My Mom attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan in 1953, and she always hoped that one of her children would attend when they were old enough to do so. Twenty-six years after that special summer for young Rosemary Arnold of Phoenix, Arizona, I auditioned for, and got accepted to, this unforgettable 8-week experience as well!
My Mom went there to study art and play the French horn. Here she is, on the right, posing with a couple of her NMC friends:
I went there in 1979 to play the tuba and study classical guitar, having just finished my senior year at South Torrance High School (CA).
The audition process involved recording, on reel-to-reel tape, a tuba solo that showed that I could hang with the high level of musicians at the camp, and I chose to go with Persiflage by Paul Koepke. Here's what I received back in the mail a number of weeks after sending my recording and application to Interlochen:
One minor concern was arranging for an instrument to use for the summer. Interlochen had some tubas available, but my band director, George Andrews, kindly allowed me to travel with the horn I had used for the previous four years in high school. It was an F. E. Olds 4-valve BBb tuba that played beautifully. I do miss that horn!
So, in late June, I packed up my tuba, stuffing the bell and the rest of its box-like case with my clothes, toiletries, and music, and headed to Interlochen. I flew from nearby LAX to Chicago, and then took a short flight up to Traverse City, Michigan, where a bus was waiting to take all of us eager campers to our final destination, about 20 minutes away.
Our first stop was the High School Boys' Division (HSB), which is where I was to live for the next 8 weeks. It was located just off of the western bank of Lake Wahbekaness, more commonly known as Duck Lake:
I was assigned to Cabin 17, led by our camp counselor, Dave Haaland, and shared with the following young men:
- Rob Baldridge
- Jim Beyer
- Jim Bish
- Bill Brian
- Lee Honsa
- Clemont LeGauy
- Mark Mattrie
- Rona Mitri
- Dave Mrusak
- Jeff Ruch
- Craig Smith
- Gavin Smith
- Ed Spencer
Here's what we were all packed into for the summer:
I kept an occasional journal, and in the entry for June 30, which would have been the first week or so, I wrote this:
Our cabin sure was rowdy last night! We played a nasty trick on Dave, our counselor, after taps. Jim Beyer put his little whistle under Dave's bunk so when he sat down, it went off! He was so mad, but it was soo funny! He made us sit out in the rain for about a half an hour!
That pretty well set the tone for the whole summer, as that wasn't the last time we got in trouble!
Back to our arrival at camp, after dropping off our stuff at HSB, we all dutifully made our way to the uniforms building, behind HU-5, to pick up our uniform for the summer - dark blue corduroy pants (knickers and long socks for the girls) and a light blue collared shirt. And to complete the ensemble, I purchased a bright red Interlochen sweater:
To get to that building, and the rest of main camp, required a bit of a walk from HSB. At some point along the summer, I took photos of the entire route, starting from the door of our cabin:
Passing by HSB headquarters:
Going past one of the stone practice room buildings, and the All-State Boys cabins:
Going down a beautiful, but long, path paralleling the boundary of the Interlochen State Park:
Crossing the main highway, 137, toward the northern edge of main camp:
Passing Corson Auditorium on the right, past the main road that fed all of the parking lots, and walking along the long classroom building connected by the Giddings Concourse:
Until finally arriving at the heart of the camp:
Needless to say, I got lots of exercise that summer. Along with this daily walk (multiple times a day, as our dining hall was in the Stone Student Center, at the end of the walk, down by Green Lake), there was a mandatory weekly time of "Forced Fun" in HSB, which involved sporting events or exercise of some kind. And each morning, upon the trumpet blowing reveille, all of HSB gathered on the tennis courts for morning announcements and calisthenics led by our HSB Director, and wannabe drill sergeant, Lee Cabutti.
On the basis of my audition tape, I had been placed as the 7th chair tuba (which might have been last chair, I don't remember) in the lower of the two bands - the High School Concert Band. But each week provided the opportunity to challenge the chairs above you, referred to as "Bloody Friday," by playing the harder passages of that week's repertoire, and having the whole section vote on who played it better.
In my journal, dated June 29, which was our first "Bloody Friday," I wrote the following:
Challenge day! I was really nervous and worried about the challenges. I practiced all day just about, and I moved from 7th chair Concert Band to 4th chair Symphonic Band, and boy was I excited!!!
I remained in the upper band for all but the last week of the summer, although never able to challenge up in that ensemble beyond second or third chair.
Here are all of the high school tuba and euphonium players, led by our instructor, Rex Connor (on the far right):
And here I am, playing my heart out in one of our weekly concerts:
There was a dedicated building for our section, known as the "Tuba Hut," directly behind the Interlochen Bowl, which is where I kept my tuba and guitar, and where I often practiced.
For some reason, there was little concern as to "graffiti" in many of the old camp buildings (and some of the writings on the walls went back years), so I added this to the inside of my locker in the Tuba Hut:
But other camp rules were rather strict - especially when it came to campers roaming about the heart of main camp, so practice permits were required:
At some point, my instructor, who was a delight to work with, gave me permission to use his small stone studio for practice in the evenings:
Along with the High School Symphonic Band, brass ensemble, and private lessons (on both tuba and classical guitar), I auditioned that first week to play tuba in the jazz band. But having never played jazz before, I didn't get that slot, which left a hole in my weekly schedule.
Someone on the camp staff who was there to help me think through what to do with my time made a pitch for me to consider joining the High School Choir, which would fill that part of my schedule perfectly. While I was ambivalent about the recommendation at first, I was reminded that there were many girls in the choir, and how that might add to the fun of the summer. They were right. Almost immediately after I joined the choir, I found myself enthralled with a young female vocalist, and a summer romance was born (my first true "girlfriend").
Here's the one photo of I have of that choir:
But that choir was also used over the summer to supplement larger vocal ensembles, and this included two amazing musical experiences - the first was singing in the final movement of Mahler's 2nd Symphony, performed by the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by Donald Johanos; the second was joining the Festival Choir toward the end of the summer in a magnificent performance of Haydn's oratorio,
The Creation, conducted by Margaret Hillis.
Band concerts were given weekly, which meant learning a whole new repertoire each week, usually under a guest conductor, which culminated in a concert in Kresge Auditorium each weekend. The standout memory for me came in early August. Here's the brief note I wrote in my journal:
August 5 - HSSB concert with Frederick Fennell conducting - WOW! What a great concert! It's probably the best our group has ever played. What a conductor!
And here's a photo from that amazing concert (and you can hear one of the pieces we performed here):
Other standout musical experiences included concerts that I
attended - and there were literally hundreds to choose from all summer. Favorites included Buddy Rich & His Big Band, Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra, and the Van Cliburn Benefit Concert, featuring pianist Alexander Toradze, and Van Cliburn himself! There was also Gilbert & Sullivan's
The Gondoliers, and Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night. Ah, such great memories!
Then, as the summer came to a close, I participated in a long-standing tradition where all of the main ensembles fill the Interlochen Bowl for one final concert that concludes with Liszt's Les Preludes. I don't have a photo of that special event, but here is a rehearsal of the combined orchestras in the Bowl:
And here is the 1979 map of main camp, showing all of the buildings in which I spent so much time that magical summer:
Here's the main plaza, looking toward the Campus Center, which housed the Melody Freeze and the Interlochen Store:
And here's the plaza looking the other way, toward the sloping roof of Kresge Auditorium:
And here's the interior of Kresge, looking toward the Stone Student Center:
As well as the Kresge stage, during a Sunday worship service:
And here's the view from inside the Interlochen Bowl:
A favorite hang-out spot, which I took advantage of for many lunches, was just outside the Stone Student Center, along Howard Hanson Walk, overlooking Green Lake:
And, finally, here is the main waterfront, which is just beyond the Tuba Hut, where I enjoyed sailing on Green Lake:
Other memories are starting to flood my mind, such as swimming and canoeing on Duck Lake, back at HSB, going on "Co-Recs," which were usually cookouts with a girls cabin, making a ton of great friends, and more. But this post is already too long (and I haven't even mentioned returning to be an HSB counselor for the summer of 1981, and to work at the Interlochen Arts Academy from 1984-86!).
But one final word: After experiencing that summer at Interlochen, I finally understood why my Mom had hoped that one of her kids would go there. There truly is something magical about that place, and it changed me as a young man, about to go to college. My self-confidence grew, my work ethic grew, my social skills grew, my independence grew, and my love for great music went through the roof!
A truly unforgettable summer!
