Bar Harbor Brass Week Information for Participants (6/15/10 Update)

 

What to wear and what to bring:

For the main concert performance Friday, we will wear all black: black pants/slacks, black shirt (no t-shirts, please), and black shoes and socks.  Ladies may choose to wear a black dress.  The college quintet that has been selected to play the children’s program will be notified regarding attire.  For other events during the week, casual dress is appropriate.  For Saturday’s outdoor concert, we will wear blue jeans w/Bar Harbor Brass Week t-shirts.  Please avoid shorts and sandals for the faculty recital.  Please bring warm clothing with you, as it can get very chilly, especially in the evenings.  You may also want to bring rain gear, hiking boots, alarm clock, camera, etc.  Of course, don’t forget your instrument and any music you need. 

Every student is required to bring a folding music stand.  We will have enough stands for Brass Choir rehearsals and concerts, but you will need your folding stand for your private lesson, chamber rehearsals, etc.

T-Shirts:  You will receive a Bar Harbor Brass Week t-shirt at registration. 

Dorm Residents please note!!!!  You will need to bring linens for your stay at the dorm.  The college will provide a pillow and blanket; you will need sheets, a pillowcase, and your bath towel/wash cloth, etc…  Please do not overlook this detail!

About the dorm:  The College of the Atlantic is a small college and we are somewhat limited in space.  College students staying on the campus will be housed in the Seafox dormitory, which is a very large old historic house.  The rooms are large and most if not all students will have roommates.  Every individual will have a key to lock your door.  The rooms are simple and do not have individual phones or television, but phones are located in the hallways and there is a large common area.  There is also a large kitchen area that you are welcome to use.  High school students staying on campus will stay in Blair/Tyson, a more modern dorm with smaller rooms—doubles and singles.  Most students will have one roommate.  There is a common area/kitchen.  There will be two chaperones for the 11 non-commuting high school students who will be staying in the dorm.

Directions to Bar Harbor:

By auto: The College of the Atlantic is located at 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1105.  Take I95 North to Bangor, ME and take exit 45, I395 East.  On I395, take exit 6 to US-1 South.  In Ellsworth, stay straight and follow SR-3 to Bar Harbor.  The College of the Atlantic will be on your left (bay-side of Route 3) as you come close to downtown Bar Harbor, one-quarter mile beyond the Bay Ferry terminal.  Make a left at the College of the Atlantic South Entrance (watch for Brass Week yard signs). Turn left and drive through parking lot to dorm on your right. This is Blair/Tyson dorm (it is a two-story, cedar shingle building).  Park and walk over to the dorm—we’ll be there.

By plane: Regularly scheduled flights are available to Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, also called the Hancock County Airport, airline code BHB.  It is about 12 miles from the College of the Atlantic.  The airport in Bangor (BGR) is often cheaper.  If you are flying, please let us know your flight information as soon as possible, if you have not already done so.  We will schedule car pools to pick up students from the airport. If you prefer to make arrangements on your own, taxi service and rental cars are available at both airports.  There are also shuttle services, such as http://www.barharborshuttle.com/.  To find cheaper flights, it has not been uncommon for participants in the past to fly to Boston, and take a Greyhound or Concord Trailways bus to Bangor or Bar Harbor.

A note on travel to Bar Harbor:  The New England area is full of travelers and tourists at the time of our camp, so please look into your travel arrangements as soon as possible.  If you plan to drive and stop at a hotel on the way, try to make reservations before you leave.

Visiting Relatives: If you have parents, relatives, or friends who would like to visit during the week, they must make their own accommodations in the area.  Be advised that Bar Harbor is a very popular destination this time of year, so make reservations as early as possible.  Relatives are welcome to attend events during the week or eat in the COA cafeteria (there is an ala carte fee per meal).

Registration and Arrival Time:

College Students:  Registration is at Blair/Tyson—look for signs—from 5:00-7:00PM on Sunday, June 20. Placement auditions will follow, starting at 7:00. You will be asked your co-op job preference and if you would like to order a lobster dinner one night in the dining hall. 

High School Students:  Registration will be Sunday, June 20 from 5:00-7:00PM.  You may register at 8:30 AM on Monday if you prefer.  Placement auditions are from 9:00-11:00AM on Monday, June 21.  You will be assigned a time for your audition.  11:00 AM is your first group obligation, so be sure you have your equipment, music and stand with you for the day when you arrive for your placement audition.  Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.  If you are staying in the dorm, you will be able to sign up for the lobster dinner option, if interested.

Daily Schedule:

A final copy of the daily schedule will be in your registration packet along with the lesson schedule.  We will also post the schedules on our website soon.  College students will receive one hour-long lesson and high school students will receive one half-hour lesson.

Meal Information:

High School and College Dorm Residents:  Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be at the College of the Atlantic’s cafeteria beginning Monday morning and ending with Friday’s dinner.  Saturday, June 26, we will provide a continental breakfast in the dorm, and we will host a cookout/closing party at the college following the 5:30pm concert.  Visiting family/friends are welcome to attend.  You will, therefore, need to go to town for dinner on Sunday, 6-20, and lunch on Saturday, 6-26. An optional lobster dinner will be offered one evening during the week at market price—you will be able to order this during registration if you wish (likely $12-15).

Commuting High School Participants:  Lunch at the College of the Atlantic’s cafeteria Monday through Friday is included in the cost of the camp.  All other meals are the responsibility of each student.  There is no lunch on Saturday; you will have the time free until our concert at 5:30.  On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday when there are performances in the evening, high school participants may stay on campus and purchase dinner in the cafeteria (approximate cost is $10) or eat supper in Bar Harbor, then go to St. Saviour’s for the Tuesday or Friday performance, or stay on campus for the in-house recital on Thursday. We will host a cookout/closing party at the college following Saturday night’s concert--family welcome to attend!

Music to Prepare: 

1. Please bring etudes, solos, and excerpts that you are working on and be prepared to play them in private lessons and in group sessions for faculty coaching.  These sessions (such as “Trumpet Class”) are the time for you to get individual attention beyond the time you get in your lesson, and an opportunity to get different faculty input.
2. High School participants will be expected to play about five minutes of a solo or etude and excerpts from the music that will be sent to you for the placement audition on Monday morning.  Mutes are not needed for the audition.  Please bring the music with you to Brass Week.

Instruments and Mutes Needed for College Participants:

Trumpets: There will be parts for Piccolo, Eb, D, C and Bb trumpets. Please bring all the instruments you have. You'll need straight, cup and Harmon mutes. If convenient, please bring a flugelhorn. We will use it a little bit.

Horns: Bring a mute.

Trombones: Bring straight and Harmon mutes.   There will be several Euphonium parts and will ask you about your valve experience at the placement audition. (Matt Vaughn will provide a Euphonium)

Tubas: CC tuba required. F tuba optional. If convenient, please bring a mute. We will use it a little bit.

*** Harmon Mutes are important for trumpets and trombones.

High School Participants:  Mute info will be sent later this week with your music.

Transportation around the island:

The Island Explorer, a free shuttle bus, takes visitors virtually everywhere on Mount Desert Island.  More information is available at http://www.exploreacadia.com/.  Other island information is available from http://barharbor.org.

College of the Atlantic information:

Laundry Facilities, coin operated, are available in the dorm.  There are also two Laundromats in Bar Harbor.  If you anticipate doing laundry at COA, you must bring your own soap and quarters with you as COA does not have change or soap machines on campus.

More information about the College of the Atlantic campus can be found on their website:  http://www.coa.edu.

Highlights you might want to check out while on campus include:
Ethel Blum Art Gallery: Provides excellent space for display of artwork by students, faculty, and visiting artists.
George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History: Showcases student work that explores Maine's natural heritage.
Pier: COA's 120 foot pier provides access to the water during the summer for guests.
Pebble Beach: A popular spot by the pier, participants can use COA's pebble beach for relaxing and wading.
Blair Dining Hall: Meals are served in the Blair dining hall.  The kitchen's food was ranked number 1 in the 2000 edition of the Princeton Review's The Best 331 Colleges.

Telephone/Mail/Email:

The office for the Brass Week will be in the common room of Blair/Tyson dorm.  Contact numbers for the program directors are listed below.  Friends and relatives who need to contact you may also leave a message with the COA receptionist (207-288-5015) during college business hours (8:30-4:00) Monday through Friday.  After hours, the emergency number is 207-288-9001; this number is for emergencies only!  You can make calls with calling cards from any phone.  Friends and relatives writing to you should address mail to you c/o Bar Harbor Brass Week, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1105.  There are two computer terminals on the campus linked to the internet, see one of the directors for more information.  The school does have a wifi network, but it is not available to summer students.

Miscellaneous Information:

Pets are not permitted on the COA campus.  Smoking is prohibited by law in all campus buildings including dorms, classrooms, meeting rooms, etc.  Smoking on campus is permitted in outside designated areas only. 

I would like to encourage you to check out the promotional 8 minute video available on our website for background information about this camp.