As a student of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, majoring in theatre, I naturally found an interest in music. To expand that interest, I took bass lessons at The Lesson Center every week during my sophomore and junior years. Playing music was my way to blow off steam and have fun. There’s a lot of pressure in acting, but music has always felt like an escape.
In the summer of 2012, I took the plunge and joined Fest Camp, The Lesson Center’s summer music program that culminates on stage at Musikfest. Even though I grew up acting, getting on stage at my first Fest Camp performance was nerve wracking. We met together as a band for two weeks, practicing for several hours every day. I loved the feeling at the end of practice when our songs were tight and we had all overcome our own individual obstacles, like a challenging tempo or difficult note.
Then came the day to play at Musikfest in front of hundreds of people. When my band and I got on stage that first summer I was really nervous—I had never experienced stage fright before this! I was always confident when acting, but music was different. I didn’t really consider myself a musician. I felt like because I only played for fun I wasn’t a real musician.
However, as the first song started, I suddenly felt proud and accomplished! I remembered the nerves and anticipation during those first rehearsal sessions and could hardly believe that two weeks later I was rocking the Musikfest stage. I was doing something not everyone could and I was doing it at one of Pennsylvania’s largest music festivals. And, I thought, maybe I was a real musician.
When you study something with the hopes of pursuing it as a career, everything else in your life starts to feel like a hobby. There’s no way I can call myself an artist just because I draw, right? But Fest Camp helped me embrace my “hobbies,” because I know how hard I worked for that moment of pride on stage. It encouraged me to pursue music with confidence.
In my senior year of high school, I auditioned for a musical while playing bass, and I sang backup vocals at the next Fest Camp. As an adult, I try new things all the time. I’m a rock climber, skier and writer. I’m an actor, and I’m definitely a real musician.
The Lesson Center’s Fest Camp is a summer program offered to students ages 12–18. Students must have a proficiency in their instrument before enrolling in camp. Campers meet daily for one week and conclude the camp by performing with their bandmates on stage at Musikfest 2019. For more information, visit thelessoncenter.com/festcamp.
