This was the best 7 days of my life! I had heard great things about Lark. But I never expected 1) 20 classes per HOUR on the activity board... Each day from 9 a to 5 pm ... 2) World class instructors offering instruction in string instrument wind instruments percussion ... singing, dancing and performance 3) And music traditions from the British Isles, French and Cajun, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, South and Central America, Appalachia and more. And every year they integrate new teachers and new experiences. Most campers feel the nights are even more fun than the days... often with FIVE dance parties per night ... featuring incredible live music played by teachers, students and professional musicians! Whether you are like me and typically go to bed at 10... or you like to dance hard into the night... the variety of music, the caliber of the musicians, and the sheer energy create night after night of unique experiences. The best part is the Mendocino Woodlands themselves. Whether you are taking a walk in the woods alone under the redwoods, or you sipping your morning cappucino while listening to a student practice their harp by the morning campfire...The week is filled with non-stop memorable moments. If you are a musican, singer, dancer... OR just a "dabbler" (like me) ... OR simply part of a family or couple who enjoys traditional music, you would definitely want to experience this magical place. read more

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An amazing, magical camp that takes place in the Mendocino Woodlands. They are keeping the hippie spirit alive and also offering amazing, eclectic lessons from talented, caring instructors! read more

TLDR: Payed over 700 dollars for camp I didn't attend. Treated pretty badly by staff. My girlfriend wanted to attend Lark as a couple after going last year by herself. She forwarded me her email and I skimmed it, clicked the link and signed up to request a "working position" wherein the sign up fee is lessened if you labor at the camp. After I signed up, I received a call, while at I was at work, from a woman named Amy. Amy explained I clicked the wrong link and it screwed something up on her end. She was really upset. When I commented "It sounds like you are having an infrastructure issue with the way your google forms work. There are ways to limit who has access to certain links." Amy responded "It sounds like you are having a issues with how your relationship works." I stayed quiet at the ridiculous jab and apologized for making the mistake as I didn't want to mess anything up from my girlfriend with the camp. 2 months go by I had signed up fully and paid. My girlfriend can no longer attend and my work has been pressuring me about the time off. I send an email to Mickie, who is the proprietor from what I understand, to request a partial refund, explaining that I understand clerical dues and hold fees, but 700 dollars for literally nothing is hard to stomach. He called me back and said there are zero refunds. I followed up in an email asking if the ticket was transferable to another person so at least the money could go to someone learning about music that could attend. He responded by email AFTER the camp completed saying he "hoped I could come to camp next year." I am sure there are a huge number of people that have had a great experience with the camp. It looks fantastic. I, unfortunately, wasn't able to be one of them. The way things were handled from a business perspective was upsetting and rather unprofessional. read more

sorry to hear about your experience. My ex-wife, daughter and I have been going to this camp for about 10yrs now. While I recognize some folks after all that time, and some of them recognize me... I am not social enough nor a good enough musician to attract a lot of attention from the regulars there. But... I still enjoy the camp for the social atmosphere as well as the relaxed pace for the week. There definitely is a 'family' feeling there and I have seen many kids grow up there over the last 10 yrs., our daughter included. As far as learning... yes, there are some instructors who are better at teaching than others, but there is plenty to be learned. I've never sought out music history at camp there, I just went to play and learn how to play. This has worked well when I learned to limit the number and the kinds of classes I tried to participate in. Learning to schedule one's day really makes a difference in what a person gets out of camp. Although some classes can help rank beginners, I do believe it is better if you know a little bit about the instrument you wish to play at camp, before you get there. The camp can be attended as a week-long camp, or you can break it up into two parts... 1st half and 2nd half. Going to half camp means you will probably miss out on either the beginning of the classes or the end of them. But some classes do take into consideration the newcomers at mid-week, and help them get up to speed. I'm not sure when JenW went to camp, but the camp operators - Mickey and Elizabeth, sold the music stores a few years ago. Yes, many of the instruments are very cheap imports, but there were instruments that would suffice for someone just starting out and wondering if they might stay with it. It's personal choice... you pay really cheap prices to get a cheap instrument, or you pay the average going rate to get a better instrument. Lark Store is what it is. I wouldn't go to a music camp/event thinking I was going to get bargain instruments there, just like I wouldn't go to a gunshow and expect to get a bargain firearm there, nor go to a ballpark and expect I could eat a quality meal for a decent price.... $15 hotdogs??? LoL. Anyway, Lark Camp is a place where you get to experience music from around the world and in some cases performed by people from countries outside of North America. You get the opportunity to live for a week among really friendly and talented people at a relaxed pace (if you so choose), in a nice climate and woodland setting, play music AND learn music without worrying about someone stealing your instrument if you leave it out all night. The accommodations are rustic to primitive, but the bathrooms have running water, showers, and flush toilets. The meals (if you choose to pay for the meals there instead of bringing your own food) are somewhat exotic, yet very tasty IMHO, and we've never gone hungry. It's a week of walking, riding your bike, or riding the shuttle buses and living with the fact that the only 'noise' is that of instruments, voices, and nature. I highly recommend you visit their website to see pictures and read the descriptions. Another plus is that I have not had to lose sleep because people were 'jamming' right next to my tent all night long.. sometimes in a drunken or other sort of stupor. The jamming is pretty much contained at the dance halls and firepits. I've never seen anyone get 'out of hand' either sober or 'under the influence', and children roam about the whole week without being molested in any fashion I could see or have heard about. I just wish the rest of my life could be more like this. read more

Much merriment, frolicking, dancing, relaxing, eating, fun in one of the most beautiful settings ever...the Mendocino Woodlands forest. Every end of July-early August....musicians and dancers converge for a week to the Old World Music and Dance Camp. It's equal is Camp David (formerly "Shangrila"). Imagine sitting under a tree in the forest, by a "brooklet"...and hearing lutes, harps or brass bands in the distance!.....eating fresh baked goodies (from the bakery in the Woodlands)...drinking Turkish coffee made in copper pots..dancing to French Country music-Cajun-English Country music-Contra. Take as many worshops as your heart desires (inclusive in the tuition). This camp is as if time stood still from the 1930's....it has been kept original (all cabins and structures included) and for the same purpose as it was built for at that time...for enjoying the outdoors experiences. This is such a unique experience...Larkers return year after year,,,as I. read more