn from one another, as well as from instructors. The faculty strives to make each year better and incorporates suggested improvements.
The AMTRAK Auto Train northern terminus is in Lorton, Virginia, about fifteen minutes from my house and the southern terminus in Sanford, Florida is about forty-five minutes from Daytona Beach. We took advantage of the convenient locations to pack our car with everything we needed for the week and drive our own vehicle in Florida without the long drive to and from Florida.
