We were very underwhelmed by this music camp. Our overall impression was that it was very unorganized.
Before the camp started, parents received an email explaining the logistics, and everything seemed organized. However, we quickly realized that the staff did not seem to be aware of, or follow, much of the information included in the email.
For example, the email stated, “Hours – For your convenience, the school will be open as early as 8:50 AM for drop-off.” However, every day, parents had to sit with their children until a teacher let them into the classroom at 9:30 AM. Additionally, on 3 out of the 5 days, the teacher was either late or did not show up.
On the first day of camp, I went to pick up my son and was waiting in the designated area. I heard a child screaming and crying for his dad. It sounded like my son, but I couldn’t imagine why he would be wailing like that. I then realized it was my son. He had been trapped in the bathroom and was drenched in sweat.
We were told that the children had a buddy system. Unfortunately, his buddy had already left, which I understand can happen with 4- and 5-year-olds. However, I was very concerned that no teacher had checked on him until they heard him crying. Thankfully, he was okay, but it was a very upsetting experience for him and for us.
At the end of camp, the children were supposed to have a performance. The initial email stated that students would come home on Monday with information about the performance, but we received nothing. The children ended up performing one song, “We Will Rock You,” and the performance seemed very rushed and only partially planned. There were no instruments involved, and the teacher was not present. The entire performance lasted less than 10 minutes.
The woman in charge that day, who was not the teacher, had the children get off the stage. One of the children asked about another song, and she quickly explained that they were not going to perform it because many of the children did not know it yet.
The email also stated that the children would receive a camp T-shirt and come up with a band name. Neither of those things happened.
The email also said that a recording would be sent to us of the performance-I highly doubt they will follow through.
I realize that I was not present in the classroom during the actual camp sessions, so I cannot speak firsthand about everything that happened during the day. However, based on the lack of organization, communication, and preparation we experienced, we did not feel that the camp provided the experience we expected.
Unfortunately, we will not be returning and would not recommend this camp to other families.