Camp Counselor Amanda Brings The Whole Family to Enjoy Summer Camp 2015

This year I had the honor and privilege of being chosen as a Summer Camp Counselor.  This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and as a mom I felt privileged that this was something that I got to experience with my whole family! Summer Camp Music Festival has been a favorite place for our family for years.  My kids love it, my husband and I love it, and my parents love it.  It is a great time where we get to meet new friends and family and where we can always be sure that we are going to have a great time.   This year the music that I got to experience with my family was outstanding.  I found new bands to love and got to see a lot of old favorites along the way.  Here is a short recap of one amazing weekend that I am so happy to be a part of.

Fun Family Activities

Amazeballs Amusements Mini-Golf – I have discovered that a game of mini-golf with a 3 year old, 5 year old, and 6 year old is impossible.  However the kids had a really good time enjoying their own version of the game and I just walked with them and went with it.   Kids Camp – Kids Camp is a place that we hold dear to our heart with lots of special memories.  I had the pleasure of interviewing the current director of Kids Camp, Alyssa Whitaker.  You can check out my interview to learn how you can involved for next year’s festival. Jellyfish Dome – The Jellyfish Dome was an amazing place where my kids loved being able to explore. They loved swinging at new heights and really getting to play around in the mornings.  The best part about this is that it allowed them to really enjoy themselves and to meet new friends along the way.

The Music

As a fan of music I will admit that the music was very important to me.  I wanted to be able to check out as many bands as possible without having to sacrifice my time with my children.  This meant that I went to a lot of shows that were kid friendly.  Here’s a short recap of my favorite shows from the weekend. Fox Valley Harvest – I had not previously known anything about this band but it is one discovery that I am happy to have made.  I really enjoyed watching them and my two youngest, who were with me at the show, really enjoyed dancing to their music.  It was a great time for all of us and one band that I can guarantee you I will be checking out again.  I loved their unique spin on classic bluegrass sounds.  Their vocals were spot on with melodic harmonies that could not help but suck you in.  I really have to admit that this was probably my favorite “new” band that I had never heard of before the festival. Keller Williams and Grateful Grass – What can I say that has not already been said about Keller?  Seriously, the man is one of my favorite artists and I was so excited to see him play with Grateful Grass.  I loved the set and got to hear many of my favorite Dead covers.  “Feel Like a Stranger” transformed me into another world, years prior to where I was really at.  It was amazing to get to enjoy one of the kids’ favorite artists with them and really enjoy the rich harmonic melodies and spot on music.  I also loved that this is where Adeline chose to focus on her digging in the dirt and Althea chose to get in some hooping time.  Also a quick shout out to their new friend  that gave them juggling balls to play with. These were a favorite toy all weekend long (although I will admit that there was no juggling going on).   Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – I have been a big fan of Karl’s for a long time.  I will admit that I did have to enjoy this set from my campsite because the kids were sleeping but it does not deter from the fact that it was a great set with all of the fun and energy that you can be certain of when you see Karl. Old Shoe – Old Shoe always offers us an amazing time together as a family.  I love hearing them play and really hope to check out their own festival, Shoe Fest, this year.  I also love that my kids enjoy their shows so much.  Hearing them jam to “The Music Never Stopped” was so much fun and proved to be one show that the kids are still talking about.  Althea loved that she was able to hoop the whole time and that they played music that she knows well.   Joe Russo’s Almost Dead – I have only seen Joe Russo a handful of times but each time that I see him I fall more in love.  The music, the environment, and the energy of this show are something that I certainly would never want to miss.  This was so much fun. Violent Femmes – I will admit that I was not a huge fan before but I grew to respect the music and the band after seeing them.  Their show was fun and offered me an energy and spirit that I had not seen elsewhere.  I really had a great time enjoying this set. Umphrey’s McGee – The part of the UM set that I saw between the Violent Femmes and moe. was spot on and filled with so much energy and fun.  Of course if you have been to an UM show before you know the energy that goes with the territory and this was no different.  I loved that I got to experience the fun and energy of the set. moe. – The more I see moe., the more I fall in love.  I think that the band gets better each year that I have been seeing them.  Their vocals have started to harmonize in new ways and their sound has continued to come together at levels that I have not previously seen.  I know that I will continue going to all of the shows that I can to see how much more the band can develop and grow.  There are some days that I reflect back to when I first started seeing them and can’t believe that they are the same band because in the last sixteen years or so a lot has happened and it has produced amazing things. Pink Talking Phish – Prior to seeing the Summer Camp line up this year I had never heard of Pink Talking Phish.   As a fan of all three bands (Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads, and Phish) I definitely wanted to check them out and I am sure glad that I did.  I am only sad that the hubby and kids were not able to go with me because it was something that they would have enjoyed equally.  When the band played the “Time” cover it was unlike anything that I had preciously seen or heard and was something extraordinary that was really a lot of fun.   Yonder Mountain String Band – I have been a big fan of Yonder Mountain String Band for as long as I can remember.  I think that I heard them for the first time in 2001 and have been hooked since.  I also became a HUGE fan of Allie Kral around that same time.  I will admit that over the years I have seen them both and the blending of Yonder with Allie Kral is amazing.  I appreciate that Allie has focused and grown her vocals to new heights and can say that I have never quite enjoyed “Son of a Preacher Man” or “Jolene” the same.  It was awesome that I got to hear her sing “Jolene” since that is one of my girls’ favorite songs and it was so cute to watch my three year old sing along. Steve Miller Band – On Sunday my oldest got to join me and Andrew is a pretty big Steve Miller Band fan so when he heard them playing he wanted to go check it out.  It was a great set filled with a lot of his favorite songs and he loved being able to be a part of it.  I was happy that they threw a “Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle” in there because these are both songs that Andrew listens to all the time.   Widespread Panic – Andrew has seen a lot of Widespread Panic in his days.  He really loves the band and loves getting to see them.  In fact we added up the number of times that he had seen them and this show as like his 15th or 16th Panic show.  So when I was given the chance (thanks grandma and grandpa for hanging with the littles) to take him up front to ride the rail I did.  He told me that it was an amazing experience to get to ride the rail for the first time and even more amazing since it was for one of his favorite bands. Of course there were other bands along the way but these were the highlights of the weekend for me and my family….   Being prepared as a parent and constantly applying sunscreen meant that my kids were happy and comfortable all weekend long.  I also want to give a shout out to the new bug bracelets that I found at the store because these were great.  The kids had no bug bites even after being outside and sleeping in tents all weekend.  Thanks to amazing neighbors at shows we got a few fun trinkets and games to bring home as well.  Plus my kids picked up an amazing assortment of driftwood and pine cones that we are going to be painting and turning into soft wind chimes to hang on our porch and remember our Summer Camp experiences for years to come. I just have to say that I loved the experience of being a Summer Camp Counselor in Training and that I am excited to be able to take things to the next level next year when I am a Camp Counselor.  I want to do more with families and kids so next year be watching for an announcement about how you can get your little ones involved at Summer Camp and maybe we will be able to hang out and let the kids play a bit.]]>