I had such high hopes for this camp but it sadly was awful. I was served a moldy cheese sandwich while there which terrified me of eating their food, the cabins were crowded and very sandy and the programs were long. The counselors were amazing though! It made me so sad that I went home early. Oh also- the bathrooms are awful and the cabins don't have ac. Interlochen if you read this please fix some of these things because I had an awful first camp experience. read more

Great place for concerts! Nice view of the lake in the background. I only wish there were more options for food and drink. This could have cut down on some of the longer lines. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this place for any concert! Great acoustics. read more

Interlochen Center For the Arts - View of lake behind stage area - Performing Arts Near Me - Interlochen, Michigan

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I went to a concert here last weekend. It was the Traverse Symphony orchestra- they played the Brandenburg Concertos. So beautiful, fyi. Love me some classical music. The symphony is rebranding and becoming the TC philharmonic soon. Due to this venue, Corson Auditorium, being an indoor concert hall at a school for theater and music students from all over the world- expect good acoustics. The end. read more

Just moved here from Colorado and Kresge at Interlochen ranks up there with the best music venues (Of course one Colorado venue ranks above them all. You know the one.) Great sound up the middle, but a little rough on the far outer stretches. Beautiful setting. read more

Okay so for me I didn't like it. If you are OBSESSED with your major, for example vocal majors who love classical music you'll do good. I'm a vocal major and everybody in my classes felt like NPC's, the classes were painful to sit through since I'm not that deep into classical. I should've done more research, so part of that is my fault. Living conditions I feel like basically any normal cabin at summer camp. Do NOT go for the top bunk It's SO tiny. Food was good. Overall not worth it, and I cried everyday so that says a lot lol. read more

The Interlochen Arts Camp living condition is unbelievable bad. No parent will send their kids to such summer sleepaway camp if they visit the nasty and overcrowd cabinet before the camp. Please visit the camp site before you decide whether you should send your kids to there for three weeks even six weeks summer time. Btw, took me very long time to post one star review here. Do Interlochen pay Yelp to get rid of bad review? Hope some parents can see my review before Yelp remove it. read more

This is a review of the camp. I went for three summer as a "general art" major and have very fond memories of the experience. I appreciate that they make everyone attend the orchestra concerts each week. This has contributed to my lifelong appreciation of music. They did a great job of making sure the cabins had a mix of students doing different things (musical theater, ballet, orchestra, and opera to name a few). It is by no means a five start hotel and has more of a rustic feel. I did piano lessons there as well. The practice rooms are in cabins scattered in the woods. They were a little run down and the rooms are not sound proof. Since they don't have any air conditioning, the windows are open which fills the woods with beautiful music. Negatives: The uniforms or kind of odd but it's part of the history and charm. Food left a lot to be desired. read more

I been going here since I was a camper. Now I like to visit once a year whenever possible. I've been to Adult Chamber Music Camp, a writers workshop and next will be a conference for Master Gardeners. read more

While I was a college student studying music in New Jersey, I was recruited by a friend on a whim to spend the summer as a counselor at Interlochen Arts Summer Camp. It was a very interesting and cool experience. Interlochen is an amazing place to be, whether you are a student, teacher, counselor, performer or spectator. Interlochen is many things at once. It is: *a performing arts center with many venues. *a boarding school for high school for the fine and performing arts *a fine and performing arts summer camp for school aged children from all around the world. *a radio station *a hotel and a gift shop and more... all nesteled in a beautifully wooded campus that has two lakes and bathing beaches. Interlochen is a not a place for students with a casual interest in the arts. Particularly at the middle and high school level, the kids are hardcore serious about their studies. They have lots of fun, but the price tag at Interlochen makes it a very costly and exclusive experience. The boarding school is so expensive it is out of reach for many students, so the summer camp is the only taste many children get of Interlochen. If I could afford to send my children to Interlochen, I would do so without hesitation. Performers from all genres grace the stages at Interlochen. The large open air stage at the center of campus is a really neat place to watch a concert. While I was there Yanni, kd Lang, the Monkees, James Galway and many others performed and I got to see them all as part of the job. It was so much fun working with the kids and enjoying beauty of the camp and all Interlochen had to offer. read more

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This center is a joke for a summer program. If you're ok with the so-so orchestra with high cost, then this should be ok. Otherwise, this center is more of a profit-making place rather than pursuing educational excellence, as others pointed out in other reviews. Here is what I found out from the 2022 Summer Program. First, the level of the orchestra is not any better than a local orchestra your child may belong to. The program and teaching are not challenging for serious players. It seemed that anyone who applied was admitted to the program (extremely low standard for admission). If your child is a serious player, then let them try Tanglewood or IU Jacobs school of music or Meadowmount for musical growth, especially the strings. My son got admitted to Tanglewood too, but we made a terrible choice. Second, they assigned a graduate student, not a professor or experienced instructor, to my son as a private instructor, who could not help with my son's solo piece. They replaced him with someone else only after receiving a complaint. Third, the overall experience is terrible. It should be fine if you want your child to experience just an old-time camplike experience (up to 20 kids in a cabin) with strict rules and don't care much about musical growth. But then why do you want to spend that much money? Fourth, their management of the summer program is just terrible. Food service and even administrative workmanship are just chaos. On my son's first day, he was instructed to go to the wrong division. Laundry service was not available for more than a week. I have contacted several folks at Interlochen for a refund, even the President. They were insensitive to their terrible service and mismanagement of racism issue, never responded to those raised issues, and refused the refund. Here is what I complained to BBB, which they didn't respond to, either. https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/interlochen/profile/art-schools/interlochen-center-for-the-arts-0372-38134448/complaints#1209120450 read more

This review is for the summer camp (music). My kid attended for 3- weeks camp. -Facility: 1. The practice room looks like a prison cell without sound proof. 2. The 20 students slept in a cabin without air conditioning. My kid had to buy a fan which she needed only for the camp (so she left it there). 3. The showers were very limited. My kid took a shower only every 2-3 days depending on how long the students took showers. - Quality of the faculty and students: 1. The level of the students are so diverse. Anyone will be admitted. 2. The faculty (private instructors) is all students (DMA candidates). I hoped my kid would have an experienced instructor, but no choice. -Rules: 1. The students could call only once a week for 30 minutes. We had a family emergency and could not reach her. My kid was informed in one and half days later after several calls to the office. 2. The students had to take a nap. This was totally non-sense for a teenager. -Additional cost 1. The uniform: everyone had to wear a 1970's style uniform and a pair of RED socks. The quality is so poor (not to mention, they are additional you need to pay). My kid's feet were dyed with the red color. 2. Food: No fresh fruits. My kid is not a picky eater, but asked me to send food. read more

Interlochen Center For the Arts - Practice room - Performing Arts Near Me - Interlochen, Michigan

I spent 4 years here but most students transfer in the middle of HS. I graduated in 1987 and last visited about 5 years ago. I am happy I went here, but I choose not to send my kids here. This school is best suited to students with high artistic potential. That was not my children. While a lot has changed, the core goal has not. This is a school to intensively develop young artists. For most students, IAA is a marathon. You are focusing on your art 5+ hours a day and squeezing in your other academics. Your goal should be to improve and survive the long journey. You are also doing this while you growing into an adult and experience normal teenage angst. If you are competitive and used to winning, you'll quickly be humbled. There are prodigies and then there are the majority of talented students who are still climbing their way up. When you are at Interlochen, you feel like you are never good enough because most of the time there is someone better. I've heard it called a feeder school for Julliard but I would call it a weeder school. Interlochen is where you learn how good you are compared with other talent nationally. If you are aiming for Julliard, Eastman, Curtis, Art Center College of Design, NYU Film School or the other top schools, Interlochen will help you develop the skills to get there, but it is far from a guarantee. It is important to take what you learn here and move on to conservatory or university. Whether you end up at Julliard or community college, it is ultimately up to you to develop yourself artistically. A word of caution for parents. If you have kids with severe mental disorders or substance abuse problems, I would avoid Interlochen and ANY boarding school. Do not think that putting your emotionally troubled but artistically talented child into an arts pressure cooker isn't a formula for trouble. I've seen kids find happiness and acceptance for the first time in their lives because Interlochen is a loving accepting community. (See Aaron Dworkin's book Uncommon Rhythm http://www.aarondworkin.com/bookscds.html ) I also saw kids get discouraged and lose their confidence because they were exposed to a group of high performing peers. I would hope some recent graduates review IAA on Yelp too for a more up-to-date perspective. read more

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My teenage daughter attended the Visual Arts one week intensive summer camp. Cabins are outdated, cold (or too hot depending upon the weather) and uncomfortable. Food is not good. Rules are too strict and enforced. She had no fun. Teaching was not challenging nor did instructor teach her anything she didn't already know. Positives were friends she made, doing her first art showcase and learning perseverance by making it through the week. read more

Please read this review before considering whether to send your child to Interlochen Arts Academy. I sent my son to Interlochen at the beginning of his Junior year. He was a happy, nearly straight A student when he left home. By 6 months in, he was unhappy, doing poorly in school and suffering greatly. The school was callous in their "help" with my son and only made the situation worse. There is a popular opinion at Interlochen that the administration only cares about it's donors, to the exclusion of it's students. At first I thought that was an exaggeration but I found it to be true. This school does not care about it's students. I observed that they create fear and uncertainty in the student body by kicking students out without warning, without just cause and by enforcing "policies" very randomly. Although my student did not get kicked out of this school, he began developing anxiety when he saw how callously and inconsistently other students were treated. I heard the kids talking about this frequently and they seemed to feel quite unsafe. I raised this with management who rules a dictatorship and refused to listen, despite acknowledging having received many calls on the same issue. It was then that I began to get concerned but we had already committed to the year and the money. Also, unless your student already operates like a 20 year old college student, needing no supervision or support with life habits, I would not consider this school. Their Res Life department is extremely poor. They are disorganized, inconsistent and completely ineffective at supporting students to keep up proper habits. When I escalated my concerns, I saw where the problem came from...management (Lydia Stoye, Julie Oberts and Jennifer Wesling). They are very disorganized, extremely unprofessional (rude) and oftentimes non-responsive. There is a lot of avoiding and little to no personal responsibility (and these are the people influencing your child!!!!!). The food is atrocious. Everyone knows that to have top performing students, you must put good things in their bodies. I am appalled by how little this school seems to know about the gut-brain connection. They serve chemical laden food that does not support the students being healthy, let alone performing optimally. It was a very big decision to spend the nearly $70,000 we spent to send my son to Interlochen. We regret every penny we spent. It was his Junior year and now his college dreams are dashed. We wish we had chosen one of the other performing arts schools in Boston or Northern California. I sincerely hope this review helps you. Please please contact me if you want more specifics about our search for schools and the troubles we found at Interlochen. read more

This review is for their summer camp in music. Until the point my 10-year-old was all set to go, Interlochen sounded like a magical place. Then he became sick and we had to run from one doctor to another, one specialist to another. He was heartbroken as he was all set to be in this place. While I am sure the instructors and mentors are talented and dedicated, they don't run the show. The Interlochen administration is absolutely notorious in looking after their interests first. It's a profit-making place and there is no concern or empathy for students. God forbid but if your child gets sick or has an accident there, Interlochen will ensure that their facility and interests are protected first. They refused to refund the amount which they only accept by check. So you can't even dispute it. This was even after their director misled us into believing that we will be getting our refund soon. We kept waiting for 2 months and then one day they suddenly they tell us, see you next year. Why would I send my kid to a place that guards its own profits before my child's well-being? The fees are somewhat steep --4 K for two weeks, but there are also additional expenses such as uniforms, belts, sweaters and other material. I don't feel this camp is right for younger students. I don't feel I can trust these folks. The location is also fairly remote and rural, so if there is an emergency, not sure how soon your kid can see a doctor. I am glad that my son became sick before reaching there. Had it happened after that, I can only imagine the physical and emotional cost of it. read more

Great venue! Saw Chris Young, who put on a great show. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't good, they tried to get it right, but couldn't. It was difficult to understand what he was singing or saying into the mic. I was able to sing along because I know the songs, but my mom doesn't, so that was a bummer for her. I would love to see some fans installed. It was very hot in there. Also, as women we really need to carry purses. I don't have a problem showing security what is in my purse, I don't even have a problem letting security search my purse. I'm really fond of carrying a clear bag so everyone can see what I have in there. Anything from a wallet to a tampon to a condom. Really not a strangers business. A woman's purse is like a limb, hard to live without it. It would be great if they would loosen up on that requirement. It honestly would deter me from visiting the venue in the future. These couple things are the reason for the 3 stars. read more

Please do your research before you send your kids here. I did not have a good experience there. https://youtu.be/wTvOxq2Cea8

Recent experience was really bad. I paid to see Ziggy. I didn't get to see Ziggy or the performance, but I did get a lot of beer spilled on me & paid to see many many drunk people. Alcohol wasn't supposed to be allowed , but people came in from the beer tent. I had to dump my water I just bought, but booze was A OK. Ireached out to them, but was ignored. Handicapped people couldn't see & the elderly got knocked around. Kids also were running all over. Kids & booze....ok. read more

HOLY MOLY! Are you kidding me? My life would be so incredibly different without the land of the stately pine. Many of my best friends were met here, some of my greatest and saddest memories are from here, and the seeds of my career were sown here as well. R.I.P. basshut. We miss you. If you have a kid who is into the arts at all, beg, borrow, or steal the money to send them to Interlochen next summer. Beware the Academy though. Your kids will experiment with same sex love, questionable fashion, and drop the fiddle after college to pursue a career in finance. Sound the call, m*therf*cker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

If your disabled and consider going to a concert...don't. Security screening is done by young kids and they don't have any experience for assisting the disabled. Get smart and hire professionals to do the screening not some 17 year old kid. I'll never return, second time in as many weeks security was horrible. read more

The Interlochen Center for the Arts was founded as the National Music Camp by Joseph Maddy in 1927. The year before, he conducted the first National High School Orchestra and set about giving a summer home to the ensemble. Since then, the likes of Van Cliburn, John Phillip Sousa, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, and many other great artists have joined the concert schedule. In the 60's an arts high school, the Interlochen Academy, has made the Center an year around organization. The center hosts the International Music Camp during the summer months, the Arts Academy during the year, and hosts concerts in its venues year around. WIAA is the NPR radio station run by the Center. A true gem of the country and a cultural treasure of the Midwest. By the way - was a summer camper for 7 summers in the 1980's - life changing stuff! read more

As an ex-student of Inty Academy I have nothing to say about Interlochen Center for the Arts except that I heard all the past camp-goers say it was absolutely phenomenal. Just FYI: camp is totally different from the actual boarding high school academy so don't be deceived. Do your research about the teachers of your child's major first before going head over heels about a completely different program. Arts Academy boarding school: After 5 years of having left interlochen (2010-2012 Freshman/Sophomore years), I realized how much talent I was surrounded by while I was there. There was a production of: Nutcracker in the dance department with the orchestra, Beauty&the Beast with the theatre majors, and West Side Story especially will always hold a special place in my heart. As a violin major, I was grateful I was thrown into a vigorous training of amazing orchestra repertoire, rehearsals, and monthly concerts. It gets freezing in northern Michigan, but ironically i don't think I've ever gotten a cold there. It's a perfect place to experience college a little bit before actually going to college. read more

Long ago, Gorgeous Gluten-free Girl attended the summer arts camp (dance), and we return from time to time. As wonderful as student concerts and recitals can be, Interlochen isn't just a training ground. It's also a concert venue for major performers. If you into RV camping, there's a great campground just across the street. read more

My daughter attended Interlochen Arts Camp last summer for the first time. She was only 9 at the time and it was her first time away from home. I was so nervous but excited for her when we dropped her off, not to mention impressed at the beauty of the sprawling campus. The setting is gorgeous and the camp is very professionally managed. My daughter majored in violin. Accordingly, she had the opportunity to participate in a string orchestra and a final concert. She gained exposure to a variety of elite music professionals and performers. She now sees her violin as more than a mere hobby and has a more intense commitment to her practice. When I picked my daughter up after two weeks, she was positively glowing. She made wonderful friends and adored her counselors. She had the most incredible experience and has spent the last 7 months since sharing her stories and memories with me, as well as looking forward to returning this coming summer. Attending Interlochen was such a positive and rewarding experience for my child. Kids grow up fast these days with all the technology and whatnot in their lives. It is nice to be able to send my daughter to a place where life can slow down a bit, she can learn and grow the old fashioned way and just be a kid. It is worth every single penny and each and every sacrifice required to send her. We look forward to many more summers at Interlochen over the course of her childhood! read more

I spent four awesome summers of my life here. I will never forget those summers. Every summer I think fondly of my time spent there. Ummm ah...one time at band camp.... :) read more

This review is for the ONE WEEK MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE. This camp was NOT an intensive. My daughter was bored all week. If your child has any previous dance, theatre and/or musical experience, this may not be the camp for them...or you. The camp costs $1000 and was no where near worth the money. Consider something local in your area before traveling to this highly boastful arts school. The daily food was terrible, even tho they had a salad bar daily, it was often out of food. They even served left overs one day! The rustic cabins were hot and stuffy, bring your own fan! The lake was never visited by the campers. Voicing our concerns to the director of this program did not change anything and they were not willing to let us go home early with a refund of any kind. read more

We experienced the final concert. There were over 400 artists moved on and off the stage with such organization. The music was so beautiful and the grounds as immaculate as when I visited in the 1970s and 80s. So many beautiful memories. read more

Just want to clarify an earlier review. There is an arts camp farther south in Michigan called "Blue Lake". The reviewer who commented on the many performance stars who attended Interlochen mistakenly called the camp Blue Lake. Although it is an excellent camp and has many similar programs, Blue Lake is not affiliated with Interlochen. read more

This is specific to concert ticket purchases. Expensive tickets, plus fees, plus more fees. Also, I believe they sold my phone number as I began receiving spam calls from a MI number days after buying the tickets and having to provide my number to complete the ticket purchase. I don't live in MI and had not provided my number to anyone else. So in addition to paying ridiculous fees on fees, I essentially paid them to spam my phone!! read more

Love love love this as a music venue. Have seen many stellar shows here and will continue to for the rest of my days. Kresge has fantastic sound and is such a beautfiul venue for a concert, especially when the back curtains are open and you get a view of the lake! read more

A performing arts high school during the school year, a performing arts camp in the summer time. They have two main performance venues, one is indoor the other outdoor. Throughout the year, but especially in the summer, they have big name performers and concerts that range from Willie Nelson, to Hall & Oates, to Nora Jones to Prairie Home Companion to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Really varied, and almost always in the outdoor venue. Harry Connick Jr. and Josh Groban were here this summer, to name a couple. On a hot day (An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. was over 90 degrees at 7:00 pm), you wish is was an indoor event, but on a gorgeous day (Josh had great weather), the outdoor venue is spectacular. It is on a lake and boats pull up to hear the concert from behind the stage, though they cannot see the stage and depending on where you are seated, you may or may not see the lake very well. The local high schools also have their graduation ceremonies here every year. Unless you arrive three hours before any scheduled event, plan on walking at least a quarter mile to the venue. Lots of people arrive early to tail gate before concerts, which is always a lot of fun. Wear comfortable walking shoes, leave the high heels at home, you may be walking across dirt or wood chip covered walk ways before you get onto the paved campus. Worth walking around the campus before the events, very cool! Lots of famous performers, including Nora Jones and Josh Groban and other have attend Blue Lake as campers when they were kids. Again, wear comfy footwear! read more

HORRIBLE STAFF! EXTEREMELY RUDE!!! Watched the security people harass a couple trying to watch a concert (3 of them were standing watching them with their arms crossed!). I was seated behind the couple (and chatted with them before the show - very nice people). I will never attend another concert here, no matter how much I want to see the performer!! read more

My Celloson was a camper, graduated from the Academy, and came back as a Counselor for IAC. Interlochen was a life-changing experience and left an indelible mark upon him. (and a large hole in the bank account) read more

We had to withdraw our camp enrollment and I became very worried after reading reviews here about this topic. The business office was fantastic. They listened and were quite understanding. read more

Interlochen has an impressive history and reputation, with a world renowned faculty, a magnificent sprawling campus, first-rate teaching facilities and presentation venues, rustic but comfortable, gender specific living quarters along the shores, all nestled between Green and Duck Lake in Northern Michigan. However, what was most comforting to us is that we left our son Patrick 14 and Oscar 11 in a safe environment. The staff watching over the kids is commendable, consisting mostly of young, adults, many of whom attended Interlochen. They are intelligent, attentive, responsible, well trained and relate well with the kids: friends, mentors and capable chaperones all at the same time. The rules and procedures developed over decades are strictly adhered to and were created to provide an egalitarian environment which focuses attention on the arts, the development of comradeship and the safe enjoyment of the outdoors without all the distractions and inequities of modern life. It was a necessary reprieve for us and our boys. Uniforms and a strict dress code, a limit on personal funds and spending, freedom from the challenges of coed relationships and the ubiquitous electronic media, with plenty of time for interaction in a safe environment, respect for diversity in others are some of the tenants of these procedures. We read some of the negative reviews which seem to center on special treatment of big money donors' kids or what seems like the lack of special treatment of artistically gifted kids and so on. This has not been our experience. Both boys were treated fairly without benefit or prejudice. A generous stipend made our attendance possible and we are grateful to those donors who gave more than they had to. An organization providing such impressive resources requires a considerable budget to do so. It's easy to be smothered by indignation from real or perceived inequities in life. This is not the response we want our boys to adopt. We want them to function and develop to their full potential in spite of them. If that is a lesson they learn, that much for the better. Yes, our boys complained about some of the rules, but they attended a great set of instructive classes tailored around their interests, practiced on their own, delivered stellar performances, made good friends, had fun outdoors, learned to function in a structured environment away from home and want to go back next year! This is exactly why we sent them there. We give Interlochen top rating. Andrew and Kinga Kotlarz read more

This camp is the biggest joke I've seen. Our daughter raised her whole fee for camp on her own. She had the worst experience where we contacted Mindy the Visual Art Director about the issues she was having. Mindy avoided all communication with us and did nothing to help with the situations. Our Daughter told her Teachers that she didn't feel challenged enough and the Teachers said sorry we don't know how to challenge and maybe she can be in a better class next year. I have contacted President Trey and he has never contacted me. This camp is all about making money, your Alumni Students or returning students. They don't care about 1st time students which I physically heard today after Mindy finally to decided to call us. So if your rich they love you but if your middle class they don't care about you. Our Daughter said it was a waste of her money and that she learned more in her College Art Class that she took last school year as a Freshman in High School. This is not a world renowned Fine Arts Camp. It's a joke and I will find a better one to send our Daughter to than this place. And trust me I'm not the only one who feels this way. read more

The venue may be a bit rustic, but the entertainment is outstanding. Sophisticated art at its finest in a rustic setting is another way to say it. Our favorite entertainers are not appearing as frequently now, but still, some appear and the publicity dies hold our interest. Leave the politics at home though, or ignore the extremist nutjobs running around there sometimes, and you may have a nice, entertaining experience. read more

4 summers as a camper. 1 summer as staff accompanist. Many Summer's returned to re-live the magic. Life changing. read more

Our kids have gone to the summer camp and our youngest is planning on high school there. If you have kids that are into performance arts, visual arts, or creative writing, you should consider having them attend the camp or school. We have gone to many concerts given by the campers/students or visiting artists. There is almost always something interesting happening at Interlochen. Downside? The camp is a bit expensive and the school more so. Fortunately, needs based scholarships are available for the less affluent. read more

I was a student here for four years and I still actively churn over the time that I spent in one of the most beautiful parts of our country. It was a stellar experience in so many ways but for what I was sold before I ever even saw the campus was, in the end, not what I received. There were some fantastic educators, wonderful friendships were made, and some pretty big concepts were introduced to me in a safe and tolerant environment. And the campus truly is beautifully stunning. So far, so good. Interlochen loses a good deal of its luster after you get a better sense of the way the whole ship floats. More and more as I studied there, it felt like a numbers game. Even to the point where it felt like the administrators were actively showing students off to potential investors in an effort to attract more money. There's no problem, really, with that except that the money is being held away from student scholarships and teacher salaries in order to make the place look better for more investors. I'm sure there's much more to it than that, there has to be, but I often felt like more of a dollar amount to some of the senior administrators than an actual breathing human. Obviously, I was privileged to be able to spend four years gaining a solid high school education but, again, I question if you get what you're paying for. Further still, maybe you're getting more than what you paid for and it's not necessarily a good thing. I'm sorry, Interlochen community, that I have to stand apart from your success but I'm not a very proud Fightin' Blueberry alum. read more