Residential Teen Camp

August 2 - 11, 2024

  • Leaders: Sinead O’Mahoney & Natalie Nowytski

  • Rehearsal location: VH House - Marshfield, VT

  • Price: $900
    Financial aid is available, based on need.

“Actually learning music from throughout the world shows you so many drop-dead-gorgeous singing traditions, exposes you to music that moves you down to the very marrow... and it makes you exercise so many different ways of singing that you start to figure out the ways that work best, not just the ways that you’ve always done it. It’s sort of like feeding the addiction you never knew you had--for the chocolate that nobody else has discovered yet.”
- Teen camp participant

 

Join our fabulous teachers for this 9-day camp, August 2-11, in residence at Village Harmony's beautiful headquarters in Marshfield, Vermont. Camp will begin with dinner on Friday, August 2 and will conclude with two concerts in central VT before campers head home with their families on Sunday, August 11.

This camp is a perfect both for those with limited free time and as an introduction to Village Harmony(VH), and the small group size—the program is limited to 12 singers—will bring intimate singing and close friendships.

VH camps always begin with a week of rehearsal in residence at a retreat center. This summer’s teen residential program will be held at the VH House in rural Marshfield, Vermont—our organizational headquarters.

During the rehearsal week, singers get to know one another and their music. Participants learn the basics of new singing styles and prepare a concert program under expert leadership, with emphasis on the cultural context and authentic vocal technique of the genres making up each session’s particular musical tapestry. Teen camp rehearsals are long and intense—six or more hours each day—with individual voice coaching, small ensemble and instrumental work between group sessions.

Word-sheets and notes are used for some of the music, but nearly everything is taught by ear. We place a lot of emphasis on authenticity—understanding the spirit and vocal style of each musical genre—and on appreciating the joy of singing together and with conviction. Within this rigorous structure, the groups tend to be relaxed and non-competitive, with a deliberately democratic atmosphere.

The framework of all of our camp residencies is communal, with everyone pitching in at each meal to help cook and clean. The menu is primarily vegetarian, and is responsive to the tastes, dietary needs and culinary talents of camp participants.

There will be time for frisbee, dancing and searching out swimming holes. During the week there will be an evening cabaret, and campers are encouraged to flaunt their flair for music, stand-up comedy or random talents.

NOTE: Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 will not be required to attend our 2024 camps. Covid-19 protocol for the rehearsal week will be determined as the opening day approaches.

Meet the leaders

  • Sinead O’Mahoney

    Sinead O’Mahoney, a native of Montpelier, VT, has been singing with Village Harmony and Northern Harmony for over a decade. She has traveled abroad with Village Harmony in Corsica, France, Switzerland, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has made three trips to Caucasus Georgia, including an intensive Georgian language course. She has been active in Sacred Harp and other shape-note singing throughout New England, and became a co-director of VH’s community choir Boston Harmony in 2018. Sinead will be leading songs from the American shape-note tradition as well as several pieces from Bosnia.

    She has been praised for her sure command of rhythm and clear and efficient teaching style. Sinead earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Vermont in 2016. She currently lives in the greater Boston area.

  • Natalie Nowytski

    Natalie Nowytski has been leading Village Harmony camps and workshops for teens and adults since 2011 and has been a guest teacher for Boston Harmony. A Minnesota-based international performer, award-winning composer, and music educator, Natalie’s repertoire spans more than 50 languages — including her native Ukrainian — and dozens of stylistic nuances. She calls Eastern European traditional vocal styling her superpower, sharing these techniques through her workshops and on stage for music, theater, and dance. She has studied and performed with folk luminaries across the US, Bulgaria, France, Czech Republic, and Serbia. Natalie began her directing career at age 14 and has since directed and consulted for notable ensembles throughout the US, also teaching a wide range of students from elementary age to PhD candidates in university and beyond.

    Natalie is known for her enthusiasm for helping students unlock their capabilities with her disarming nature and command of the human voice. Her Village Harmony sessions often include music from Bulgaria and Ukraine, peppered with pieces from elsewhere in the Balkan peninsula and the Carpathian mountains.