Life at Blue Lake

Blue Lake Philosophy
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp strives to maintain an atmosphere where students who want to learn may do so in an environment which encourages creativity and recognizes the importance of the individual. Students are accepted at whatever their proficiency level may be and are encouraged to grow. Faculty and staff strive to motivate campers and share with them the joy of achievement in the fine arts. Enthusiasm is contagious at Blue Lake as campers discover, learn, experience, and succeed.

Blue Lake Days
Campers begin their day at approximately 6:45am by getting up and ready for breakfast. Mornings are filled with classes and rehearsals. After lunch, students participate in a Minor course of their choice, or have individual practice or rest time. Afternoon classes and rehearsals end at 3:40pm, leaving plenty of time for recreation, rest, and time with friends. After dinner, evening activities conclude each day with arts performances or camp fun. Unit Directors call lights out with Taps.

The Campus
Blue Lake is located north of Muskegon, Michigan, in the Manistee National Forest and on the shore of Little Blue Lake. The Campus sits in the middle of 1,300 acres of preserved forest containing large white and red pine, oak, and maple trees. Students walk Canterbury Lane, Blue Lake’s main footpath, to reach classes throughout the campus. In all, Blue Lake maintains over 275 rustic buildings, shelters, and cabins.

Cabin Life
Campers stay in bunk beds in a large, rustic, one room cabin with approximately eleven new friends and one cabin counselor. Six cabins form a unit, which is supervised by a Unit Director. Rest room facilities, camp fire rings, picnic tables, clothes lines, recreation equipment, and refuse containers are located within each unit. Cabins are inspected for cleanliness each day by Unit Directors. The cleanest cabin of the unit receives a special honor on their last day at camp!

Your Cabin Counselor
Blue Lake’s counseling staff is comprised primarily of college students majoring in the arts and/or education. Of the 180 staff members, most are upperclassmen, some are graduate students, and many have been Blue Lake campers before. The counseling staff supervises campers throughout the day, including all meals, recreation, free-time, and evening activities. They also assist faculty with class preparation and plan group activities for students. All of our staff members strive 24 hours a day to make each camper’s experience at camp fun, safe, worthwhile, and memorable.

Who Else is Going to Camp?
In any one session at Blue Lake, you’ll be studying the arts along with 1,280 other campers. Students are housed according to age groups, so you will be placed in a cabin and unit with others at your approximate grade level. Blue Lake celebrates the diversity of the arts, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet many others with different interests and talents.

Hey You in the Blue!
Blue Lakers, including all faculty, staff, and campers, wear the Blue Lake uniform. Click her for specific details on camp uniform requirements.

Who Does My Wash?
Blue Lake’s counseling staff launders campers’ uniform items at least five times a session. Students are expected to wash their own underwear and socks by hand or bring enough to last the entire session.

Cool Summer Nights
Dances, all-camp sings, talent shows, carnivals, concerts, recitals, ballet, master classes, pizza parties, unit activities, camp fires... Students experience a wide range of exciting activities while at Blue Lake.

The Health Lodge
Blue Lake’s health lodge operates 24 hours a day and offers basic first-aid care and medication storage for campers. The camp nurse and qualified staff are available throughout the day and emergency care facilities are just minutes away. Click here for more information on Medical Care Requirements, Health Facilities, and making arrangements for special needs.

Click Here to Help Build Our New Health Lodge!

Marek Hall
Campers eat meals with their cabin mates and share in the clean-up duties. Nutritious meals with vegetarian options are served by a professional food staff. Also available to campers is a salad bar containing fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and an assortment of salads and breads. Click here for more information on special need dietary restrictions.

Camp Pride
Located in the Manistee National Forest, Blue Lake prides itself in maintaining a clean and natural setting for its students. All campers help to preserve its beauty by pitching in on Camp Sweeps, such as picking up litter or collecting fallen branches for a campfire. Cabins and units are assigned areas of the camp to help keep clean.

On the Air
Blue Lake Public Radio, WBLV 90.3 in Muskegon and WBLU 88.9 in Grand Rapids, is located on the campus of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Campers often have the opportunity to attend live broadcasts at William Stewart Memorial Music Shell.

Old Time Music
While at camp, many students will visit Blue Lake’s Museum to learn the history of their own instruments. You never know what sounds you’ll hear in the Museum–anything from a didgeridoo to an ophicleide.

Recreation
During free time in the afternoon, students are encouraged to participate in recreational activities with other campers and staff, such as basketball, beach volleyball, swimming, soccer, kickball, frisbee golf, water polo, or touch football. Recreational activities are supervised by staff members, who often can’t help but join in the fun!

Louie MaGoo’s Camp Store
Located in Central Park, the camp store offers a wide assortment of refreshments as well as souvenirs, gifts, uniform items, and basic supplies. Recordings and photographs of camper ensembles are also available for purchase at the conclusion of your session. You can even buy your sweetheart a flower for the dance.

Time To Relax
On the middle Sunday of each Blue Lake session, students have the opportunity to sleep in, relax, and take advantage of a little morning free time. Blue Lake offers a non-denominational chapel service for those students wishing to attend. Morning instruction on this day includes specific department programs unique to the student’s chosen major, often consisting of interactive master classes, special topics, and casual faculty/staff recitals. Staff members offer a variety of structured recreation events prior to Sunday dinner and the scheduled evening activity.

Care Packages
Dozens of bags of mail and parcels arrive daily for campers at Blue Lake. Please allow at least 4 business days for your letter to reach Blue Lake. Mail is delivered to campers on the same day it arrives on camp.

Teachers
Blue Lake’s faculty members come from universities, colleges, professional ensembles, and private and public schools from around the country.

They serve as motivators and role-models for the campers by teaching artistry, discipline, and appreciation of formal study. In addition to instructing small and large group classes, faculty members regularly demonstrate mastery of their craft through exhibition and performance in concert, master class, studio demonstration, and recital settings.

Auditions
Central camp students audition on the first day of the session for placement in groups. Theater students should prepare a memorized one-minute monologue from standard theatrical repertoire. Music auditions consist of several major scales, a chromatic scale the full range of the instrument (strings excluded), sightreading, and possibly an excerpt of a prepared piece from home. You will receive more information following enrollment.

Scholarship Program
Blue Lake’s Scholarship Program offers students in all arts programs an opportunity to apply for financial assistance toward their camp tuition. Aid is also available for gifted campers whose family income would otherwise prevent participation at Blue Lake. For more information on how to apply, click here. To request a scholarship application, call 800 221-3796 or 231 894-1966, or print one from our here.

Outstanding Campers
Faculty and staff at Blue Lake consider all of our campers to be outstanding individuals. But during each session, every department and ensemble recognizes one camper who demonstrates outstanding leadership, citizenship, artistic accomplishments and progress, and enthusiasm throughout their camp experience. These campers receive a scholarship to return to Blue Lake the following summer.

Camper Solo Competition
Each summer, Blue Lake awards a scholarship to the winner of the Camper Solo Competition, who also performs as a guest soloist with the Festival Orchestra in Blue Lake’s Summer Arts Festival. For more information on this exciting opportunity, click here.

Bring Blue Lake to Your School!
Blue Lake’s Scholarship Representatives are currently available to visit your school to provide an informational presentation on Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and hold auditions for scholarships. What a great way to introduce your school to Blue Lake!

For more information on Blue Lake Scholarship opportunities, please call 800 221-3796 or 231 894-1966. Presentations are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and may not be possible in some distant areas.

How Do I Get to Blue Lake?
For complete instructions on the application process and how you can become a Blue Laker, please click here. We can’t wait to see you in Blue!

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