Download Going back to NMC is like coming home. I look forward to going

Going back to NMC is like coming home. I look forward to going back all year. The water, the night
sky, the environment, and most of all, the music coming from everywhere. There’s nothing like it.
I learned that you should always be listening; if you close yourself off for even a second, you miss
important things about your campers.
To me, NMC is a way of living—it’s a lifestyle that I have yet to find anywhere else. It is a love for
what you do, learning and teaching, constant interaction with all types of people, and growing. I can’t
even begin to explain how much NMC changed the person I used to be and how much it has shaped
the person I am today.
I wish I had started communication with staff before camp. I added many of them on FB but didn’t get a
chance to talk too much with them.
The time I spent at NMC truly changed my life. It wasn’t something I was expecting when I first
stepped on the grounds of Camp Wahanowin.
The fact that you can talk with anyone about anything really makes me feel at home.
Telling them (campers) that they are responsible and adult (SR) made them act more responsible and
adult. Allowing more freedom didn’t work because they took advantage. They needed the rules and
boundaries.
When I take the bus to and from rehearsals, I make an effort to have a conversation with whoever is
around me. They really liked talking to me about everything.
An important thing I finally began to learn last year was that students often learn best by example and
not by explanation and that talking too much can be a really bad thing. Often I would try to explain the
whole technique or motion in words before I actually showed the student what to do. By the end of camp
I was able to describe and teach more concisely and better balance explanation and example.
I handled mistakes by remembering that at the end of the day, camp is camp, being too serious and
too worried just makes things harder.
My strongest impression was the staff and now awesome they were to work with. I don’t think I’ve
worked anywhere else where I got along with every member of the staff.
I didn’t imagine the atmosphere to be so supportive. I’m used to competition all around me in
musical settings, and this was something different and special. We can grow the most as musicians
and people in a supportive environment like NMC.
NMC has been a part of my life for 11 years and I could not imagine a summer spent any other way. Last
summer was my first time on staff and it was an extraordinarily special experience. Not only did I make
tons of friends and meet amazing and interesting new people, but also in the short week I was there, I
became part of the NMC family. To be welcomed into something so special and amazing was an
extremely gratifying experience.
I’d like to work on taking more risks. There are so many opportunities for me to mature and improve
my skills in leadership, confidence and performance ability.
We played music in the morning for our campers to listen to while they got ready. It was great!
18
I learned that telling the kids how the mealtimes, bedtime routine, rehearsal schedules work before
we get to those times work more efficiently than giving them instructions during those activities.
Patience and caring worked well for me. When working in an ensemble, I found myself correcting
campers on the same problems over and over again. I never lost my cool over it, and several campers
gave me personal thank you’s for working with them.
Any time I felt unfair, I apologized. I wanted them to know that counsellors aren’t perfect and we
were closer as a cabin for it.
Loved the fact that the Faculty were always on site and always willing to help out or answer any
questions. I was blown away by how friendly they were and how much I can learn from them even just
by watching and listening to them.
Now officially being on the “adult” point of view, NMC has really taught me to always think about
what the kids are thinking and want sort of a lesson or experience. It can really change your
approach to them.
I am not a superhero and I need to pace myself. You were right, BossMom.
Asking, “Do you want to….” doesn’t work.
Switching up night activities from roses and thorns really hleped to keep things fresh. Things like
meditation, massage circles and bed time stories are great alternatives.
Up until last year I had never experience anything like NMC. When I pulled into the driveway of Camp
Wahanowin for the first time last year, I felt like I had never felt before—I was at home. Not only was
my two-week experience enriching musically, but also introspectively and spiritually I felt lifted and
awakened. It was on the shores of Lake Couchiching that I realized that my calling in life is music
education. I know that is quite a statement to make, but I feel as though I truly found myself through
my many experiences at camp.
I learned more in a week here than I’ve learned in 2 years of Mus. Ed. Courses
Kids can have such a great passion for learning if you encourage them and allow them to make
mistakes. I encouraged their mistakes and applauded their successes.
Instead of them getting too overwhelmed when they got into band, we had them concentrate on getting
every Bb or a couple of notes. This diverted their attention from what they’re not getting to getting
certain notes.
I’ve been working on handling mistakes ever since last year’s camp. I have a terrible habit of beating
myself up, so I’ve been trying to be think more positively.
Don’t get caught up in drama and gossip. It doesn’t work. I wind up feeling caught in the middle and
distracted from all the cool stuff going on. It’s a small camp, so things get around.
My favourite part of Orientation is getting to hear you (Sharon) talk. I love listening to you and
absorbing some of your enthusiastic spirit.
Setting a routine is crucial. Whether it’s cabin-related or practicing an instrument
I did something very exciting… I PLAYED VIOLA (from a violinist). It was so much fun! It was
mentally stimulating and really gave me a new perspective on teaching. It was terrifying! So scary to
look at the note and not know what it was until I heard it.
Kids are more complex than they seem, but the simplest thing can always help them out: LOVE!
19
I’ve come to realize that it’s the sense of community fostered by NMC that sets it apart from anything
else I’ve been a part of.
One cabin was being particularly rowdy. Some staff had already gone in there, being very stern with
them, but nothing seemed to work; everything seemed to excite them more and more. When I went in, all
dressed in dark clothes, I just stood silently, leaning on the door. The kids couldn't figure out if I was
inside the cabin or not so they suddenly also grew silent. After about 10 minutes of whispering 'do you
think he's still there?' most of them got bored and fell asleep. When it comes to OD, sometimes the most
relaxed methods are the most effective.
One of my favourite things about NMC is the lack of drama and arrogance that is often found in
‘professional’ music schools and conservatories.
I loved that staff gelled so well… I felt I could talk to anyone on staff even if I didn’t ‘know’ them.
The attitude of the staff, faculty, admin etc. I just returned from a place which was filled with
competitive, cut-throat and snobby people that totally sucked the fun out of music-making. Once I got
here I started remembering why I want to be a musician/music teacher. I can’t even describe how
amazing this was. This is such a safe place and I felt so secure about being myself and making
mistakes and I hope this never changes.
NMC has taught me not to shrink away from an opportunity, even if I am unsure or nervous, and that
there is a bigger picture beyond my own concerns. I jumped into the ‘teaching demonstration’ during
staff training and I was enlisted to play at Cabaret—two things I wasn’t sure I wanted to do because
they put me out there for criticism. I learned, though, that NMC is about learning and I did learn from
taking those two risks.
I found that by giving my campers space and more responsibilities for their actions they would
behave better and be more efficient.
Raising my voice REALLY didn’t work. The less I said, the more effective I was and when I realized that,
they listened.
I liked that we weren’t told everything and exactly how to do everything, because it helped us to go
learn what worked and didn’t work, and it gibes us each our own personality and style as teacher and
people.
Pre-camp was perfect for shedding any past “shells’ you may have or any overinflated senses of selfworth (even unconscious)
On the last day, we woke the kids up with our horns. That was the fastest they every got ready!
Having never been here (or to any other camp) I was anxious to find out what it would be like, what the
people would be like, etc. But I am very pleased to report that these fears were in vain, that the camp
was incredible.
Final words:
There is only so much you can learn on paper (staff handbook, fb, etc). The most
learning is done when you’re actually at camp, living, breathing and doing it.
20