The summer before junior year is quite overwhelming, with the stress of standardized tests and the pressure of the college application process looming. Growing up, I usually spent my summers visiting friends and family in Greece; however, I was determined to spend this summer doing something more productive.
One fateful morning, I received an email from Tony Marro regarding summer work opportunities, attached to which was a long list of available jobs and internships in everything from science to the arts. Among these was an internship at the Kaufman Music Center’s Summer Musical Theater Camp. It immediately caught my attention — after all, those who know me well know of my love for music, specifically opera and musical theater. Without hesitation, I emailed the program director and applied for the post.
So what exactly was this program, and what was my involvement?
The camp was open to children aged 6-16, divided into five age groups, each comprising roughly fifteen campers and 2-3 interns. It operated four days a week for a month, starting in early July. At the end of the program, each group would present an original musical with lyrics and music written by camp directors. In tune with the summer’s “Dark and Spooky” theme, my group performed a short show entitled “The Clumsy Ghost.”
Along with two other interns, I was responsible for the second-to-youngest group, consisting of seven and eight-year-olds. As counselors, we guided the young campers through their acting, music and dance classes in the morning and mentored them during afternoon rehearsals for the show. For instance, I often accompanied them on the piano during rehearsals while directors helped fine-tune their singing, and, before our final performance, I led their vocal warmup.
I also took on the role of liaison to the set department for our group. Among my duties in this position were to communicate with the design team about all matters relating to the costumes and props for our show and assist the campers in learning how to use them. I did not fully appreciate the significance of my job until the night of our final performance when some of the props and costumes for our show went missing. Amid panic and stress, I had to handle the backstage crisis and ensure that the show could run without delay. This was a highly valuable and rewarding experience for me, as my dream is to one day manage a theater or opera house, where communication and problem-solving skills are essential.
While the workshop’s primary focus was the campers, interns and staff members were also able to showcase their musical talents at the camp’s annual Cabaret night; I played a short piano piece, other interns sang and did musical numbers and several staff members even performed original compositions. The night concluded with the ‘intern medley,’ a compilation of songs from past summers choreographed by camp directors and performed by the interns. Hearing the campers roar with excitement upon recognizing their favorite songs was perhaps the most heartwarming moment of the summer.
In my first few days on the job, I was rather intimidated by my coworkers. After all, whereas many of them had grown up in this community, having been campers since a very young age, this was my first involvement with the program. Once I grew accustomed to the environment, however, they accepted me into the community with open arms. It would not take long before that intimidation turned to awe; they were kind, supportive, funny and profoundly talented — and I remain very close friends with many of them today.
On the last day of camp, we held a picnic and water fight in Central Park, where my fellow interns and I received an influx of hugs and gifts from campers and their families — and got quite wet. We then returned to the Kaufman Center one last time for a sing-along of the summer’s most popular songs, before saying our final goodbyes.
I went into the program unsure of what to expect — but I came out of it with new friends, newfound confidence and a better idea of what I want to do with my life. My experience at work this summer was transformative, and I cannot wait to return next year.
