YOLA camp (mostly)

Hi - sorry it has been a minute. I thought summer would slow down, and I would have gobs of time on my hands to blog, bake, and practice. Of course, that never happens, so I’m not sure why I was so shocked when all of my time disappeared from under my feet. June was a fun but busy month. I had a dear friend visit from Minneapolis (hi Julie!), and we hiked and explored LA. At least right now, I’ll take any excuse to be a tourist in LA. There is still so much here that I haven’t explored, so any excuse I get to visit something new is welcome! One of the highlights of Julie’s visit was our trip to the Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades. I’ve been to the “real” Getty, but this one was a pure delight, nestled in the hills with a beautiful view of the ocean (if it had been clear, it was overcast when we went) and gardens that beg for a cup of tea.

My mom also came to visit, and we headed to the Huntington for Tea in the Rose Garden with one of her closest friends and her daughter (hi Cindy and Shay!) as a belated birthday celebration. Oh, how I wish tea in the garden was a thing people still did on a regular, casual basis. It is such an “event” in the USA, that one rarely indulges in such a simple delight. We sniffed almost every rose at the Huntington before heading to the desert/cactus garden. Southern California has definitely taught me an appreciation for cacti. They are fascinating and AMAZING and kind of sci-fi. I cannot wait to go back and take more photos, I was not expecting to love that part of the gardens so much! The Huntington is easily one of my favorite places to visit in the Los Angeles area.

After seeing my mom and acting all fancy at teatime, I almost immediately hopped on a bus to Idyllwild, where I spent two weeks living in a rustic cabin and teaching at the YOLA summer camp. I haven’t been to camp in a couple years and the last one I attended as a student was hosted on a college campus with dorm rooms, etc. At first, I was a little reluctant to appreciate the lack of frills, but I have to admit that the rustic living was much needed and I really enjoyed the time spent away from consistent cell phone service and the commotion of Los Angeles. Caroline and I did early morning yoga and meditation in the woods (with a view) several times, and a few short hikes around the campgrounds where we found a beautiful babbling brook and gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. Idyllwild is about 1 mile higher than sea level, and the altitude affected me the first week. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hydrated in my life! Although I didn’t spend very much time in the town of Idyllwild, I was pretty into the vibe of the town. It is “Mountain Weird” in the best sense. You can buy your sun charged crystals and locally made essential oils around the corner from the steampunk art fair that was taking place while we were there.

I also really enjoyed working with and collaborating with my fellow teaching artists. They are a fantastic group of musicians and people. I have never been to South or Central America (other than the touristy parts of Mexico), and now I really want to spend months there exploring some of the countries my colleagues are from: Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico. I learned so much about them, and life back home, that I really want to explore and experience it myself (or at least see some of what they talk about).

The student body was different during the two weeks. The first week was full of the more advanced, and older students, many of whom had just graduated and were getting ready to move on to college and do AMAZING things. I played in a string quartet with Diana, a senior who had just graduated and is headed to Harvard in the Fall. Some students earned full rides to the University of San Diego and USC (no phony sports scholarships necessary), and others are attending Peabody Conservatory in the Fall. Many of these graduating seniors have been in YOLA from the very beginning, and at the end of the week, it was emotional to say goodbye to them. Even though I am new to the program, I am so impressed with these young adults and what they have accomplished. The last night of camp, many of them stood up and gave speeches and shout outs about who and what had made an impact on them (either at camp or in YOLA in general) and it was moving to hear what they had to say and how much this program has shaped them and encouraged their success. Also, the talent show showcased some AMAZING student performances, including instrumental performances, rap, dance, and more. I am still so impressed.

The second week was very different, with an overall younger and less advanced student body. While the repertoire was “easier,” the difference between the beginning of the week and the end was incredible. In our group (I co-taught with Caroline, and Ryan), they barely spoke in the first rehearsal, and we were worried that they might not be able to manage the short movement that was assigned. We roped in a few guest conductors (Maestros Ian Richard, the program manager at Torres, and Juan Filippe) to work with them and provide more rigorous feedback. At the final concert, they played their initially assigned movement AND additional (even harder) movement, they stood when they played, they watched each other like a real team, moved together, and gave a very professional performance. I was so impressed with the dramatic change and development that took place over only 4 or 5 days.

As I sit and write this, we are just starting our summer programming at YOLA at Torres. I hope the students who did attend camp can help those who weren’t able to join us experience as much musical growth and satisfaction as the others did last month.

What did you do in June?