Summer Study FAQs
Q: Do international participants need to make special travel arrangements?
A:
The U.S. now has a program called Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) under which every person from a Visa Waiver Country must get pre-approval before flying to the U.S.
Q: What is the daily schedule?
A: You are responsible for creating your own schedule. Chamber music assignments and twice-weekly chamber music coaching times and locations are posted in the information room at our 12 Cleaveland Street office. Plan to check the information room at least once each day for updated postings, to pick up concert tickets, and to check for mail. You must also check postings or communicate directly with your instructors about lesson schedules, with your chamber group partners to schedule and carry out rehearsals, and for all masterclass information.
Q: How do I find out about my private lessons?
A: The information room in 12 Cleaveland Street has a bulletin board for each instructor. Some assign lesson times, others will ask you to sign up for an available time. You will be provided with a directory that lists local phone numbers for all Festival participants, including instructors, in case schedules need to be changed.
Q: How do I find out my chamber music assignment(s)?
A: Chamber music assignments are made at the beginning of each of our 3-week sessions; no assignments are made in advance. Placement auditions are held in the morning on the first Sunday of each session. You must audition; be prepared to play 2–5 minutes of a solo piece of your choice. On the following Tuesday, chamber group assignments are posted in the information room at 12 Cleaveland Street. During the first week of each session, chamber music coachings are on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. During all other weeks, coachings are on Monday and Thursday afternoons.
Q: How do I find out about the masterclasses scheduled each week?
A: Masterclasses are posted in the information room at 12 Cleaveland Street and are listed in the weekly newsletter, the Informer, which is distributed to all participants.
Q: How do I get to play in a masterclass?
A: You are encouraged to attend all masterclasses. Selection of players for each class is at the discretion of the instructor. To play in another instructor’s masterclass, ask your instructor to recommend you.
Q: When do get to I perform?
A: The Bowdoin International Music Festival provides many performance opportunities. Advanced participants are often selected to perform in our Monday, Wednesday, or Friday night concerts, or Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music concerts. Our Artists of Tomorrow concerts (more than 40 each year) feature participants performing in Bowdoin College's new state-of-the-art Studzinski Recital Hall, and our Bowdoin Festival Extra and Community concerts allow Festival participants to gain important performing experience in front of appreciative audiences at several other local venues. In order to be selected for these series, each chamber group or solo performer must be recommended by his or her instructor. Concert programs are decided on by a committee of staff and artist instructors. Based on the committee’s recommendation, each performer or group will be assigned a playing time in one of the concerts.
Q: Where will I live at Bowdoin?
A: You must be at least 13 years of age to live on campus. Participants between the ages of 13 and 20 live in college residence halls in double and triple occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms on each floor. All are on the meal plan. For this age group, halls are separated by gender and age. Participants aged 21 and over live in college apartments that are configured as double occupancy or quadruple occupancy and have their own kitchens and bathrooms. For them, the meal plan is optional. There are a limited number of residence hall style rooms for this age group that require being on the meal plan. All college residence halls and apartments are staffed with one full-time Head Resident and several Resident Assistants who provide social programming, enforce policies, handle building maintenance needs, and assist residents as needed.
Q: Where do I eat at Bowdoin?
A: All participants on the meal plan eat in Thorne Dining Hall. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served Monday through Saturday and brunch and dinner are served on Sunday. Participants who are not on the meal plan are welcome to eat in the dining hall, but they must pay the cash price for meals. For participants who are not on the meal plan, a grocery store and several restaurants and cafés are within walking distance of the campus. We also provide weekly trips to grocery stores and other shopping locations.
Q: Are there any non-musical activities at Bowdoin?
A: Yes! Cultural, social, and recreational opportunities make Bowdoin a particularly attractive setting for a summer program. The Festival organizes regular outings to nearby beaches, state parks, movies, and other special events. On campus, a sports complex with a 16-lane pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and other athletic facilities are available to participants. The on-campus museums are open throughout the summer, and the Hawthorne-Longfellow and Beckwith Music libraries are available for books, periodicals, scores, recordings, and reference materials. Additionally, the Residence Life staff provides fun activities on campus like tie-dying, soccer and softball games, movie nights, and ice cream socials.
Q: Where do I practice?
A: For individual practice, piano players and composers are assigned to practice rooms which they share with at least one other Festival participant. Double bass and harp players have specific practice studios that accommodate their large instruments. All other players are expected to practice in the rooms where they reside. For group rehearsals, chamber groups with piano meet in the pianist’s practice room, and those without piano should expect to meet in a players' residence. Groups that have more than four players may sign up for additional practice space through the office at 12 Cleaveland Street.
Q: I am trying to determine if this program is appropriate for my child. What can you tell me?
A: The Bowdoin International Music Festival is more similar to a college or university than to a typical summer camp. Participants are expected to develop and manage their own schedules. Artist Instructors and staff members, including a large residential life staff, are in place to help guide individual lessons, repertoire, masterclasses, chamber music, and non-musical activities. However, we do not have "camp counselors," therefore participants must be motivated, disciplined, and independent. Participants are expected to make full use of individual practice time in order to make significant progress while at Bowdoin. Successful participants will take full advantage of masterclasses and performance opportunities, and attend all concerts. Each participant's experience will reflect the energy, drive, and self-discipline s/he brings.
Q: What is the age range of participants?
A: Typically, about 40% are 21 or over; 30% are between the ages of 18 and 20; 20% are 16 or 17 and 10% or fewer are 15 or under. Participants must be 13 years old to live on campus; those under 13, if accepted, must live off campus with a parent or guardian.
Q: How many participants does the festival host each summer?
A: About 270. Each session consists of 185-190 participants.
Q: What type of oversight is provided on campus?
A: Participants between the ages of 13 and 17 are housed in the residence halls where strict curfews are enforced by the Residence Life staff. Each of these halls is staffed with one full-time Head Resident and several Resident Assistants who provide social programming, enforce policies, handle building maintenance needs, and help individuals as needed.
Q: What is the Bowdoin College campus like?
A: Bowdoin College has a beautiful, traditional college campus. Overall, the campus boasts more than 120 19th-21st century buildings on the approximately 215-acre property. The Festival inhabits about 10 of these buildings during our summer residency and has access to many others such as the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library, Studzinski Recital Hall, Thorne Dining Hall, and the athletic facilities. Bowdoin College Security staff are on duty 24/7 during the summer months and do frequent rounds on and around campus. To see a campus map and pictures, visit the Bowdoin College website.
Q: What is the town of Brunswick like?
A: Brunswick is a typical small New England town. Maine Street has several shops, cafés, restaurants, and banks, as well as a grocery store and a small movie theater—all within walking distance of the campus. It is a very safe place, however, we urge all participants to use caution when downtown or on campus. Bowdoin College Security is available to escort concerned students from one campus building to another after sunset. To learn more about the area, visit our local Chamber of Commerce.
Q: How do I contact my child while s/he is at the Festival?
A: Every residence hall room has a campus phone; the number is posted on the phone. There are public computers available throughout the campus that can be used to check email. Most rooms also have internet access. If there is an emergency or you are having trouble reaching your child, please call the Festival's main phone number (207) 373-1400 or Campus Security at (207) 725-3314.
