This month we are featuring the students of St. Mark who attended Lutheran Summer Music. The students shared some comments about what LSM meant to them.
KAHLI: “The best thing about attending LSM was the fact that I was surrounded by so much love. We had all come from across the nation to join and give thanks for God’s gift of music. After spending a month with over a hundred unique teenagers, I can’t recall a single negative day. That within itself should be a miracle. Everyone emitted a positive vibe. We were all happy to be there. And we were all respecting the opportunity to grow.
A life lesson I learned at LSM is to not be afraid of trying new things. Oh, and to ask questions! You can get a lot more out of an experience just by taking that extra step. For me that was joining chapel choir. I was pretty self conscious when it came to singing, but each morning the LSM student body would come together and harmonize as we sang Luther’s Morning Prayer. I found a joy in praising and thanking God with my own voice, and began to crave it during the day too. Just a couple days in and I found myself asking how to join the chapel choir. If I hadn’t made that decision, I would have missed out on one more aspect of camp that allowed me to grow in faith and music.
I would definitely recommend LSM to other young musicians. The opportunities to learn are endless, and there is always an adult or two available to provide support if need be. Even the students would be happy to offer a helping hand. They aren’t rude and overly competitive, much the opposite in fact. I remember attending piano, voice, trumpet and violin recitals, to support other campers. Likewise, many new faces cheered me on when I performed. I cannot stress enough how big of an opportunity this is. The learning environment exceeds all expectations while remaining extremely supportive and loving towards all campers.”
JESSICA: “My focus at LSM was on voice, and I worked one on one with a wonderful instructor. It was very challenging but in a good way! I made so many friends and I am still in touch with them regularly. We all got sick the last week but it didn’t really matter and didn’t ruin our time because we had such a great time and we were all so bonded!
The best thing about attending LSM was making all kinds of new friends who were just as into music as I was. I loved getting to know everybody and bond with them.
A life lesson I learned from my LSM experience was to stay organized. I can’t tell you how many times I locked myself out of my room and had to wait for my roommate to open the door for me.
I would recommend LSM to other young musicians because not only do you learn so much with the nice and helpful teachers, but you make friendships that last a lifetime. Can’t wait to go there again. I am already signed up for next year!“
ZOE: “The best thing about LSM was being constantly surrounded by others who cared as much about music as I did – we were always growing
and learning from each other.
A life lesson I learned from my attendance at LSM is the fact that we all have gifts to share that can change people’s lives for the better.
I would recommend LSM to other young musicians because your growth as a musician in just a month is unbelievable, as well as your personal faith. You’re left with a new love of music and community, and life long friends you’ll never forget.”