The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

camp

A Summer Music Day Camp Unlike Any Other!

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Music in Chappaqua’s New York Rock Academy is a Sanctuary for Campers, an Uplifting Environment where Kids & Teens Experience Self-expression, Camaraderie and a Stimulating Music Education

Angie Angier is the founder and owner of the New York Rock Academy Performance Summer Camp and of the famed Music in Chappaqua.

Chappaqua, New York–The New York Rock Academy Performance Summer Camp is back for 2022! Established by musician, educator and longtime Chappaqua resident Angie Angier, the New York Rock Academy Performance Camp, under the auspices of the famed Music in Chappaqua, is about music community and togetherness. In the wake of these challenging times we are all experiencing, Ms. Angier explains, “Now more than ever, music becomes a great unifier, an ultimate healer, and an essential element that allows campers/students to reclaim their identities, connect with their peers, and share in the joy of self-expression.”

Our New York Rock Academy Performance Camp, Ms. Angier states, “allows each camper to develop their own voice as budding artists. Here we celebrate and have a great love of every individual. We care for them, and we value their individuality. It’s a nurturing music environment where students make great friendships. It’s truly a safe haven, and a mecca for young artists.” The Academy is an immersive rock ‘n roll day camp consisting of five independent week-long sessions for aspiring rock stars.


Sessions include:

– Beatles Week
– The Ultimate ‘70s Rock Camp
– Green Day Vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers
– The Amazing Music of the Big ‘80s
– The Ultimate Nirvana Grunge Rock Camp

The structure of the Academy, with its five week-long sessions geared to specific rock eras, represents the future of the summer program, Ms. Angier says. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” she says. “The musicians of these different decades gave us so much musical intelligence. We delve deeply into the riches they left us.

“This is really the vision for the Academy and the music school,” Ms. Angier adds. “I like the ‘deep dive’ idea into the decades of rock and roll. I think it’s a wonderful, unique approach – to cover five weeks of different periods of rock and roll.” She hopes ultimately to allow campers/students to take their expertise on the road and travel to different areas of the country, emulating the great rock musicians of decades gone by.

Music in Chappaqua provides instruction in a range of musical instruments for campers, and features a series of programs aimed at bringing out the inner musician in every child. Programs include:

• Private Lessons: Offering instruction in piano, voice, violin, guitar, bass, guitar, cello, double bass, flute, trumpet, drums, clarinet, voice and songwriting

• Rock Workshops: Ensemble play providing a practical, exciting way for students to participate in a real band in an actual band setting

• Indie Workshops: A terrific opportunity for young vocalists to find their own voice, sound and style

For more information about the Summer 2022 New York Rock Academy Performance Camp and all programs at Music in Chappaqua, Call Music in Chappaqua at 914.238.3123, contact the school via email at mail@musicinchappaqua.com, or log on to its Web site, www.musicinchappaqua.com. 

 

Inspiring Freshmen Create Camps for Middle Schoolers Stuck at Home

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By Krissh Bhargava

“I spent literally days and days and days and days playing Dungeons & Dragons, and that led me to a sense of strategy which was then, of course, very helpful when I later got to my entrepreneurial and business life.” Reid Hoffman, co-founder Linkedin. 

Chappaqua, NY— It was the podcast featuring Reid Hoffman that piqued my curiosity. As a normal middle schooler I had always thought that Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) was for nerds, and with society’s view on the game, who wouldn’t. But after listening to Reid Hoffman on the Masters of Scale podcast I realized how helpful D&D could actually be. 

That was in the end of seventh grade, fast forward two years, and now I play D&D for about 10 hours a week with a group of friends who I didn’t know when we first started. Reflecting back, I realize that I met  some of my closest friends and made some of my fondest memories playing a game that I once thought was lame. That realization led me into creating my very own D&D summer camp this year in collaboration with these very special people; Eli Brown and Owen Sibinga. 

We wanted to share our experiences with other middle schoolers and show them that this so-called game isn’t just a game. It has so many other unintended benefits, the most rewarding being building friendships.  When I first got interested in D&D I had no close friends. I had just moved from Long Island which was only an hour away, but I still felt in alien territory. Other kids had already established friend groups and I was the new kid trying to find somebody to hang out with. D&D played a pivotal role in changing that for me. It helped me find my tribe and really make close friendships that I cherish to this day. I really want to give this experience to other kids as well; to those who think they don’t fit in, and even those that just want to try something out of their comfort zone. Because as we know from Harry Potter, nothing builds friendships like defeating monsters. 

But as much as we wanted to do that we also wanted to do something more. Something meaningful. We didn’t just want to be entrepreneurs; we wanted our entrepreneurship to make a difference, however small. We wanted to fight for a cause that we believed in. 

That’s when we decided to donate 20% of all profits to the “Innocence Project.” The Innocence Project’s main goal is to exonerate those who were wrongfully imprisoned mainly using DNA testing that wasn’t available at the time of the crime, but without money to pay bail they can’t do that. That’s where the donors come in. When you donate, that money goes towards paying bail for someone who cannot afford it. That’s why we chose this cause. To see our contribution make such a difference in someone’s life is just astounding. 

We can’t wait to share our passions and introduce more people to the mystical world of D&D!

For more information you can reach out to krissh.bhargava@gmail.com. 

 

BREEZEMONT – at the Crossroads of Happy and Camper

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Owner and Director,
Gordon Josey

Summer time, and the living is easy. Actually, make that easy-breezy. Because, as Breezemont Owner and Director, Gordon Josey, tells it: “Great weather, great staff and great activities make for a perfect summer.”

And he should know. This will be Josey’s fourth summer at Breezemont, but he also owns, and for many years ran, a prestigious sleep-away camp. In fact, sleep-away camp was his introduction to this rather unique and, as Josey describes, mostly east coast American phenomenon.

Indeed, when Josey came to the U.S. from Scotland to work as a sleep-away camp counselor 20 years ago, he was immediately bitten by the camp bug, and has worked in the industry ever since. He shares that his work is a calling and a true labor of love.

Off-season he is busy hiring staff, running workshops, attending conferences, working on infrastructure and, of course, meeting with families and giving tours of Breezemont. It’s a fulltime, six-to-seven days-a-week job; but, as Josey is quick to point out, the long hours do not mean drudgery to him. Rather, he loves what he does, loves talking camp with people on and off the job (as an aside, he notes that he’s a popular dinner guest as people love hearing and sharing camp stories) and, finally, come summer with the hard work done, he enjoys the eas(ier) life alongside his staff and campers. “Come summer, I’m a glorified camp counselor-me and my four to five full time staff members,” says Josey with a laugh.

Turning serious for a moment, he goes on to point out that if he wanted to be tucked away in an office, he’d be doing something else. According to Josey, his being out and about is what helps make Breezemont a special place. He’s there greeting the campers as they come off the bus in the morning, and he’s there waving goodbye at the end of the day.

What else distinguishes Breezemont from other day camps? For starters, there’s the lake. Typical of many sleep-away camps but less common amongst day camps, the lake is a beautiful focal point as well as a place where campers can learn boating skills. Add the mature woods and lush fields, and Breezemont stands out for its natural beauty. The facilities are top-notch and regularly updated; when Josey took over, he also took the camp to the next level.

Says Josey, “As with any industry, we need to keep relevant. We’re always reinvesting, adding new activities, staying involved and accessible to make sure our campers have fun and our campers’ families are happy.” A typical week is far from typical. Kids have an abundance of regular activities to be sure, but also look forward to special events and dress up days at least twice each week. Extra hot weather brings extra swims, and campus sprinklers.

And rainy days do not mean screen-time; in fact, Breezemont is electronics-free, a place “where everyone disconnects.”  Josey believes camp is a place to “relax and have fun, to try new things, to take safe risks and even make mistakes.”

Remember cold cuts and bug juice? Today’s kids probably think that’s so much exaggeration. After all, their experience of camp food is a far cry from the old ‘my bologna has a first name’ daily standards some parents remember all too well. Breezemont has a full-time staff specialist hired to make sure every child’s food needs are met to exacting standards. “It’s important to embrace all the diet needs because that is the world we live in,” explains Josey. When allergies, intolerances, religious dietary laws or simple preferences are noted, options are made available. And the options are socially and emotionally friendly too; for example, if a given day’s snack is pizza, then gluten-free pizza is an alternative snack as well.

Children come to Breezemont from Westchester and nearby Connecticut communities; Josey suggests a 30-minute ride as something of a demarcation marker, “As a parent, why would you want your child on a bus for much longer?” The youngest campers are three to four years old; at this age, it’s a co-ed experience and the ratio of counselors to campers is considerable. As they age-up, the groups become single-sex and the staff to camper ratio decreases.

However, there are always general counselors with every group and specialist counselors at activities. The counselors are often former Breezemont (or other camp) campers and/or teachers who bring their own love and enthusiasm for camping and children to the job. Breezemont campers typically move on to sleep-away camps or specialty camps, and parents appreciate that their children are well-prepared for the transition from happy day camper to overall happy camper.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BREEZEMONT DAY CAMP

Wide Array of Summertime Activities at Harvey Cavalier Camp

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At Harvey Cavalier Camp, it’s possible to find the “Perfect Fit” for your child, from actor to athlete.

“A great program, ultimately, centers around the right fit for your kid. The camper has to connect [with the offerings] and be the right camper for the program.”

Sure, it’s the dead of winter, but Vinny Alexander, current director of Harvey Cavalier Camp in Katonah, is all smiles, as he looks forward to next summer, where he’s got several wheels in motion for the multi-faceted Katonah day camp to go “full steam ahead” and enter its 22nd year in business.

But for now, he throws his hands back and laughs while candidly discussing his views on why choosing the “right camp”–child’s success within the given program. “Picking a camp is almost like a lifelong commitment,” he continues. “Once you find the camp that you love, you’re more than likely to stay with it.”

And no one knows this fact to be more true than Alexander, having been an integral part of the camp in its development over 20 years ago, before taking over the reins full-time from its founder and longtime director Chris Del Campo in 2016. He recognizes firsthand how valuable dedicating one’s self to a camp–nay, a community–can be, and the extent to which it can impact both current campers and alums alike. Says Del Campo: “We have people who actually work for us who went to the camp…. people who’ve been with us for almost 20 years, and raised their own kids through the camp, and then stayed on as staff.”

He adds: “We don’t have much of a turnover in staff from year to year; it’s a real testament to what the camp offers,” speaking in terms of external and internal offerings. Del Campo, who founded the camp in 1996, and served as director through summer 2015, also heavily praises the professionalism of the instructors, all of whom are artists in their own right.

Teachers range from accomplished photographers and New York Times bestselling authors to visual artists whose work hangs in the Brooklyn Museum, and more. With all this to choose from, it’s really not hard to see why people return.

“There’s just so much variety…. so many different things to do,” echoes Del Campo, on the subject, “and that appeals to parents, especially if they want to nudge their kids toward trying something new. Kids can feel free to explore this and explore that–without the threat of report cards, tests or grades–and it really adds to the experience.”

“It opens them up and awakens them to things they may not be aware of,” adds Alexander, on the subject of exploration, adding that his son, through his prior connection to the camp via Alexander, is now going to school for art. “Me too,” Del Campo pipes in. “[The experience here] inspired my daughter to major in theatre.”

“It allows the child to really dig into what they love, and seek out activities they may not get to try out during the school year,” Alexander continues. To that end, he says, “what makes our camp unique, too, is the fact that campers create their own schedule. They pick from a list of activities and they choose what they’re passionate about. So, in terms of finding your perfect fit,” he adds, calling back to the earlier question posed to him, “I can’t think of a camp that does that better… in that [here] you pick a program that fits you personally. What more could you want?”

“Our philosophy is simple,” reiterates Del Campo, describing the feeling of watching prospective campers’ eyes “brighten up” as he explains to them the dynamics of the program. “You tell us what you want to do, and we just tell you where and when you’re going to do it.”

And the Harvey campers certainly have an array of eclectic activities to choose from. Primarily based in the arts, the camp offers workshops in the visual fields ranging from painting, printmaking, cartooning, and graphic design to doll-making, mask-making, pottery, puppetry, and woodworking. Performing arts offerings include workshops in acting, playwriting, and stage makeup, to name a few. But there are also offerings for the budding scientist, the tech whiz, and the sports fan, so you’re sure to be satisfied no matter what your child’s interests are.

What’s more? It’s all laid out within a vast 125-acre campus, complete with an arts center and newly built 20,000-square foot athletic facility, to carry out some of the aforementioned activities, in addition to full access to all the academic classrooms, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, and (yes, you’re reading right!) even an indoor ice rink!! “That element is what makes us probably the most unique day camp in Northern Westchester,” Del Campo proudly states. (Adds Alexander, with a laugh: “Where else can you swim in the morning and skate in the afternoon?!”)

They also point out the many hands-on projects, with Del Campo deeming it “the ultimate maker-space.” “Everything is learning through doing,” Alexander explains. “Kids try it until they get it.” In that sense, he asserts, “the works of art that come out of here at the end of the summer–be they productions or craft projects or songs that are written…. they’re all a real celebration of the power of the individual.”

But whatever your motivation to enroll, the two maintain the “best fit” argument is the most important of all. “I think it’s important for the kids to take away a sense of self, and the sense of self-expression,” Alexander says, of his goal for the campers that filter through year after year.

“We aim as a camp to develop the individual, and our mission is clear: we want the individual to succeed. [Therefore,] I hope they leave here at the end of the summer having developed their voice in one way or another.”

Again, there’s no doubt the Harvey Camp provides them with the tools to do just that, and Alexander is the first to agree the staff members do it all. “If you asked any family connected to the camp, they’d say it’s about the professional people who put the time in,” he concludes. “We have real committed staff members, who just really care about what they’re doing and care about the kids. It makes for an awesome program.” Indeed it does, and it’s for those reasons, among the plethora of others aforementioned, why we see Harvey Cavalier Camp as–aptly–“the perfect fit.”

The Harvey Cavalier Camp is located at 260 Jay Street in Katonah, NY. The camp’s next open house is scheduled for March 4th, with another set for April on an exact date to be announced. For more information, please visit harveycavaliercamp.org.

Matt Smith is a writer and contributor to The Inside Press. For information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

Harvey Cavalier Summer Camp OPEN HOUSE: Sat., Feb. 6

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pool time harvey

The Harvey Cavalier Summer Camp will hold its next off season open house, Saturday, Feb. 6, at The Harvey School, 260 Jay Street, Katonah, NY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 125-acre camp, which features arts, crafts, theater, dance, gymnastics, swimming, sports and ice skating, is a limited enrollment program for children entering Pre-K through ninth grade in September 2016.

The 2016 summer session begins Tuesday, July 5, and runs through Friday, Aug.12. For more information, parents should call (914) 232-0581 or visit: www. harveycavaliercamp.org

Should the event need to be postponed due to bad weather, the open house would be held Feb. 20.

Harvey Cavalier is a private, nonprofit camp for children who live in the counties of Westchester, Putnam and Fairfield, Conn.
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