2024 Registration Information and Prices
Before you register please read this important information. We’ve tried to make this a comprehensive page that tells you everything about your registration options and other information for having a great time at camp.
ESSENTIAL INFO
The dates for the 2024 spring camps are:
- Mandolin Camp North, April 19-21, 2024
- Banjo Camp North, May 17-19, 2024
Registration for both camps starts Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at 7 p.m. EST.
We try to have housing and price options to fit every budget. We also offer scholarships; applications open in January 2024.
Both camps are held at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, Mass. For directions and other travel info visit this page.
For both camps, classes start at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and end at about 3 p.m. on Sunday. Six meals are served, starting with dinner on Friday and ending with lunch on Sunday.
Most rooms are supplied with two pair of bunk beds. Our ‘Quad Room’ registration choice uses the upper bunks.
Access to the dorms starts near dinnertime on Friday, and we must be out of the rooms after the last class on Sunday.
For the spring camps we don’t have any COVID protocols, but we reserve the right to add them.
REGISTRATION OPTIONS AND PRICES
The easiest way to register is with a credit or debit card online. When registration starts on December 12 we will post on this site a link to our registration page.
PLEASE NOTE: Our single rooms sell out quickly, often in the first few minutes of registration. If you’re registering for a single room, have your credit card ready and try to complete your registration all in one shot.
You may also register online and send us a check. When you reach the billing portion of the registration form, choose ‘Check’ as your payment method and mail a check for the appropriate amount to:
Music Camps North
PO Box 674
Putney VT 05346
If you do not want to register online, call us and we will be glad to help you register. Our contact information is here.
Deposits: For some registration options, you may choose to pay a $100 deposit rather than the entire amount up front. If you do so the remaining balance will automatically be charged on February 28, 2024, to the same card you used to pay the deposit. After February 28 you must pay in full.
Companion campers: Spouses, significant others, parents, etc. may register as Companion Campers for a lower price. They cannot attend classes, but can attend faculty concerts, participate in or listen to jam sessions, shop with vendors, and eat meals.
Roommates: There is a place on the registration form to request a particular roommate. If you register as a Companion Campers you’ll be housed with your participating camper unless you let us know you’d like a different arrangement.
If your first choice of room is sold out: The number of single rooms is limited and they sell out quickly — often on the first day of registration. If your first choice of room is sold out, you may register for your second choice and let us know your first choice in the space provided on the registration form. If your first choice later opens up, we’ll contact you to see if you’d like to switch.
All-weekend Options
Here are the all-weekend room choices for Mandolin Camp North and Banjo Camp North. ‘Hilltop’ and ‘Pondside’ refer to the two campuses at Prindle Pond. See the bottom of this page for more information on the campuses.
For commuters and campers: Car and RV parking are marked on the Prindle Pond campus map. There are no hookups for RVs. RVers are welcome to use the bathrooms in Sage Hall, the cafeteria, and the Lodge and Center dormitories. The bathrooms in Lodge and Center are gender-specific and have showers. If you’d like to commute from a nearby hotel we recommend the Southbridge Hotel about three miles from camp.
| REGISTRATION type / Campus | Price |
|---|---|
| Commuter, Tent Camper, RV Camper / no housing – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – No housing. Camp onsite or commute | $450 |
| Quad Room / Pondside – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – Four people to a room, shared bath | $470 |
| Double Room / Pondside – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – Two people to a room, shared bath | $545 |
| Double Room / Hilltop – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – Two people to a room, private bath | $695 |
| Single Room / Pondside – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – One person to a room, shared bath | $845 |
| Single Room / Hilltop – Six meals, classes, jams, concerts – One person to a room, private bath | $930 |
| Companion Commuter / no housing – Six meals, jams, concerts – No housing | $250 |
| Companion Double / Pondside – Six meals, jams, concerts – Room with your camper, shared bath | $395 |
| Companion Double / Hilltop – Six meals, jams, concerts – Room with your camper, private bath | $465 |
Single-day Options
| Day / Evening | Price |
|---|---|
| Friday Dinner, two class periods, concert, jams, no housing | $125 |
| Saturday Three meals, five class periods, concert, jams, no housing | $230 |
| Sunday Lunch, three class periods, jams, no housing | $100 |
| Saturday evening Dinner, faculty concert, jams, no housing | $75 |
CANCELLATION POLICY
Contact us if you need to cancel your registration. The amount we refund depends on when you cancel. Here are the important dates:
Mandolin Camp North
| Before March 1, 2024 | full refund |
| March 1 to March 31, 2024 | full refund less $100 cancellation fee |
| April 1, 2024 or later | no refund |
Banjo Camp North
| Before March 1, 2024 | full refund |
| March 1 to April 30, 2024 | full refund less $100 cancellation fee |
| May 1, 2024 or later | no refund |
CAMPERS UNDER AGE 18
If you will be under 18 years of age at camp and would like to attend, please contact us before you register. A parent or guardian must attend with you.
PETS
Pets are not allowed. For questions about service animals, contact us.
CAMPUSES, DORM OPTIONS, MAP
Our camps are held on the two campuses of Prindle Pond Conference Center — ‘Hilltop’ and ‘Pondside.’ See this map.
Prindle Pond Conference Center does not provide blankets, sheets, pillows, or towels; you must provide your own.
Should I Choose Hilltop Campus or Pondside Campus?
The two campuses are about a quarter of a mile apart, joined by an unpaved path on which you may walk or drive. If you have a mobility issue, a van will be available to drive you back and forth. Both campuses provide housing that is comfortable but not fancy. Registration, meals, and concerts are all held on the Hilltop campus. Classes and evening jams are split between the campuses.
Pondside is the older campus, with dorms that are more rustic, and are priced lower than the Hilltop dorms. The dorms on Pondside have mostly double rooms with a shared bath down the hall.
Hilltop is the newer, more modern campus with two dorms that have mostly double rooms, and also have a combined total of 6 single rooms. Every dorm room on Hilltop — doubles as well as singles — has a private (en suite) bath, which is priced at a premium and typically sells out quickly. The dining hall building does not have dorm rooms, and the 4 classrooms in the dining hall building are available for all-night jamming. All meals and the two faculty concerts take place on the Hilltop campus.